On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 8:58 AM, Gene Heskett <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Wednesday 15 November 2017 23:38:46 Jon Elson wrote: > > > It seems that Tech Shop has gone out of business nationally. > > > > Jon > > That doesn't ring any bells here, Jon, What sort of stuff did they sell? > it was not a shore. It was big shop space filled with equipment like CNC milling machines, paint spray booths, 3D printers, welding equipment and sewing machines, silk screen printers and computers. If you paid them about $1,000 a year you got to use any of the equipment. (some equipment required yo take a class first.) OK, they did also sell raw materials and some food items. It was a great idea because for a low membership price you got use of equipment you likely could never afford to own and also a large space to work. They served hobbyists but also small business and startup companies and anyone who wanted $1M worth the tools but had only $1K in the bank. The trouble was to business model did not work. The cost of the machines and space was more then membership dues. What is working and what they had to compete with was the same kind of thing but set up as non for profit and member owned These competing spaces could operate at much lower cost as they had no paid staff and could be located in lower cost buildings. There is place like this near me, They split the cost and vote on what to buy, a drill press or a band saw? Much more cost effective the no one needs to make money. These "maker spaces" are not the only kind of non-profit shared spaces. Bio labs are also VERY popular for the same reason. here is just one example: https://www.meetup.com/TheL4b/photos/27796110/ Members range from complete beginners to people with Phd in microbiology This is one of the reasons the shared machine shops work. Beginners are there along with professionals in the same space using tools neither could afford to own outright. > I am half-heartedly looking for a rotary table, smallish but without any > huge backlash, for use on the g0704. A 4" chuck would hold most of what > I might do. I have one now, but backlash is relatively huge and variable > because the bull gear is eccentric, and it hasn't a working well enough > as a clamp facility to hold against cutting forces. Best I've been able > to do is draw the bolt down, and injecting air at 100 psi or so into the > seat to unlock it enough that a 225 oz motor can turn it. That of course > drives the grease out of the central bearing too. Gotta be a better way. > > Cheers, Gene Heskett > -- > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: > soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." > -Ed Howdershelt (Author) > Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------ > Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most > engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > -- Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
