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TechShop provides you with 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! If you already know how to use all the stuff at TechShop, that's great. But most people only know how to use a few of the tools, machines and equipment at TechShop. If you want to learn about the equipment and tools you have never used before, you can take an "SBU" (Safety and Basic Usage) class and get up to speed on that tool or machine in about an hour. You can also explore with more in-depth class on any subject to learn about it more fully. Don't be afraid to try new things, no matter if it is welding, using a milling machine, working with fabrics and leather or plastics, or cutting keyways in a gear. The whole point of TechShop is to enable you with a wide variety of new capabilities so you can start to see the pathway that lets you make new and exciting things.
I took their class for the laser cutting/engraving machine, and plan to do some projects. It's an amazing machine with endless possibilities that can cut and engrave materials with high speed and accuracy.
The facilities are clean, spacious, and well lit. Fees are $50 for a one day pass or $125 one month membership that give you free access to their machines (subject to availability by reservation). That is reasonable cost for access to some very sophisticated machines that many of us would not otherwise have a chance to use. On many machines you must take a class before you are allowed to use it (my class was $55). Hours are 9 am to midnight every day except holidays! There are actually some small businesses that rely on their facilities to manufacture custom and low volume items.
Check it out if you are ready to move beyond merely installing mods, to making and building them!
