Shared Workspace questions


Slagathor

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New poster, longer term lurker...

I have been working out of a very constrained space in my garage for a while, and decided that the most likely route would be to look for shared workspace in Seattle.  I'm trying to set up an interview to check out the space at Pratt Fine Arts.  The decision around actually doing this is due to not having available space in my electrical panel for additional circuits, not wanting to open myself up for additional inspections just to run 220 & additional circuits, and the basement slab in the house is hilariously uneven making tool placement challenging.  So items like planers, jointers, drill presses, and even a decent table saw come with big impositions in my existing space.

My thinking is that a shared space would allow me to expand my horizons a bit.  Thinking that the shared space would generally be used for milling lumber, cutting joinery quickly and safely, plus increasing my ability to handle sheet goods.  Glue ups, sanding, and finishing would probably continue in my existing space.

Any questions that I should ask, expect to be asked, or other experiences that would benefit me?

I am aware that I will need to be certified/checked out on their tools, agree to some basic community work rules for safety, etc.  Thinking about asking about using my own blades for table saw/dado stack, router bits, and bringing in jigs.  Just looking for a leg up since I'm pretty much a newb in very many aspects of this.

 

 

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one thing to think about is the long term cost over the benefit, If your doing it as a hobby and only need to use the equipment for a short amount of time this may be a good idea, you get to see others work and observe how they approach an problem or project, also think of insurance end are you gong to need coverage for leas space? or is that part of the cost? I rented a space for a while and was required to have 25k liability insurance, the cost was not much but not expected when I was looking, then the cost of electric, over the span of a few years I was able to save up and build my own space on my property, I understand the problems you going through with confine spaces, as well as the needs for certain tools, but over time it will find it's way into your shop, good luck

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Be prepared to do a "pre-use inspection" every time you visit this shared space, and expect that every machine you use may require setup / adjustment / alignment every time you go. 

This is spot on.  If you do go forward with this plan, each time you go you will need a real plan of what you want to do.  Unlike when you have your own shop,  you won't really be able to stand in the middle of the shop contemplating your next move because there may be others waiting for the same machine.  You will have to make your time there really count.

Welcome to the forums, you will get your questions answered here, and we like to see pictures of your projects.

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I guess it is like a trip the gym.  Your best bet is to go in off-peak hours, if such a thing exists.  That would be my #1 concern because frankly, I don't like to work around other people.   All else equal I'd use a place that opens early and closes late so I could get some alone time.  

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WTN - Thanks for the reply.  I really was not thinking along the lines of keeping fences square, etc.  I will ask how they manage this.

Chet - Yes, I knew I would need to be organized to make this work.  Was thinking along the lines of having a cut & operations list mapped out for each visit, along with tools needed.  Was thinking that I would bring my own hand tools, blades, etc. to make sure I get the most out of each visit.  Worst case, I selected this location since it is only about 10 minutes away from my house if I pull a complete boner and forget something important.

NC - Pratt is a arts organization and will provide the tools and space to work in.  The use charge is $45 per day.  So, trading some flexibility vs. access to tools I just don't have space for without a major capital investment.  If I keep at it it may eventually make sense to have the slab in the basement redone, but I think the sort term increase in safety & tool capability will be a welcome change.

 

Thanks for the replies and welcome.  I will check in on this to update how it turns out.

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Wow 45 dollars a day is incredibly expensive. If you are there once a weekend you are spending close to 200 dollars a month, any large project will require 1000+ dollars in shop time costs..... If you are seriously considering that cost then either 1) your house must a terrible place to have a shop, or 2) they really have a lot of VERY nice tools you don't own equivalents for.

I have used shared shop space in the past from a woodworking club. Costs 130 dollars a month and you get unlimited time. They keep everything calibrated (though I do need to check jointer fences since folks tend to move those around) and if you want to store wood at the shop they charged I think an additional 10 dollars a month. They provided space for glue-ups for free so long as you didn't just walk away and leave them there never to return. 

Unless they need to trench a new line into your house having a few 220 volts installed would probably be considerably less. Uneven basement slabs is a non-issue since you can just shim any machine to make it stable. 

My strong advice is to either do it at home or find a better shop. 45 dollars a day is super incredibly expensive.

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Agree with the above.   Before my home shop,  I worked in a community shop. They did have a lot of nice tools.  I paid $5/day usage fee on top of a one time $30 registration and safety fee.  At $45/day you'd better be working at double speed flat out or every project becomes a financial money pit.

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Brendon/Minor - Well, unless your Google-fu & Craigslist skills are better than mine we are trying to F$%@ a unicorn here.  There just don't appear to be clubs or other reasonable shared space options.  There is one other shared space option in Seattle that I found that charges $150 for 20 hours of use per month, with no roll over (or $100 per day.)  But I'm open to direction on this - I just have not found a club or other alternative.

But post up when you will be in Seattle next, & I'd be more than happy to buy you a beer and show you my hilariously small space that I'm using today.  I don't see too many options on getting a jointer/planer in there (and the homebrew set up is not negotiable, btw.)

And, fwiw, my guess is that I'll use the space 1-2 times per month on average for milling or larger sheet good operations.  The sheet good stuff is a luxury, but also a huge increase in efficiency for me.  And, yes, I will need to go into each session with a pretty specific cut and operation plan to make this work.

I have an appointment to get qualified for shop use on 9/4 - so clock is ticking if you have specific suggestions on checking a club or community situation out.  I could use the the help.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just thought I would update this in case anyone else needs to look into this.  I have used the space a couple of times since getting tested for access, and thought I would breakdown the overall experience.  My overall impression of the space and people is positive, and think this is a good situation for me at the current time.

Positives:

  • Lots of space, great lighting, and good dust collection.
  • Tons of clamps & jig access.  This is probably the biggest increase in overall safety, but having a ton of different options to hold work is a plus and allows me to work efficiently.  Also gives me some ideas on what to invest in for my home setup & prioritize.
  • Tablesaws and outfeed setup is very nice.  Blades are high quality and pretty sharp.
  • Minimal calibration required.  The advice on making sure tools are square was very good, and I make sure to double check setup on tools the first time I use them during a session.  Generally a good practice anyway, but just takes a few extra seconds.

Considerations:

  • Tragedy of the commons...  It is a school, so it can be a bit dusty at times.  But knew this going in, so not a big deal.  Make sure to wear my respirator when I am working.
  • Tablesaw/cast iron surfaces need wax.  Brought my own can in last time I was there, and had a much improved experience.
  • Having a plan helps a lot.  Have not had real competition for time on the tablesaws, but being prepped helps work around other people.
  • Communication with program staff on maintenance or expected practices.  There is a POC for the shop, and will need to make sure that she is aware of minor issues in the shop.  Main example is that the dust collection does not trigger when one of the tablesaws is used with the blade tilted to 45 degrees.  Pretty simple communication.
  • Time flies...  Spent just under 4 hours there the other night and it flew by.  Was time to close down the shop & clean up without really thinking about where the time went.
  • Will probably bring my own blades to the shop for ripping & crosscutting on the tablesaw.  Not a problem with the blades there, but think my cut consistency will improve by having a 'known' factor involved.
  • Zero clearance insert on tablesaw.  There does not appear to be one available, so will work on a solution for this. 
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