TechShop is a chain of member-based workshops that lets people of all skill levels come in and use industrial tools and equipment to build their own projects. They have three locations in California, one in North Carolina, and one in Michigan.
Typical tools and equipment offered by TechShop include:
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 for a discounted price.
TechShop is affiliated with the Maker subculture, and they participate in Maker Faires in the San Francisco Bay Area and North Carolina. They have machine demonstrations and classes available during the two day Bay Area fair.
Contents |
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.[1] 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.[2] Ridge McGhee, a resident of Atherton, California, was upset by the loss of American manufacturing capability to other countries.[3] 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.[3] [4]
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;[5] the Raleigh location remains open.
A location in Detroit is expected to open in late 2011, and an additional twenty locations are planned over the next three years.[4]