TechShop San Francisco?

January 6, 2009 2:52 PM

Is there something similar to TechShop in San Francisco?

I occasionally build DIY audio projects that require some degree of casework. Usually I end up mangling a Hammond enclosure with a handheld power drill until I get the holes that I need. It gets the job done, but the results aren't really all that pretty. The next couple projects I want to build are a little more ambitious than what I've done in the past and the casework involved is a bit more complicated than what I think I can accomplish with the tools I have at hand. Ideally, I'd like to find an open-access machine shop here in San Francisco like TechShop. Does such a thing exist? I know Menlo Park isn't really all that far away, but I'd prefer something local.

posted by strangecargo to sports, hobbies, & recreation (1 comment total)

As far as I know, there really isn't anything like TechShop in SF, and I've looked around a bit. It is possible to get access to the machine shop at the Crucible - I think you have to take their machining class first - but those are the only places I know of with open access machine tools. There are probably some places that have access to machine tools if you rent shop space there - The Shipyard works sort of like that, but I'm not aware of any good spaces in SF proper.
posted by pombe at 3:25 PM on January 6