SparQ Studios is a makerspace and design studio that provides a wide range of tools, machinery, knowledge, and expertise so that you can bring your idea into a physical form.
With support from the Dunin-Deshpande ֱ Innovation Centre (DDQIC), SparQ Studios was founded in 2013 by four students in DDQIC's startup incubator who needed modern maker tools to build their product ideas. SparQ's first home was a small study room in Beamish Munro Hall and it was one of Canada's first on-campus makerspaces.
Today, SparQ Studios is located in its own facility on the ground floor of Mitchell Hall. SparQ Studios is open to anyone in the community who wants to familiarize themselves with modern making equipment, learn new skills, and complete their own creative projects. It also caters to DDQIC start-ups who need to quickly prototype their ideas, a critical stage in the journey to building a successful product.
Join us for “SparQ Skills Saturdays”, free hands-on workshops @ 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM and 1 PM on general tool literacy, 3D modelling, 3D printing and soldering. An online safety presentation and quiz must be completed before accessing the Makerspace (aprx 30 mins to complete). Link available in the "Memberships" section below. For additional details on workshops, please contact our Makerspace director via the email address at the bottom of this webpage.
Location
Mitchell Hall Room 101 | 69 Union St W, Kingston, ON, K7L2N9
Hours of Operation - FALL 2024*
- DAYS: Monday to Friday, 12 PM – 6 PM
- EVENINGS: Tuesday & Thursday, 6 PM – 8 PM
- WEEKEND: Saturday, 10 AM – 2 PM
*Above hours will be active for the period of September 3 to December 8, 2024. Updated hours for the Fall 2024 final examination period, December 9 to 22, will be posted in early December.
Closures:
- Closed on all Civic and Statutory holidays unless otherwise posted.
- TBC: Fall Term Break (October 15 to 18)
- University Winter Closing (Holidays): Closed December 23, 2024 to January 5, 2025.
- For updates on unexpected closures, please join the Slack community (link in "Current Members" section below).
We have a wide variety of tools and resources available at the studio to meet your needs. If you would like to see an addition to the Studio, please contact us at sparq.studios@queensu.ca
3D Printers
- Prusa i3 MK3S+
- Artillery Sidewinder x1
- Formlabs Form 2
3D Scanners
- Matter & Form
- Sense Scanner
Woodworking
- Kreg ACS Track saw and project table
- Mitre saw
- Chop saw
- Band saw
- Scroll saw
- Mini vertical milling / drilling machine
- Drill press
- Belt sander
- Disc sander
- Fine sander
- Desktop planer
- CNC mill (Shopbot Desktop, Othermill V2)
- Routing table
Metalworking
- 6” bench grinder
- Chop saw
- 4.5” angle grinder
Handheld power tools
- Orbital jigsaw
- Circular saw
- Power drills
- Dremel
- ¼” sheet sander
- Portable router
- Random orbit sander
Photography & Film Equipment
- Canon 70D
- 2 LED lights and stands
- 4 softboxes
- 430 ex-III hot shoe flash
- 2 reflectors
- Camera tripod
- 2 Rode SmartLavs
- 1 Rode VideoMic Pro
- H1 Zoom Recorder
- Zhiyun Crane 2
Other Resources
- Laser cutter
- Soldering stations
- Hot air stations
- Heat fun
- Mixed domain oscilloscope
- Tri-power supply
- Ultrafeed sewing machine
Purchasing membership allows you access to the makerspace and all of the equipment available. In addition to membership, members must also be safety trained before being permitted to work in the space. New members must also complete machine-specific training before using certain machines.
Membership Pricing
| Membership duration | Price |
|---|---|
| Month | $15* |
| Semester | $30 |
| Academic Year | $50 |
*All membership fees are subject to HST.
*If you choose to purchase a monthly membership, you may upgrade to a semester length membership for an additional $15.
Are you or your group interested in touring the facility? Tours can be scheduled by sending an email to sparq.studios@queensu.ca noting the numbers of individuals attending the tour and the preferred dates.
Already a member of SparQ? We also recommend joining the SparQ community Slack group for updates on unexpected space closures and a more direct communication path to ask questions to the SparQ Studios Makerspace community and team.