Fundraising Goals

What?

Our shop has a 20' x 20' utility space. With renovation, we can turn that into 400 square feet of usable storage. Includes replacing flooring with fire-resistant plywood and installing a mezzanine ladder/stairs.

Why?

Our shop is only 3,000 SF, so adding 13% more space for storage would be enormously helpful. It would allow us to keep supplies and equipment for less common workshops and craft types, more raw materials, and more deep storage for special events like HoliMake and our Maker Cookout.

What?

A system to allow approved members to access the shop off-hours when no staff is on duty.

Why?

Historically, our approach has been to have dedicated open shop hours with staff members on duty. We're not going to stop that - but the freedom to access the shop during times we're not "open" (typically during business hours) expands our ability to support small business incubation or folks who don't work a 9 to 5 job.

What?

A CNC router with a 4' x 4' cut capacity, higher torque steppers, and faster travel speeds.

Why?

Our current CNC router is small - about 12" x 12".  While that's great for small engravings, it's not enough to unlock many of the capabilities of CNC routers, such as tab-and-slot plywood fixtures and furniture.

What?

A midsize mill capable of working a variety of metals or plastics. May be benchtop or freestanding.

Why?

While we have a range of woodworking tools, we have limited options for working with metals. The ability to modify and create parts from metal stock unlocks a wide array of capabilities for our community!

What?

A folding jobsite saw with SawStop's safety features.

Why?

While we have a range of woodworking tools, one tool we don't have accessible to members is a table saw. Table saws can be quite dangerous, and a SawStop saw is a great way to provide an extra layer of safety - on top of being a high-quality piece of equipment. A folding jobsite saw is perfect for our small shop space, allowing us to pack the tool away when unused.

What?

A 3D scanner capable of turning physical objects into 3D mesh files.

Why?

3D scanners are a great way to streamline the process of duplicating or augmenting real-life objects - whether they're sculptures, tools, or furniture.

What?

A laser capable of creating shallow and deep engravings on a wide array of metals.

Why?

We love our CO2 laser, but one of the downsides of that technology is that it doesn't work on metal - the laser beam produced just reflects right off. A fiber laser does mark metal (as well as some plastics), unlocking techniques for jewelry-making, stamps, tool labeling, and more.

What?

A large format 3D printer with dual extruder capabilities.  (Yes, it's a Bambu H2D.)

Why?

We have a lot of 3D printers, so why another one? The printer in mind offers several optimizations over our current tools: dual extruders for more efficient two-color or dual-material printing; an active heated chamber for engineering filaments; and a larger print volume for those big print jobs. This printer also expands our capability to educate community members about the products available on the market at different price points.