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Posted by Ike on April 27, 2006, 9:06 pm
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Need a place to build your stuff in the San Francisco bay area?
San Mateo, CA , April 22, 2006 -- Jim Newton and Ridge McGhee announced
this week that they are forming a project called "TechShop", which will
be an open-access public workshop located on the San Francisco
peninsula.
"There are a lot of people on the peninsula who want to make things
with their hands, including inventions, robots, and all sorts of
things," said TechShop's founder, Jim Newton. "The problem is that very
few people can put their own machine shop and fabrication facility
together."
That's where TechShop comes in.
TechShop will provide members with inexpensive daily or monthly
unlimited access to a full range of tools and equipment including
milling machines, lathes, sheet metal equipment, welders, plastic
casting and vacuum forming stations, electronic circuit design and
prototyping tools, a 3D printer, laser cutter, automotive tools, keyway
cutters, tachometers and torque meters, scales, and just about every
other tool and machine you would ever need.
"We will also offer one-hour 'Building Block' classes to get you safely
up-to-speed on a tool or machine, as well as longer term in-depth
classes," said co-founder Ridge McGhee. "We will also offer a range of
programs for kids and kids and parents, including programs for
home-schooled kids."
"If people want to learn how to use a tool like a welder or a milling
machine, they have to take a class at a local college or school, and
take some extra lab time. But after the school-required project is
completed, you no longer have access to the shop. Later when you want
to use your new skill for a project of your own, you can't get access
to the equipment. TechShop turns this model on its head," said Newton.
TechShop is scheduled to open in July of 2006 as a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization. Daily unlimited access is planned to be priced at $25,
and monthly unlimited access is planned to be $100. Newton and Ridge
plan to offer members access to the TechShop facility 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
TechShop is an open-access public workshop for people who like to work
with their hands with metals, plastics, wood and electronics but do not
have access to a shop or equipment.
More information is available at the TechShop web site at
http://www.techshop.ws/.
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Posted by Padu on April 27, 2006, 10:05 pm
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I wish there was something like this here in San Diego.
Kudos for Jim!
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Posted by Gordon McComb on April 28, 2006, 1:02 am
Please log in for more thread options Padu wrote:
>
> I wish there was something like this here in San Diego.
John B., who you met at one of the SD meetings, had this idea a while
back. We talked about it, but in addition to the sizable startup costs,
we realized the liability insurance would about do you in (waivers are
seldom adequate, and people sue regardless of the paper they've signed).
I'm not sure how Jim and Ridge are handling this, but it's what keeps
most auto parts stores from allowing you to work on your car on their
parking lot. We Americans are funny: we cut our thumb on someone else's
property and we sue *them*, even though it's our fault!
Good luck to Jim and Ridge, though. It's a cool idea, and I hope they
can make a go of it.
-- Gordon
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Posted by steamer on April 28, 2006, 12:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options --FWIW I talked with Jim at the Makers Faire and he said they'd like
to "franchise" the idea in some way, so you might want to get in touch and
find out how they're overcoming the legal hurdles and get in on the fun.
Heck, I'd *love* it if the wife dragged me along to go visit the kids (who
live in your area), if it meant I could escape to a shop like this, heh.
--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : I'll have the roast duck
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : with the mango salsa...
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---
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Posted by cbm5 on April 29, 2006, 10:48 am
Please log in for more thread options steamer wrote:
> --FWIW I talked with Jim at the Makers Faire and he said they'd like
> to "franchise" the idea in some way, so you might want to get in touch and
> find out how they're overcoming the legal hurdles and get in on the fun.
> Heck, I'd *love* it if the wife dragged me along to go visit the kids (who
> live in your area), if it meant I could escape to a shop like this, heh.
>
I had this idea independently not long ago. For a long time I've lived
in apartments with no easy way to build heavier projects. Now I don't
have to deal with all the headaches of starting this up myself.
The great thing is I'm moving to the Bay Area next month, and will
DEFINITELY be checking this out.
So if anyone goes to this, see you there. Oh, and Maker Faire next
year...so sad I missed it last week.
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> I wish there was something like this here in San Diego.