Tech Shop is amazing!

[Mike Ciavaglia]

Who has heard of Tech Shop? I just found this place by chance when I was driving around.

I know www.techshop.ws isn't every where but it is growing. There are 6 locations around the US with 3 in CA, 1 in MI, 1 in TX, and 1 in PA.

This shop has mills, lathes, mig and tig welders, metal shop, wood shop, laser cutters, water jet cutters, electronics shop, and many more items. They have classes to teach how to operate the equipment. All this for just $100 / month with unlimited access.

If your team needs machines to build your parts or you want to learn how to weld, machine, etc. Tech Shop offers classes and you don't have to be a member to take them.

I hope this helps many teams.

Good Luck!
Mike Ciavaglia

[Calvin Hartley]

We have a makerspace here in Grand Rapids too. Here's their website: http://thegeekgroup.org/ Membership $40 a month.

[DonRotolo]

Not a new concept. They make their money by requiring you take classes before you can operate a machine. Not a bad idea, especially considering safety, but it can get expensive.

[Akash Rastogi]

Not a new concept. They make their money by requiring you take classes before you can operate a machine. Not a bad idea, especially considering safety, but it can get expensive.

Definitely does get expensive, but once you go through the classes, I think most of the prices are worth it. It is great for teams without shop access.

[DampRobot]

I'm a proud member of about three months.

Your right, classes are the expensive stuff. I've taken four so far, and at $60 or so per, they took a big chunk out of my wallet. On the other hand, it's really great to have access to their tools basically whenever I want. I can decide that I want to make something, drive down there, plasma cut it, powder coat it, and laser engrave it. It's very convenient.

Age restrictions are sort of a drag though. I can't technically use the mill, waterjet, or CNC plasma cuter alone. But as long as there aren't problems, it usually isn't an issue...

Overall, TS is a super cool place. Become a member there and take classes, especially if you're often frustrated with your teams ability to get things done. On the other hand, it's pretty expensive, and has some limitations.

[Mk.32]

Anyone in San Diego there s a similar place called MakerPlace!

http://www.makerplace.com/

They do student discounts on membership and is so totally worth it. We (3647) built our robot out of that shop, with full cnc mill lathe laser access it was heavenly.

The classes are a bit expensive $40 for the basic classes, $50-60 for the more advanced. But it's a great way to learn the machine if you have never done so, and the teachers are all pretty legit.

/Btw they don't pay me :P

[AdamHeard]

I'm a proud member of about three months.

Your right, classes are the expensive stuff. I've taken four so far, and at $60 or so per, they took a big chunk out of my wallet. On the other hand, it's really great to have access to their tools basically whenever I want. I can decide that I want to make something, drive down there, plasma cut it, powder coat it, and laser engrave it. It's very convenient.

Age restrictions are sort of a drag though. I can't technically use the mill, waterjet, or CNC plasma cuter alone. But as long as there aren't problems, it usually isn't an issue...

Overall, TS is a super cool place. Become a member there and take classes, especially if you're often frustrated with your teams ability to get things done. On the other hand, it's pretty expensive, and has some limitations.

I'm sure the cost of these classes are nothing compared to the value you get from access to the shop. Purchasing similar equipment is orders of magnitude different in price.

I'd love a tech shop around here, but there isn't enough demand I imagine.

[DampRobot]

I'm sure the cost of these classes are nothing compared to the value you get from access to the shop. Purchasing similar equipment is orders of magnitude different in price.

I'd love a tech shop around here, but there isn't enough demand I imagine.

If course, paying for classes, memberships and machine time on the waterjet is much less expensive than buying one of your own. But that doesn't make it cheap. Getting a sponsor, for example, would be much less work, cost much less, and probably be faster.

TS is definitely looking to expand. There are actually two withing half an hour of my house. I don't know the exact details of where you live, but there could be a TS within driving distance in the foreseeable future. The founder has said he wants TSs in Uganda, even, so SoCal isn't a ton of a stretch.

[AdamHeard]

If course, paying for classes, memberships and machine time on the waterjet is much less expensive than buying one of your own. But that doesn't make it cheap. Getting a sponsor, for example, would be much less work, cost much less, and probably be faster.

TS is definitely looking to expand. There are actually two withing half an hour of my house. I don't know the exact details of where you live, but there could be a TS within driving distance in the foreseeable future. The founder has said he wants TSs in Uganda, even, so SoCal isn't a ton of a stretch.

Check a map ;)

We're in central California, 200ish miles from San Jose, 200ish miles from LA. There is so local manufacturing industry, but the total population is pretty small here. I think Uganda will probably get their techshop before us!

The College has shops for students, but they aren't that great and access to them is limited.

It's funny, norcal people seem to assume we're socal, and socal people assume we're norcal.

[404'd]

We have a makerspace here in Grand Rapids too. Here's their website: http://thegeekgroup.org/ Membership $40 a month.
A little off topic but, from a remark from one of Chris Boden's (main guy behind The Geek Group) YouTube videos, it seems as if he hates FIRST with a passion. Not sure what his reasoning behind it is. I will try to find the video, but he basically called FIRST a scam. BTW, I'm not trying to diss The Geek Group, I think they do really cool stuff.

[AdamHeard]

A little off topic but, from a remark from one of Chris Boden's (main guy behind The Geek Group) YouTube videos, it seems as if he hates FIRST with a passion. Not sure what his reasoning behind it is. I will try to find the video, but he basically called FIRST a scam. BTW, I'm not trying to diss The Geek Group, I think they do really cool stuff.

Mind linking that video?

[404'd]

Mind linking that video?
I'm in the process of searching for it, I remember something along the lines of him saying that the entry fees were ridiculous and he didn't believe it gave enough opportunities to lower income schools so he supports other programs instead. I probably shouldn't say that he "hates" FIRST, but his exact words were that he "detested FIRST" and that the geek group would never support a FIRST team.

[DampRobot]

Check a map ;)

We're in central California, 200ish miles from San Jose, 200ish miles from LA. There is so local manufacturing industry, but the total population is pretty small here. I think Uganda will probably get their techshop before us!

The College has shops for students, but they aren't that great and access to them is limited.

It's funny, norcal people seem to assume we're socal, and socal people assume we're norcal.

Haha, well, in the meantime, you can always just drive up... leaving at 5:30 should get you to TS SJ in time for opening no problem!

[Garrett.d.w]

Along those same lines is ADX here in portland. Its a wood/ metal shop set up as a creative space. Its geared more towards artists rather than manufacturing, but its still decent for making the parts that I need for my dad's car. Oh, and lets just say that its nice that my dad is footing the bill. They make all of their money based on membership and not classes (most classes are around $10, just enough to cover material, while a full membership with unlimited shop access is $175 a month).
If anyone is interested you can check them out here:
http://www.adxportland.com/about-adx/

People are really friendly and help each other out, though I do suggest keeping your eyes open as there are always a few people around who have no idea what they are doing.

[techhelpbb]

I want to add to this that if you are near Philadelphia there is NextFab.
http://nextfabstudio.com/

1. It costs generally a few hundred to join.
2. You can pay them to make parts for you or you can take the classes to prove you can use the tools and then do it yourself (there are a few exceptions like their waterjet).
3. They offer some materials on site but you have to check what those materials are and the quantity.

I've recommended this to a few people in their immediate area it would be very expensive to replicate the collection of tools they have on hand unless you can justify it as a routine production expense.

Fair note: I am a member but I am not directly involved with their operations this is not an advertisement.

[Calvin Hartley]

A little off topic but, from a remark from one of Chris Boden's (main guy behind The Geek Group) YouTube videos, it seems as if he hates FIRST with a passion. Not sure what his reasoning behind it is. I will try to find the video, but he basically called FIRST a scam. BTW, I'm not trying to diss The Geek Group, I think they do really cool stuff.

Yes, in my conversations with him he's made this quite clear. It is the money that he has an issue with. He is very clear that he wants as many people as possible to have access to things like The Geek Group at as little cost as possible. The high cost of FIRST is why he doesn't like it. Another person from The Geek Group also mentioned to me once that "he had a bad experience" with FIRST in the past. I don't know what he meant by this, but I'm expecting it was still to do with the money. But I don't know for sure.

This being said, my family and some others are starting a new FRC team. We considered/ing The Geek Group as a build space. He was willing to give us a discount membership. So my understanding is that he isn't totally against FIRST persay, just against the cost. But he is very outspoken about many things, his feelings against FIRST being one of them.