Weather alerts were already flashing on phones when the first makers began arriving at Battlebrush Games in Lakeland. Tornado watches and severe-weather warnings could have emptied the room. Instead, people chose kits, introduced themselves and settled in before the official start. By the time the afternoon was underway, makers who had mostly been strangers were working side by side.

At a glance

• When: May 2, 2026, from 1–3 p.m.
• Where: Battlebrush Games, Lakeland, Florida
• Host: Kim Loper
• What brought people together: choosing and building miniature kits, with time to meet other local makers

A gathering that kept its plans

Kim had worried that the forecast would keep people home. Some registrants could not attend, but a few walk-ins filled the open places. They were eager to try the building activity even though they had not done it before. The change in the room’s numbers mattered less than the welcome: people who might otherwise have missed the afternoon found a place at the table and a chance to try a new kind of project.

Kim later described the workspace as compact and the enthusiasm as high. Before the official start, people were already choosing kits and introducing themselves. The first conversations did not need a formal icebreaker. A box on the table or a question about a build gave people a simple way into the conversation, and the group began finding common ground through the projects in front of them.

In the early rush, Kim forgot to photograph the event table. She remembered only after the afternoon was in full swing and the kits had been cleared away. It is a small detail, but it captures the pace she described: people arrived ready to start, and the table quickly became a place to make rather than a display to photograph.

The banner became a conversation starter

A Robotime banner caught people’s attention. Makers pointed out kits they had already completed and others they hoped to build. The display turned into something personal: not just a list of projects, but a set of small stories about what people had tried and what they were curious to make next. Kit names and memories gave people an easy opening, whether they were comparing past builds or looking for an idea to take home.

The display also opened a door beyond the event itself. Several attendees used the QR code on the community poster to create an account. Kim noted that they had previously known only the Facebook group. A few quick scans connected the in-person gathering with an online place where future builds and meetups could continue after everyone packed up.

Walk-ins brought new questions

One unplanned moment came from a father and son who were passing through. They stopped to ask Kim about the company and its products, and she was glad to answer. It was a small exchange, but it widened the afternoon’s purpose: the meetup offered a way to build together and a chance for someone unfamiliar with Robotime to learn what the kits were about.

That openness suited a group made up largely of people who had not met before. Everyone arrived with a different level of familiarity, but the activity gave them something shared to look at and talk through. When the forecast had already made the day uncertain, the walk-ins brought a welcome change of pace and joined the builders around the tables.

Quiet focus, then talk about kits

Once building began, the makers became absorbed in their projects. Kim later described them as “locked in,” even as they talked and shared stories about their kit collections. The two things happened together: focused work at each place, with conversation moving between people discovering one another’s interests. A tricky piece could draw a brief question; once it was settled, attention returned to the miniature taking shape.

The afternoon also had a practical side. Kim shared a short video about broken pieces and how to fix them, alongside a clip from the meetup. For anyone who has paused over a damaged part, that kind of exchange can be as useful as a finished model. The point was not to make every build effortless; it was to have people nearby who could compare notes and help.

Sue Jones noticed the makers’ concentration in her reply, saying they looked engrossed in what they were creating. MJ Licerio wrote that their smiles must have brightened a dark day. Their comments echo Kim’s account: the weather set a serious backdrop, but the people at the tables kept their attention on the work and on one another.

Packing up before the weather turned

As the sky darkened, the group began packing and saying goodbye at around 3:30. The timing gave the ending a particular weight. Kim hoped everyone had enjoyed the afternoon and made it home safely. A few hours earlier, severe-weather alerts had been a reason to worry about attendance; by the close, they were a reminder to check that everyone got back safely.

The day left behind more than a row of finished or in-progress projects. There were new introductions, people pointing toward kits they hoped to try, QR scans that led into the online group, and a father-son pair who found answers while passing through. The forecast had made the gathering uncertain, but the people who came kept the afternoon moving from one conversation and build to the next.

Explore more maker gatherings in the DIY Crafting Club, and read Kim’s Rolife Community recap. Kim also shared a short video from the Florida meetup and a video about fixing broken pieces.