ever heard of TechShop?

I just ran across this online - a membership-based shop where you have access to advanced fab tools. Interesting concept.

quoted from their website:

You can think of TechShop like a fitness club, but with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment. It is sort of like a Kinko's for makers, or a Xerox PARC for the rest of us.

TechShop provides access to a wide variety of machinery and tools including milling machines and lathes, welding stations and a CNC plasma cutter, sheet metal working equipment, drill presses and band saws, industrial sewing machines, hand tools, plastic and wood working equipment including a 4' x 8' ShopBot CNC router, electronics design and fabrication facilities, Epilog laser cutters, tubing and metal bending machines, a Dimension SST 3-D printer, electrical supplies and tools, and pretty much everything you'd ever need to make just about anything. TechShop is for EVERYONE!

Memberships seem a little pricey, but having access to plasma cutters, CNC routers and 3d printing is pretty cool. Anyone want chip in to start a franchise in Atlanta?

Website Linky: http://techshop.ws/index.html

Way too cool. Not that I could afford it, but would love something like that around here.

just about every year in undergrad someone came to us talking about something like this for DIY type folks that didn't have space at home or money for the fancy tools. IRC their biggest hurdle was insurance on letting people loose with things like plasma cutters and blowtorches.

We almost had one here in Portland. Or maybe we did for a little bit? They were going to stick it out in the suburbs (which may or may not have been the issue).

The suburbs in question are where all the big tech firms are, and lots of folks live out there. That being said, closer in to town would have been better for a lot of the local DIY scene who wouldn't consider living in the 'burbs or driving an hour round trip to get to the tech shop.

detroit area had a grand opening within the last couple weeks. looks pretty cool, and in this area there should be enough enginerds to keep the place well funded with short- and long-term memberships.

I would buy a membership in a heartbeat. I would open a franchise near Philly if I had any possibility of getting the startup cash to buy in.

This is a brilliant idea. Small businesses w/ no capital for owning a real shop can send a guy over for the cost of material, membership and hourly wage. Guys like me can get access to E36 M3 I can never afford cost or space to own. Skilled machinists can do a startup business using the place until they build capital to go it on their own.

DO WANT.

There is one in Raleigh, NC. I went when they first opened, and it seemed like a good idea. They have good facilities, but they want you to take a class for whatever it is you're going to be doing before you can work in the shop.

Between that and the monthly membership, I didn't bite. I suppose if I have a bunch of welding, powder coating and vinyl graphics to do, it would make sense to join for a few months, but for now I'll stick to working on cars in my garage.

The facility here also leases out office space for small businesses to use the facilities for fabrication and such.

Now I have to check to see if they ever got their 4 post lift installed...

I would love it if one ever came to my area.