Author Topic: TechShop DIY workshop opening in Raleigh-Durham (Read 386 times)

eagl · « **on:** February 17, 2008, 09:33:04 AM »

Anyone that lives near Raleigh-Durham might be interested in this.

Disclaimer - I know this is borderline on forum rules but nobody is making any $ on this event, and I really think it's something some of you would find extremely useful.

TechShop is a company that opens up huge DIY workshops so regular people can use tools and equipment they could never possibly afford. They aim to have literally any tool anyone could possibly want for any project. From CAD/CAM workstations and those nifty 3D printers or 3D milling machines for prototyping, to electronics tools and a regular woodshop, these guys have everything. I toured one in San Francisco and it was awesome how much stuff they have in one building. If you don't know how to use any of the tools, they have classes too.

Basically this place is for anyone who likes building their own stuff, but doesn't have, for example, a $300,000 computer controlled milling machine or a calibrated oscilloscope. They're opening up a new shop in Raleigh-Durham, and I'm a personal friend of one of the new owners. He is a Radio Control airplane nut and a generally nice guy. They're having a "meet-up" party on Feb 26 so people in the area can see what the TechShop is gonna have to offer.

In an attempt to keep this less of a commercial, I'm not gonna talk about membership prices or paste in the links to the Raleigh-Durham meet-up for their next store. But if anyone is interested in this, drop me a PM or email and I'll send you details.

For what it's worth, a guy living down the street for me is developing a new commercial idea for a truck accessory. He's spent over $100,000 on machine work over the last 8 months on his first prototype, and he could have built 5 prototypes in a weekend by himself for the cost of materials if he had access to a techshop.

Umm... Well, since we just heard a testimonial, can I get an amen?

mentalguy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2008, 10:40:10 AM »

I can do all that for free, at my school.
Career centers are awsome like that.

Tarmac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2008, 10:58:24 AM »

Sounds like an awesome idea for a business. Good luck to him.

DieAz · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2008, 11:31:52 AM »

Does TechShop sign a NDA (non disclosure agreement) for everything created or made in it's workshop?

Tarmac · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2008, 11:47:25 AM »

I'm surprised there isn't one in the Detroit area. Tons of car guys there who would probably love to machine up some cool stuff.

eagl · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2008, 12:36:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DieAz
Does TechShop sign a NDA (non disclosure agreement) for everything created or made in it's workshop?

I think they would, as required, but I don't know if it's on "everything" by default. But I'm not an owner or anything so I can't speak for them. You would want to contact them directly to find out their specific policies.

The one in San Fran had a couple of interesting projects going on, and depending on the project requirements, they seem willing to accomodate special requests. Like one guy had one room all to himself, locked, with no windows. He was doing a project he didn't want to be public.

Another guy was doing something similar, but he was less secretive so he had his own office but it had windows and he would drive his project all over the place during normal hours, testing it out

eagl · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2008, 12:37:22 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Tarmac
I'm surprised there isn't one in the Detroit area. Tons of car guys there who would probably love to machine up some cool stuff.

If you want to start one, they're really helpful with franchising

Tarmac · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2008, 12:48:32 PM »

Already thought about it, but unfortunately I'm kinda stuck in TX for the next few years.

I did pass it on to my dad and some of my nerdily inclined friends, though.

eagl · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:01:39 PM »

Ah heck, one little link won't hurt

http://durham.techshop.ws/rsvp.html

That is the link to rsvp to the meet-up party. The basic url takes you to the generic techshop website.

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:17:12 PM »

Looks like a very cool idea. But I can't even imagine how much capital it would take to start one of these places on your own.

mensa180 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:21:17 PM »

That looks great! Wish they had one in Nashville, it'd be really useful.

DieAz · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:41:59 PM »

the reason I ask is
it could be a way to steal other's ideas.
with the way things can be setup. an idea gets inputted
into the CAD/CAM can be transmitted around the world and put
into production almost immediately.

just because an idea is on paper (or in electronic form) doesn't mean it is protected.
it has to be actually patented to be protected. copyright
only protects how something is written (more or less). it
does not protect ideas. a patent protects ideas.

but since

Quote

they seem willing to accomodate special requests. Like one guy had one room all to himself, locked, with no windows. He was doing a project he didn't want to be public.

maybe I'm just being a lil too

but you've heard of "too good to be true" hence the

going to be thinking long and hard on this one.

eagl · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:53:38 PM »

Give them a call and find out. It's not some big faceless corporation... They ought to be able to give you a straight answer.

That said, if you go building something right in front of a dozen others using the shop, your privacy goes out the window. But I think you ought to be able to maintain control over CAD/CAM programs and all that. They'd go out of business if they alienated their entire market by stealing people's ideas.

Tarmac · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2008, 01:56:22 PM »

Seems like they'd have to have some kind of oversight on the legality of stuff being built. The first thing I thought was "Build a silencer!"

eagl · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2008, 02:00:22 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Tarmac
Seems like they'd have to have some kind of oversight on the legality of stuff being built. The first thing I thought was "Build a silencer!"

That sort of thing might be in their member contract or terms of service, but I don't know how uptight they are about it. Basically they need to cover their own a** from liability, but they exist solely to give people a place to build stuff, so...