It is a national holiday in the U.S., but NYC Resistor Thursday Craft Night is still on! (image by Dall-E)
Something Old and Something New: A blended cocktail ingredients Make-Along 11/30/2022
Tickets on EventBrite for this Wed Nov 30th class
We will spend an evening making our own Gomme simple syrup and Citrus super juice, and will compare them to ordinary rich simple syrup and ordinary citrus juice in a few choice drink recipes.
Gomme simple syrup
A common place ingredient in cocktail recipes from the 1800s, gomme syrup (or gum syrup, or simply gum) is a rich simple syrup with gum arabic. The hydrocolloid stabilizes the syrup (preventing sugar from crystallizing out) and changes the texture of cocktails made with it.
Most recipes that you can find will ignore what we now know about hydrocolloids and their behaviors and rely on very long wait times to hydrate the gum arabic before using it. We will be using a blender for a different, faster and more reliable way to produce gomme syrup.
Super juice
Invented recently by Nickle Morris at the Expo bar in Louisville KY, super juice is an approach to producing citrus juice that uses oleo citrates (a method analogous to the classic oleo saccharums from 1700s and 1800s punch and cocktail recipes) to infuse citrus peel flavors into the finished juice. The result is a shelf stable (keeps for weeks, not hours) citrus juice with intense flavor and a much, much higher yield than freshly pressed citrus.
The Course
We will jointly make a batch of gomme rich syrup and a batch of super juice (meyer lemons if I can find them, otherwise lemon, orange and/or lime) and compare their effects: gomme syrup compared to rich syrup in an old fashioned, and super juice compared to fresh citrus juice in a whisky sour. If you do not like whisky, we can produce analogous comparison pairs for gin, rum, or pretty much any base spirit you prefer.
Once we finish for the evening, we will bottle the juice and the syrup, so that you can take one bottle of each with you home for further mixology experiments.
The Teacher
A professor of data science for his day job, Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson goes deep into any hobby he picks up. Cocktails, cocktail techniques, mixology and historical (and weird) approaches to cocktails have been an obsession on and off again for years now, and occasionally documented at https://sapores.tumblr.com/.
This class is 21+ and governed by our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, as well as accessibility information, can be found at www.nycresistor.com/participate/.
(image from NYPL digital collections, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-b7a6-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 , free for use without restrictions
Faux Gingerbread Build-And-Smash 12/4/22
Tickets on EventBrite for this Sun, December 4, 2022, 1:00 PM event
Have you always wanted to build a ridiculous bit of confectionary architecture? Do you fantasize about reenacting a monster rampage through a cityscape? Come and we’ll provide supplies and tips for building a ridiculous faux gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, cookies, and candy. Once you’ve finished your masterpiece, you’ll have the option to take it home to show off (and nibble on), or else you can join in the cookie carnage… as we have a photoshoot of Godzilla smashing the freshly made cityscape. Are you a beginner? We’ll provide graham crackers, cookies, candy, icing, sandwich piping bags, and lots of inspiration! Are you a master? Show off your skills and inspire others! This workshop will be hosted by NYC Resistor member Benalene.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic: Masks are mandatory in the space, with the sole exception of tasting your work and hydration breaks. We’re keen to see you, but this requirement is firmly enforced.
As with all NYC Resistor events, this class is 18+ and governed by our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, as well as accessibility information, can be found at www.nycresistor.com/participate/. Please note that refunds must be requested 72 hours in advance. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Photos of courtesy of Astrida Valigorsky
Disaster Response and Tech: Lessons from the Ground (online) 11/30/22
Pay-what-you-wish tickets for this Nov 30 8pm talk are on EventBrite
When we talk about using technology for social good, there are a lot of high-level ideas that usually come to mind. Building an app to provide community resources, large-scale floating recycling centers, applying machine vision to track refugee movements- these all sound great on paper and on grant applications, but are they practical on the ground in humanitarian crises?
We’re going to talk about disaster response and technology, what using tech on the ground in these situations looks like, and how we can maximize “good.” With stories from hurricane response, protests, and Ukraine- the best lessons come from prior work, and Laurel is going to share her wisdom.
Laurel is an engineer with a penchant for collecting and solving weird and wonderful problems. She’s traveled all over the globe training people in how to use tech to be McGuyvers, helping with disaster response both domestically and internationally, and is an offshore sailor and occasional shipwright.
This event will be online via Zoom, and tickets will be Pay-What-You-Wish.
The suggested price for this talk is $15. Refunds up to 24 hours before the event. Event page with Zoom link will become available 1 hour before the event begins. Recording will be available to ticket holders for a minimum of 30 days after the event.
As with all NYC Resistor events, this one is governed by our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct can be found at www.nycresistor.com/participate/.
Intro to Soldering Workshop: Make an LED Tile 11/19/2022
Tickets for this Saturday Nov 19 1pm class are on EventBrite
Soldering is one of the most important skills you’ll need for working with electronics. Come join us for an introductory through-hole soldering workshop. Soldering enables you to create sturdy connections between electrical components. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use a soldering iron safely and effectively, and get plenty of practice with both soldering and desoldering techniques. We’ll be soldering up some Game of Life kits – LED tiles that generate nifty animations. No previous experience is required, making this introductory workshop a great choice for anyone who’s curious about getting started with hardware tinkering! All materials will be provided.
Please be ready to start at 1pm! We find that you will need this time to get through the whole class. Our classes tend to sell out about a week in advance so if you’re interested, you may want to sign up early.
This class will be taught by Resistor member Jack Poon.
Generative Art with p5.js! (online) 11/20/2022
Tickets to this Sunday Nov 20th noon class on EventBrite
To enjoy this class, you will need previous coding experience – the specific language isn’t important, just the major concepts. If this tutorial makes sense then you’re good to go, or you can sign up for our 11/13 Coding Crash Course: JavaScript class.
p5.js is a JavaScript library for creative coding, with a focus on making coding accessible and inclusive for artists, designers, educators, beginners, and anyone else. It is both simple to use and capable of handling complex ideas. You can see p5JS in action at OpenProcessing.org
By using randomization and loops in our code we can create art that is unique and sometimes even surprising. We will cover not only the technical aspects of p5.js but also artistic tools for adding dimension and interest to sketches.
Based on the original Java-based Processing software, p5.js programs are portable and easy to run anywhere. You do not need any specific development environment and any computer with a web browser capable of running JavaScript will work.
This online class will be taught by NYC Resistor member Kelly. As with all NYC Resistor events, this class is 18+ and governed by our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, as well as accessibility information, can be found at www.nycresistor.com/participate
Grab the Guts!: Salvaging Electronic Parts from Street Trash 11/16/2022
Tickets for this Wednesday Nov 16th 6-9pm class are on EventBrite
Your neighborhood is awash in discarded robots! Every time trash day rolls around, you’ve no doubt strolled past a dozen printers, televisions, toasters, or other sophisticated electronic devices that have been dumped on the sidewalk and left for dead. Each one of them has a story to tell, and parts to offer. Wouldn’t it be nice to learn those stories, and rescue their organs to power the machines of tomorrow?
During this class we’ll be taking apart several inkjet printers we’ve rescued from the cold, bitter streets of Brooklyn to find out what makes them tick and to save the parts that we can use to make other things tick. Along the way we’ll learn a bit about manufacturing, design, and why things are built the way they are. When we’re done, we’ll hopefully have a bountiful harvest of buttons, motors, gears, sensors, screens and other useful bits that you can use in your own projects!
This class with be taught by Adam Mayer. Adam is a longtime NYCR member who has been disassembling and resurrecting old equipment for a decade and a half. He has a stack of inkjet printers in his home that is as tall as he is.
NYC Resistor Halloween Party! 10/29
Join NYC Resistor and friends for a spooky-special night of music, costumes, and laser light!
Costumes encouraged, 21+, tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Drinks are free.
Back by popular demand: DJ Smokey returns, so get ready for a fresh and spooky set of hand-mixed beats and laser-heavy visuals!
Poster design by @colleenaf .
Tickets and details here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-resistor-halloween-party-2022-tickets-442350631647
Learn to Use a Laser Cutter to Cut and Etch Your Own Designs 10/23
Harness the power of an Epilog 60 Watt Laser! In this class you’ll learn everything you need to know to make the ideas in your head become a reality with a laser.
In this three hour class, you will learn:
- How to set up a file for cutting on the laser cutter in Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator.
- Laser cutter safety including materials testing.
- Laser cutter operation including configuration, cuts and raster etching in common materials like wood, acrylic, cardboard and others.
At the end of class, you will go home with:
- One laser cut project, either the class default or a simple one of your own design (see below for details)
- Resistor Laser Certification, enabling you to use our laser on Craft Nights.
Please bring the following to class:
A laptop with either Inkscape (free: download here: https://inkscape.org/release/inkscape-1.2.1/) or Adobe Illustrator installed.
A USB jump drive
The following items are optional if you’d like to try cutting a simple custom design. If your file ends up being too complicated, we may have you do the class default project first, just to learn the laser in the time allotted – but we’ll definitely help you with your more complex cut at a free Craft Night in future!
- An SVG vector file of a simple shape you’d like to cut for your first cut.
- A piece of 1/8 inch or thinner wood, acrylic or cardboard you’d like to cut. If you can’t bring your own material, small pieces will be made available, or larger pieces for purchase on site.
Please be on time for the start of class! If you’re late you will miss your slot.
COVID-19 Safety Policies are strictly enforced – failure to follow these rules will result in denial of entry. You must:
- Show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster
- Wear a mask at all times
This class will be taught by NYC Resistor member Woody. As with all NYC Resistor events, this class is 18+ and governed by our Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, as well as accessibility information, can be found at www.nycresistor.com/participate/.
Please note that refunds must be requested 72 hours in advance. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Friendly Intro to the Command Line for Beginners 10/22
Learn to use the command line to control computers from desktops to microcomputers to the cloud in this no-experience-necessary intro class!
Tickets available on EventBrite
Would you like to learn how to control a wide variety of computers, from your own laptop to tiny computers like the Raspberry Pi to huge deployments in the cloud? Are you interested in analyzing large volumes of text data, like corpus analysis in the digital humanities, or automating computing pipelines in the natural and social sciences, all with a tool that costs nothing and you probably already have? The command line is an indispensable tool for everyone who wants to learn how to do creative, powerful computing, from digital artists to citizen scientists to at-home hardware hackers.
This class is intended for people with no command line experience – we will start from the very beginning, and take a guided, hands on tour of the basics of command line usage. You’ll go home understanding when the command line is the right tool for the job, how it works, an a bit of experience piloting it through basic tasks.
This class will be taught by Resistor member Bill!