Private maker class in San Francisco

Learn the fundamentals of digital fabrication & old-school making

Why take private one-on-one digital fabrication classes with me, Alan Rorie?

Here’s what you’ll get after 4 private lessons in my Oakland studio:

• BECOME A MAKER BOSS. Learn how to easily navigate the world of open-source maker technology, hardware, software, and on-demand tools. You’ll learn, you’ll tinker, & you’ll become a maker boss. It’s like art class meets technology class meets college course in learning how to figure stuff out. You’ll walk away feeling confident that if you don’t know the answer, you can figure it out.
• YOUR OWN CUSTOM MIX. No two classes are alike because no two makers are alike. I’ll create your own custom mix, your own custom syllabus, based on what YOU need. What do you need to get to the next level? We’ll do exactly that.
• MODERN TECHNOLOGY MEETS OLD-SCHOOL TOOLS. Combines the best of what your grandfather used & what your grandchildren will.

Eight years ago, I didn’t know the difference between a MIG welder & a plasma cutter.

3D printers were specialty items. Arduino didn’t even exist. The only people hooking plants up to the internet were grad students with plenty of time on their hands.

I was a grad student at the time, but not the maker-kind.

I worked in a basement in a lab and counted green dots on a computer all day in the Stanford Neuroscience department.

Old-school fabrication was alive & well then. And it still is.

But now the newer, modern digital fabrication technology & tools means you can make one-of-a-kind projects for under $100 & a couple days of tinkering.

(That’s me on the right, working inside the engine compartment of the Raygun Gothic Rocketship.)

How? 

Well, you do it by learning the fundamentals of digital fabrication & old-school making like welding & metalworking.

I was self-taught.

I bought a bunch of tools. I spent months hanging out with metalworkers, crashing open-source forums, and figuring stuff out. Now I make things like this! And THIS! And this! And this! And this. This. This. I can’t stop making things.

I didn’t know what I was doing at first. And if you just bought a bunch of tools and read the manuals, you’d have no idea what you were doing, either.

There is no need for that. I want to teach you all the basic shit you need to know to make epic shit.

People make stuff all the time, and you could join them! Or, you can just start making your own stuff.

It all starts here (in Oakland, California).

With your own private class in digital fabrication & old-fashioned making.

Knowing these fundamentals will unleash your creative potential, enabling you to just somehow know how to make anything. Well, maybe not anything. But anything subject to the laws of physics.

And if you can’t make it now, you’ll be confident in your ability to figure it out.

With each lesson, you’ll acquire a new fundamental skill.

And, in each lesson, you can use your new skills to gradually create a small, personalized project.

It’s just you and me, kid.

Because I teach individuals and not groups, you won’t be lost in a sea of students all vying for one-on-one feedback from the teacher.

My attention will be zeroed in on you alone–and on getting you really skilled, really fast. And we won’t be locked in with cookie-cutter lessons. The pace and direction of the class is customized for you, so we’re always making the most of your time and interest. The extra time gained in each lesson enables you to learn more methods and get exposed to far more tools then you’d get in a larger class.

And, because you know I’ll be your instructor for each lesson, you won’t be signing up for lessons and hoping you get a good teacher. You’ll be taught by someone with experience building everything from shelves to rocket-ships.

If you are looking for more than safety and basic use, this class is for you.

Not only will I be able to tell you what you need to do, I’ll also be able to tell you why it’s happening on a physical and material level, providing you with insights that will help you solve problems outside of the class.

Classes can be customized for groups of all sizes an all occasions.

You’ll learn exactly what you need to take you to the next level over the course of four, three-hour lessons.

Lessons take place in Oakland, California at my studio.

In the first hour, we’ll always learn a new set of skills or tools. In the following two hours, you’ll hone your practice, incorporating all your skills while completing work for your individual project.

My fee for all of the above depends on whether it’s just you or you and a friend.

Just You: $840 on or before the first day of class.

You and a Friend: $1,330 for you and a friend together.

This fee includes all material costs for practice and for your small project.

To learn more, please fill out the form below. We’ll schedule a quick, 10-minute chat, and I’ll send you an information packet so we can get started and lock in your schedule. This is going to be fun!

TESTIMONIALS

“At the end of the course, I’d learned more than I thought I could during the relatively short class duration. If you want a great introduction to the variety of skills to make that happen, especially if you want to learn about why, not just how, I’d highly recommend spending time with Alan.” – Ken W

“Although I had initially anticipated taking a class at the Crucible, being able to work one-on-one with Alan proved to be a much better experience as we were able to work at my own pace – stopping at various points to go into more detail on areas of my individual interest. I would highly recommend Alan and his class.” – Ethan O

“I was impressed with the thoroughness of Alan’s lessons and his patience.  The one-on-one classes were crucial for me to focus and actually learn and ask questions whenever I wanted to.  Alan is a master at what he does and to take a class from him is a great opportunity to learn skills from someone who truly loves what they do and wants to share what they know.  Thank you Alan!” – Leah D

“Alan is a fantastic Instructor/Mentor; I would most definitely recommend this course to anyone interested. Alan teaches to the level of the student, if you are a complete beginner or just needing some refreshing of techniques he is able to meet your needs. Alan is very knowledgeable in both the theory behind and the techniques of all aspects of fabrication. I very much enjoyed the time and came away with the confidence to proceed with my own projects.” – Marv K