Fig. 01
The metal shop, Thursday night
A shop full of tools in Olneyville, and people who will show you how to use them.
Wood, metal, electronics, sewing machines and a jeweler's bench, in a 1911 mill on Valley Street. Come to open night any Thursday at 6. It's free, and you'll leave knowing which machine you want to learn first.
This week
When the shop is staffed
A shop steward is on the floor for every block below. Members can book machines; everyone else is welcome on Thursday night.
TuesdayToday
- 5:00–10:00 PMGreen tag
Wood shop
Ground floor, bay A
- 5:00–10:00 PMMembers
Electronics bench
Mezzanine
WednesdayToday
- 5:00–10:00 PMGreen tag
Wood shop
Ground floor, bay A
- 5:00–10:00 PMGreen tag
Metal and welding
Ground floor, bay B
- 5:00–10:00 PMMembers
Textiles and sewing
Second floor
ThursdayToday
- 6:00–9:00 PMEveryone
Open night and free tour
Meet at the front bench
- 6:00–9:00 PMMembers
Electronics bench
Mezzanine
- 6:00–9:00 PMMembers
Textiles and sewing
Second floor
FridayToday
- 5:00–10:00 PMGreen tag
Wood shop
Ground floor, bay A
- 5:00–10:00 PMGreen tag
Metal and welding
Ground floor, bay B
- 5:00–9:00 PMGreen tag
Jeweler's bench
Second floor, by the windows
SaturdayToday
- 9:00 AM–6:00 PMGreen tag
Wood shop
Ground floor, bay A
- 9:00 AM–6:00 PMGreen tag
Metal and welding
Ground floor, bay B
- 9:00 AM–3:00 PMMembers
Textiles and sewing
Second floor
- 9:00 AM–1:00 PMGreen tag
Jeweler's bench
Second floor, by the windows
- 12:00–6:00 PMMembers
Electronics bench
Mezzanine
SundayToday
- 12:00–6:00 PMGreen tag
Wood shop
Ground floor, bay A
- 12:00–6:00 PMMembers
Electronics bench
Mezzanine
MondayToday
Shop closed. The stewards are resting their backs.
The shops
Six shops under one roof
Wood shopTue, Wed, Fri, Sat, SunGreen tag on each machine
SawStop table saw, jointer, planer, two bandsaws, a lathe and a long wall of clamps. Lumber offcuts are free.
Get connectedMetal and weldingWed, Fri, SatGreen tag, plus the welding class
MIG and TIG welders, a Bridgeport mill, a metal lathe, a plasma cutter and an anvil from a Pawtucket blacksmith.
Get connectedElectronics benchTue, Thu, Sat, SunAny member
Soldering stations, a scope, bins of parts and a shelf of old radios waiting to be taken apart.
Get connectedTextilesWed, Thu, SatAny member
Eight domestic machines, two industrial walking-foot machines, a serger and a cutting table the size of a car.
Get connectedJeweler's benchFri evening, Sat morningGreen tag
Six benches, a rolling mill and a casting setup, run by members who worked in the Jewelry District when it still made jewelry.
Get connectedLaser and 3D printBook any open hourMembers, after a 30-minute sign-off
A 60-watt laser cutter, four printers and a vinyl cutter. Bring a file on a stick, or learn to draw one here.
Get connectedBefore you use a machine
From first visit to your own project in about three weeks
Every machine wears a green tag. Once a steward has signed you off on it, it's yours to book.
Step 1: Come to open night
Thursday at 6. A steward walks you round every shop and answers the questions you were embarrassed to ask.
Step 2: Take Shop Safety 101
Two hours on a Saturday morning, $20 or free on the sliding scale. Glasses, ears, dust and fire.
Step 3: Get signed off
Book a 30-minute check on the machines you need. Show a steward you can use them safely.
Step 4: Book and build
Reserve bench time online. Stewards are on the floor whenever the shop is open, if you get stuck.
Made here
Contact sheet, September
Projects on the go this month, photographed by the members doing them.
Key
- 21Shop Safety 101, Saturday morning
- 22Two Hope High juniors and a robot that almost drives straight
- 23The Wednesday quilting circle, on its fourth quilt
- 24Glass night with the hot shop crew from Eddy Street
- 25Rebuilding a sewing machine motor, mezzanine
- 26First time on the drill press
- 27Laser files, drawn and cut the same night
Want a print? Ask at the front bench.
Members
Why people renew
I spent thirty-one years setting stones on Point Street. Now I teach it on Saturdays to kids who've never seen a loupe.
I came to fix one chair. That was four years and nineteen chairs ago.
My apartment has no room for a soldering iron. Here I've got a whole mezzanine.
Questions
Before your first Thursday
Do I need any experience?
None at all. About half of new members have never used a power tool. That's what the stewards are for.
What should I wear?
Closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting sawdust on. Tie long hair back. We lend glasses and ear protection.
Can my teenager come?
Ages 14 to 17 can join with a parent's signature and use most of the shop. Younger kids come to the Saturday youth class.
What if I can't afford $45 a month?
Pick the $15 rate. Nobody asks why. Work-trade, where you sweep and restock for four hours a month, is free.