It is with sadness that I report that Warren Bumgarner has died.  Warren was a Charter Member of FCW, joining within the first week of organization.

Warren had an MS in Industrial Arts from Appalachian State and taught Machine Shop at CCC&TI, then at WPCC.  He was proficient in both manual and CNC machining, expert at MasterCAM, and was valuable in the Machining area at FCW.  Handy with many things, Warren also helped with the wiring and wall construction at the previous space,

and was one of the few that Gene trusted with running the railroad.  He enjoyed the events,  operating the “electric chair” at our first Haunted House and being Santa at two December Open Houses — including the blue screen pictures.

Warren was from Granite Falls and had two children, Brandon and Ashley.  After re-marriage, he moved to Mt. Ulla, NC.  After the FCW fire in 2017, Warren traveled back to Granite Falls for our weekly meetings for 4 months to help with the rebuilding.

Diagnosed with a genetic condition, Warren had a double lung transplant in early 2024.  He was recovering well from that until getting a DVT  early 2025.  He died at Duke University Medical Center on February 15.  Even though not currently active in FCW, he regularly asked for updated on everyone.  He will be missed.

FCW will have an Introduction to RC Aircraft class on Thursday, November 21 starting at 6PM.  Topics include: getting started, types of RC aircraft ( planes, helicopters, quad/hex copters, drones), rules and regulations and use of simulators.  This would be an excellent class for anyone considering getting a drone or aircraft for Christmas, or anyone just wanting more information.  The instructors are Larry and Alan.  For more information, call Larry at (301) 793-8135,  This class is Free and Open to the Public.

FCW will host an Introduction to 3D Printing class on October 24, 2024 from 6 to 9 PM.  This is primarily for those new to 3D printing or are just interested.  Topics include: basic concepts, preparing a model for printing, printing the model, selecting a printer, finding models, and types of filament.  The printers in use will be Prusa i3 MK3 +.

Due to limited printers (10) we wish to restrict the number of groups to 10 (a family will count as a group).  If there is need, we will schedule an additional session in the near future.  Please contact geenathegeek@gmail.com or ljfaraci@yahoo.com to hold a spot.

Note: We will have a future session on creating your own model.

This class is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Note that the 4225 number, which was a Google Voice number is no longer available.  Please use the (828) 212-0930 until further notice.

With the lifting of the NC stay at home order on May 8, FCW will resume physical meetings at 3PM on Saturday, May 9, with restrictions.

As suggested by the Nation of Makers group, there will be limits on the number of people in each area to allow social distancing, and there will be no loaning or sharing of PPE.  Classroom activities will also be limited.  Visitors are welcome to attend any time that someone is in the building.  Regular meeting times are Saturdays 3-5PM and Tuesdays 7-9PM.

Due to a ripple effect from the winter weather, the CAD class, originally scheduled for Sat, Feb 28, will be postponed for one week until March 7, 11AM-2PM.  Details of the class may be found on the original post.

FCW will offer a preparation class for the Technician (entry) level Amateur (Ham) Radio license.  The class will cover FCC rules, station setup and operation, best practices, basic electronics, antennas, and radio theory as required for the Tech exam.  The class will be three consecutive Sunday afternoons, March 1, 8, and 15 from 2-4PM.  The class is free and open to the public.

VE exams for Ham Radio licenses will be held at FCW on Saturday, March 21 at noon.  The class does NOT have to be taken in order to take the exams.  All levels will be tested.  The exams are open to the public and the processing fee is $10.

FCW will be giving a workshop to help Hams interested in upgrading to General or Extra Class. The workshop will consist of three sessions on Saturdays, October 19 and 26 and November 9 from 12 noon to 2PM. These workshops will cover the following topics pertaining to the General and Extra Class licenses: Propagation, Electronics, Station Setup, Antennas, Modes, and Operations. NOT covered will be the memorization parts (eg. rules, frequencies). The workshops are free and open to the public.

Ham Radio VE exams will be hosted at FCW on Saturday, November 16 at 12 noon. These will test all levels and are open to the public. Example tests can be found at http://qrz.com . This would be an excellent time to obtain or upgrade an Amateur Radio license.