TechShop - Tech Shop

TechShop is a chain of member-based workshops that, for a fee, lets people of all skill levels come in and use industrial tools and equipment to build their own projects. They have nine locations in the United States, three locations in California, one in Arizona, one in Arlington, Virginia (near DC), one in Michigan, one in Texas, and one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A recently opened location in St Louis, along with a just announced location in Brooklyn, New York.

TechShop offers safety and basic usage training on all the tools and equipment, and on various other topics. For most equipment, a safety and usage class must be completed before it may be used. Membership is available yearly, monthly, or daily. There are also "family" and "corporate" memberships.

TechShop is affiliated with the maker culture, and they participate in Maker Faire events in the San Francisco Bay Area and North Carolina. They have machine demonstrations and classes available during the two-day Bay Area fair.

History

TechShop was founded by Jim Newton and Ridge McGhee. Jim Newton originally wanted to establish a place with tools to work on his pet projects, like building a digital clock, which he has still not gotten around to building. Newton, who'd been a science adviser to the TV show MythBusters and a College of San Mateo robotics teacher, was also motivated by his students' frustration with lack of access to equipment. Ridge McGhee, a resident of Atherton, California, was upset by the loss of American manufacturing capability to other countries. After a highly successful donation drive, the first TechShop officially opened to the public on October 1, 2006 in Menlo Park, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

In October 2013, TechShop moved its original location from Menlo Park to San Carlos.

Partnerships

TechShop opened partnership locations in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and Portland, Oregon. After being open for a year, the Portland location closed and went bankrupt; the Raleigh location remained open but owned by TechShop inc, but shutdown April 20, 2013.

A location in Metro Detroit opened on May 4, 2012 in a 38,000 square foot facility in the suburb of Allen Park. This facility was launched in a partnership between Ford and software company Autodesk, and is the largest TechShop facility to date.

A location in Round Rock, Texas, serving the metro Austin area, opened on October 13, 2012. This location is located adjacent to a Lowe's home improvement store and is partnering with the chain to host workshops, supply tools, and provide materials.

In 2016, Techshop opened its first location in Ivry (next to Paris), France, in partnership with ADEO Leroy Merlin.

Typical tools and equipment offered

• Manual mills, Tormach 3 + 1 axis CNC mill, and metal lathes.
• ShopBot 3 axis CNC router.
• Welding equipment including MIG, TIG, gas, and arc welders.
• Sheet metal fabrication equipment.
• Oscilloscopes and other electronics equipment.
• A couple of pieces of equipment for working with plastics.
• Various Laser Cutter laser cutter / engraver units.
• Entry-level 3D printers.
• Textiles area with a home and industrial sewing machines..

References

External links

• TechShop official web site
• TechShop Discussion Forum on Reddit
• TechShop - A place for Makers to work on their projects
• Bay Area craft resources - a brief list of businesses that provide art and/or craft instruction in San Francisco.
• TechShop: Geek Heaven - walk-through of Menlo Park TechShop's features
• Photos: Hobbyists heed TechShop's siren song