CO2 Laser ...and more

[rdb]

Back in the hippy days we had lots of co-ops. There were food coops, automotive garage coops, etc. I miss the convenience of those things. We saved a lot, and fixed a lot of things by combining resources.

That camaraderie has mostly disappeared nowadays, but there are a few things popping up here and there that work similarily.

A month or so back I was hoping to find a laser shop, that would allow me to pay for access, or at least reasonable rates and went googling along. I came across a site that talked about a sort of coop in Menlo,California. They had all kinds of equipment, from CNC and plasma cutters, from sewing machines to 3D modelers. I thought that was a great idea. But with my luck, I knew there wouldn't be anything like that around me. Just for yucks, I checked if they had any other locations. They had 3 locations. I was knocked over. One in Menlo, one in Beaverton, Oregon, and one right here in Durham, NC. The very next day I visited the place.

Awesome toys!!! Last night I took the Laser Class, and lasered my first piece. WooHoo!

And although the place is 45 minutes away, I can just plan out some jobs, and make a day of it. With the right planning, like wallet liner cutouts, and specific designs and lettering, I will probably get the hang of this, and save days of cutting and stamping on the bench.

Not to mention the networking with all these creative individuals you can meet there!!

So if the stars are shining on you, and you live near any of them, don't hesitate to take advantage. There maybe another company doing the same thing, I don't know, but make sure you check your area.

http://techshop.ws/locations.html

http://www.techshopdurham.com/

http://www.portlandtechshop.com/

[TwinOaks]

Nice find! I didn't think anywhere like that existed anymore either. Definitely worth checking out, Thanks!

[JohnBarton]

Back in the hippy days we had lots of co-ops. There were food coops, automotive garage coops, etc. I miss the convenience of those things. We saved a lot, and fixed a lot of things by combining resources.

That camaraderie has mostly disappeared nowadays, but there are a few things popping up here and there that work similarily.

A month or so back I was hoping to find a laser shop, that would allow me to pay for access, or at least reasonable rates and went googling along. I came across a site that talked about a sort of coop in Menlo,California. They had all kinds of equipment, from CNC and plasma cutters, from sewing machines to 3D modelers. I thought that was a great idea. But with my luck, I knew there wouldn't be anything like that around me. Just for yucks, I checked if they had any other locations. They had 3 locations. I was knocked over. One in Menlo, one in Beaverton, Oregon, and one right here in Durham, NC. The very next day I visited the place.

Awesome toys!!! Last night I took the Laser Class, and lasered my first piece. WooHoo!

And although the place is 45 minutes away, I can just plan out some jobs, and make a day of it. With the right planning, like wallet liner cutouts, and specific designs and lettering, I will probably get the hang of this, and save days of cutting and stamping on the bench.

Not to mention the networking with all these creative individuals you can meet there!!

So if the stars are shining on you, and you live near any of them, don't hesitate to take advantage. There maybe another company doing the same thing, I don't know, but make sure you check your area.

http://techshop.ws/locations.html

http://www.techshopdurham.com/

http://www.portlandtechshop.com/

That's pretty COOL!

If you need any advice at all let me know. We have had lasers for several years and while I am not an expert I do have a lot of experience at this point using lasers to cut and decorate leather and other items. Believe me that there is some trial and error you will need to do.

A good place to read about lasering is at Sawmill Creek. www.sawmillcreek.org in the CNC section. This is a woodworking forum with a laser section.

[rdb]

Glad it was a good resource TwinOaks. I hope there's something like it near you. Let us know...

Thanx John, I've seen that link before (Thanx to you). Yep, a rigorous learning curve. Taking notes faithfully. Power vs speed ratios, and all that. I'm geeky enough to like the learning. Thanx for the offer, I may pick your brain soon...