Events – YLab

From workmate to Metalwork-mate

Written on July 25, 2023.

When a workmate goes heavy metal For a bit of outdoor practice welding, I made a wooden mount to securely hold a vise to an old workmate. First step: gather up some scrap lumber to make a nice base that the top surface of the workmate can really grip into. No movement up or down. It’s ugly but it’s solid. Yes, those old...

Winter Blacksmithing

Written on November 21, 2022.

Hammered. The metal. Not us. On Saturday November 19th, a few ylab members and friends met up at FireSword Forge in Guelph for an intro to blacksmithing with expert blacksmith David Brandow and our own Metal Master Miro. Braving the cold and snow was easy – we brought a lot of equipment, with four forges to warm the hands and the...

Finally! An Open House! May 5 2022

Written on April 19, 2022.

YES! OUR FIRST OPEN HOUSE SINCE THE COVID LOCKDOWN! We’ve finally mustered up the courage to let more people in. Our first post-COVID open house is scheduled for Thursday May 5, 2022 in our home at the David Dunlap Observatory. If you’ve been before, you still want to come out. We have lots of new tools, and we’ll...

More equipment! More fun!

Written on October 7, 2021.

Dual 3D printers. No waiting. Everything is slowly coming back to life in our evil lair at the David Dunlap Observatory. As last reported, we spent the first couple of nights getting our popular laser cutter in operation. We have more equipment donations and loans, and we’re setting those up and shaking them down. In 3D printers,...

We are open again!

Written on October 4, 2021.

Finally! 18 long months. That’s how long we’ve been out of our home at the DDO – Richmond Hill’s David Dunlap Observatory. Mostly, it’s been COVID. But the DDO has not been idle during that time, undergoing a major restoration. We’ll post more about that later. The DDO is officially a community center...

DDO Black Hole Bigger Than Expected

Written on February 27, 2021.

Not a DDO construction update. Cygnus X-1, the first X-ray source accepted to be a black hole, is bigger than expected. Possibly the biggest astronomical claim to fame for the giant telescope of the David Dunlap Observatory is its role in the first observations confirming Cygnus X-1 as a black hole. We haven’t checked lately to see...

Ylab’s A.I North Is Back Jan. 4 and On-Line. Now with social-distancing included.

Written on January 3, 2021.

Don’t just sit there – learn something! With COVID still upon us and A.I. North founder Lucian confined to quarters, we are kicking off 2021 with a move to on-line sessions. We already have speakers lined up for the first three sessions, and we are looking for more. It all kicks off on January 4, 2021 with A.I. Gets a Bite...

Update on the DDO Restoration

Written on November 29, 2020.

New paint job on the dome Ylab’s home at the DDO has been undergoing an extensive restoration since the spring. As scaffolding is starting to come down, it’s looking amazing. The work has been extensive. Removing all the old lead paint without getting it in the environment. Carefully restoring all the windows to their original...

Tool warranty honored. Finally.

Written on November 29, 2020.

We’ve had post or two about problems with certain MasterCraft tools. We also posted about it on facebook where Canadian Tire responded, asked us for contact info, and then… crickets. So just to show that I’m not just a whining complainer… I’ve had a Craftsman ratchet for… decades. Let’s not give...

Another fix-it night. Sorry, Crappy Tire.

Written on November 7, 2019.

We just happened to pick this one Our recent fix-it night posts here and here seem to have a common thread: crappy Crappy Tire tools that need repairing. This week… well, we didn’t intend to pick on them. It was just the luck of the draw. Small 12V tire compressors – the type that plugs into the cigarette lighter 12V...

YLab

Located inside the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory
123 Hillsview Dr, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 1T3