In my perfect world there would be a way to rent a "fully furnished" metal fabrication . . bay.

Think; mini warehouse style.

You could even have centralized ' major tools ' (lathes, mills, big cutoff saws, benders and breaks, etc) that the renters could RESERVE time on in advance.

These bays would be rentable in 1 hour, 2 hour, 1/2 day, full day, or weeky, increments.

ALL CONSUMABLES EXTRA (you must buy the consumables from the exceptionally well stocked facility).

I guess when it all gets down to it; this is a rant.

I need such a place to rent right now and they simply don't exist.

Poo.

 

Have you thought about signing up for continuing education classes? Cost-wise it's pretty reasonable for machine shop facilities.

 

The risk in doing something like that (from a business standpoint) is that you have no idea what the person's skill level is. Just imagine the laiblility involved in allowing unskilled novices to operate something as intricate as a lathe, or as dangerous as a large saw (diamond blades ain't cheap). Now, imagine the cost the first time a customer accidentally destroyes your brand new metal brake.

best thing to do is just make friends. Somebody you know has gotta know somebody who has access to the facilities you need.
Or, suck up to a local machine shop owner, and maybe he'd be nice enough to let you play in his shop, under supervision.

 

Yea. It's a 200+ mile commute

The local community college dropped the course(s) this year because of the accident rate in the class. I suggested they get a new instructor and reconsider.

. . they didn't seem to listen though :-staun

 

Valid suggestions, and thanks. But my oppurtunities to do this work are not predictable enough to make them logistically feasible.

My work schedule is . . beyond description, trust me.

I either need the stuff at home or I need to be able to call and say; hey I'm on my way!

. . yea, I'm spoiled a little I guess.

 

Yeah, I understand on the schedule..
Nothing wrong with being spoiled.

Believe me, I'm still trying to think up a way to make that idea workl!

 

Spoiled?? eheh you guys would hate me.....or perhaps I'd have alot of new friends.

I work in a sheet metal shop right now,We have five press brakes,two turret punches, a bridgeport mill,a lathe,250 KVA spot welder,power roll,haeger press,line grainer,12' shear,a 500 amp TIG welder (awesome machine),250 amp TIG,250 amp MIG,200 amp MIG,stud welder,cold saw,drill presses.....etc etc....Only thing we dont have that I'd like to use is a tube bender,but I'm working on that.

 

When I was in the sevice during VN, the bases had FULLY equiped shops for the GI's to rent by the hour (.25). Great wood shop and an automotive shop that must have had 12 bays and thousands of tools, an on duty Mechanic to advice you on your project and run the dyno. outside was an impound to lock-up your vehicle for the night (for anouther $1 a night). I always thought that I would start a buisness like that someday but I went another direction.

 

ok, ct(ctfuzzy), I know about your desire to have the ultimate place to build things. May i offer a suggestion? BUILD YOUR OWN, or HAVE IT BUILT. Accummulate your equipment and skills, (money&time), and figure out where you want to have your "pipe dream located. The best location would be in your own backyard, or if you are a renter and don't have that option, select/find a relative that you can trust, and equip their shop with the stuff you need to assemble whatever you're making. You can usually buy material(s) and have them cut to length and at almost any angle you specify-- a local supplier in my neighborhood charges only 50 cents per cut. If you have your own shop, and you put a few of your own tools in it, you'll never have to "make way for the next renter", run the risk of someone else seeing parts (or the entireity of your invention) and all of the other problems associated with "public domain" Just for fun, let's assume that you had worked on a patentable invention in a rentable "pipe dream shop" Under the terms of the "rental agreement" that you will be required to sign(legal &binding). After quickly scanning the part about the rental shop's liability insurance and other limitations, along with other requirements (that you agree to comply with- a "Shop Expert" who will guide you through your project, preventing any damage to the RENT-A-SHOP bay you have rented, will be part of your expense. I'm not an expert on patent law, but how can you protect your own invention/idea/patentable idea when somebody (Shop Expert) is looking over your shoulder and "taking notes" on anything you build or work on in the rented bay? It has seemed that the right to privacy only applies to one's papers,effects,etc. if all of that stuff is on/in ground that you own . If you rent, anything gained becomes property of the landlord. just my .02

 

Fuzz - too bad you don't live in Big D, I saw an ad in today's paper from a body shop offering space and use of equipment to rebuilders and restorers. As for such a business, start up costs, liability insurance and overhead would be huge. If anyone can find such a place, I'd bet on you.
Dono

 

these places do exist my buddy owns three 54 foot mobile machine shops that are attached to a semi truck he rents these out for all sorts of things mostly industrial he built his first trailer 10 years ago for 134,000 not including the tractor that one paid for itself years ago.double d mobile machine co.

 

I can remember that, too. You started out with 10 little metal disks, with a number stamped on it. Traded one when you needed a tool.

Renting a mobile machine shop to a business wouldn't be too bad, because customers would have insurance.

I doubt the insurance company would soak a guy too bad if he told them he want to join a shop, "Club" and needed insurance for it. I'm sure it would take them a few weeks to figure a quote.

What's a warm/cool shop that has all the trick equipment worth to someone, per/hr?

 

Aw man, I thought the CT was back, until I looked up at the start of thread date. Someone either got this one from way back, or maybe I am reading it wrong. My apologies if so,