Anybody a member at TechShop?

auto.pilot

auto.pilot

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TechShop just opened in Detroit, perhaps a 30 minute drive from my house. Really an amazing place. For $99 bucks a month, you are granted access to every tool imaginable, from CNC mills, laser cutters, water-jets, welders, woodworking tools galore, PCs with design software, wide open space to work, seminars, and the list goes on and on. I can't think of a single thing that they don't have, with the exception of plating. My tour over the weekend was somewhat overwhelming. Too much to see really. I think they have 3 locations in CA, one in MI and another in NC. The only downside I can see is potential wait-time at certain machines, although they seemed to have 2 of nearly everything. Most of the larger machines were Jet brand.

Anybody a member?
Thanks

Jim
 
That sounds amazing. How do they qualify the people before they let them on the machines? I would think that a person who thinks he knows more than he does could do a lot of high dollar damage in short order.

-Ron
 
I've looked at the one here in Raleigh. My opinion is they can make a pretty good up front dollar because you can't us any of the machines without taking the basic classes first. So ther eis the basic metalworking, woodworking, welding, plasma table, etc classes. All $30 to about $90 each.

Here it seemed they only had basics for the lathes. Full sized lathes. One was probably 16x50 or so but tooling didn't seem extensive. Had the basic 3 and 4 jaw chucks though. Maybe I just didn't notice the other tooling.

The place here has very extended hours which would be nice for the night owl.It has it's place. Particularly for the apartment dweller or maybe the person that wants to do some very intensive work in a short period of time on a machine they don't own.

Thought about some high dollar plasma cutting on 1/4" plate for some yard art. Could get my ducks in order, spend $100 on education, and plasma cut a lot of steel in a month or two.

The big thing is to probably have your ducks in a row so when you do get a few hours machine time you can be real productive. It's hard for me to be anywhere productive as a hobby machinist though. I just don't have the experience. I joke that I make $5 bushings with $10,000 of machines.
 
DaveD said:
I've looked at the one here in Raleigh. My opinion is they can make a pretty good up front dollar because you can't us any of the machines without taking the basic classes first. So ther eis the basic metalworking, woodworking, welding, plasma table, etc classes. All $30 to about $90 each.

Here it seemed they only had basics for the lathes. Full sized lathes. One was probably 16x50 or so but tooling didn't seem extensive. Had the basic 3 and 4 jaw chucks though. Maybe I just didn't notice the other tooling.

The place here has very extended hours which would be nice for the night owl.It has it's place. Particularly for the apartment dweller or maybe the person that wants to do some very intensive work in a short period of time on a machine they don't own.

Thought about some high dollar plasma cutting on 1/4" plate for some yard art. Could get my ducks in order, spend $100 on education, and plasma cut a lot of steel in a month or two.

The big thing is to probably have your ducks in a row so when you do get a few hours machine time you can be real productive. It's hard for me to be anywhere productive as a hobby machinist though. I just don't have the experience. I joke that I make $5 bushings with $10,000 of machines.
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You make some excellent points. They have a grand-opening special going at $800 for a full year, which includes 2 classes. Before using some of the machines, they do require a class. In order to use all of the equipment, it looks like 5-6 classes would be necessary. The place is open till midnight, which is nice. I think what appeals most to me is the sheer number of high-end machines in the place. What worries me most is that I need to re-build a deck this summer. How's that going to happen if I have access to $1 million worth of tools, which are all 20 miles from my house?
 
auto.pilot said:
....What worries me most is that I need to re-build a deck this summer. How's that going to happen if I have access to $1 million worth of tools, which are all 20 miles from my house?
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Any chance of re-hashing the deck plans so you can do it all in shop. And then hire a bada$$ crane truck to pick it up and install it all in one go.:biggrin:
That way you get the best of both worlds.

Cheers Phil
 
I like the idea of the education alone and I could see where if you had maybe a small one-time job (or even a number of small jobs) where it could be very useful, especially for apartment dwellers. I can also see where it could become very frustrating to try and accomplish something in that system.

You drive a half hour to use the machines and you find that the ones you needed are already busy.

Every time you touch a machine you have to spend the first ten minutes getting it set up the way you want.

You are dependent on them maintaining the equipment and tools. ie. Certain equipment may be out of service randomly due to some lunkhead or the tooling gets chewed up or isn't kept sharp, etc.

Hauling some projects to be worked on could become problematic, you're making part "A" but it needs to fit in part "B" which is back at home as it's too large to transport, etc.

Same goes for your measurement tools, bring your own or depend on theirs which may not be maintained/calibrated.

I've got to think they have some kind of limits on the use of the machines. Left to your own devices you could easily monopolize a machine for days. We spend a lot more time on our machines than one tends to think. A guy can easily spend a few hours just making a custom washer or how many hours add up to make a custom tool to make a custom part?

Not trying to be a downer as under certain conditions it could well be a god-send (hyphenation? :p).

Still an interesting concept.

-Ron
 
I'm following this thread to learn more about how it is worked.
It seems the most likely way this concept could work is promise the moon, and fulfill the bare minimum expectations. Get a surge of new joinups /upfront money and keep it going until they drop out and move it elsewhere and get another infusion. I really can't imagine giving people control of a machine after a 4hr course and it costs comparatively little to move a production facility.

I am so curious! It seems that you have to be limited (hog tied) by your own agreements. Please anyone gets the real skinny on how this actually works let us know.

AFAIK the military has never had a metal working hobby shop in the welfare and rec lineup and they have little worry about lawsuits. This would be much the same thing.

Steve
 
I belong to the Techshop in Menlo Park, CA. I've been a member for three years, re-upping around the time of the Maker Faire, when they have the best deals. Two years ago it was $500 for the year, last year it was $900. This year I'm thinking twice about renewing because I really haven't used it enough to justify the cost. But I don't think it takes THAT much machine use to make it a pretty good deal.

I have a small lathe and mill at home, but still figured that the larger machines, and having people to ask questions, would make it worth it. But what happens is that most times, if I'm in the middle of a project at home, I'll figure out a way to avoid the 20 minute trip to the Techshop. Having said that, it WAS really handy, to spend an afternoon there sand-blasting about 20 old painted parts rather than stripping them at home. Or using their bender to to make one nice U bend in a 1/2" steel rod (I was literally there for 3 minutes on that trip), or using the X-Y plasma cutter to make steel music notes I put on an artsy fence.

I'm semi-retired and go there mid-week, so I've never had a problem getting access to machines, but I rarely used the popular stuff. Mostly I'm on the support machines like the sheet metal bender and shear, big band saw, etc. so access is never a problem. Lathes, mills, and CNC stuff requires more operator time, but you can reserve machines.

I don't think I've been there 8 times in the last year, so I think I'd be better off paying for a day or a month as I need. The problem is, I know if I don't already have a membership, I will probably stay home rather than spend the $100. I'll have to decide by September.
 
lens42 said:
I belong to the Techshop in Menlo Park, CA. I've been a member for three years, re-upping around the time of the Maker Faire, when they have the best deals. Two years ago it was $500 for the year, last year it was $900. This year I'm thinking twice about renewing because I really haven't used it enough to justify the cost. But I don't think it takes THAT much machine use to make it a pretty good deal.

I have a small lathe and mill at home, but still figured that the larger machines, and having people to ask questions, would make it worth it. But what happens is that most times, if I'm in the middle of a project at home, I'll figure out a way to avoid the 20 minute trip to the Techshop. Having said that, it WAS really handy, to spend an afternoon there sand-blasting about 20 old painted parts rather than stripping them at home. Or using their bender to to make one nice U bend in a 1/2" steel rod (I was literally there for 3 minutes on that trip), or using the X-Y plasma cutter to make steel music notes I put on an artsy fence.

I'm semi-retired and go there mid-week, so I've never had a problem getting access to machines, but I rarely used the popular stuff. Mostly I'm on the support machines like the sheet metal bender and shear, big band saw, etc. so access is never a problem. Lathes, mills, and CNC stuff requires more operator time, but you can reserve machines.

I don't think I've been there 8 times in the last year, so I think I'd be better off paying for a day or a month as I need. The problem is, I know if I don't already have a membership, I will probably stay home rather than spend the $100. I'll have to decide by September.
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They're opening a TechShop in Brooklyn, NY at the Metrotech Center, and it looks pretty good, but the cost is a consideration for sure.


Nelson
 
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