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Not really a request for forum changes, but...

deleted_user

Super User
I could not see where else to post this so I am posting it here.

I searched the form for the term "bank" and found out that far too many people use idioms with the word in it... one may think that metal working is an expensive hobby or something.

I have extremely limited space. I used to maintain workspace and storage in a local storage facility but that became too expensive after they kept raising their rates repeatedly. Once you pay to install a 200 amp electrical panel they know they have you by the short and curlys. Now I have to do hobby stuff out of Rubbermaid storage containers bringing out containers as needed packing up everything at the end of the day to restow before my wife freaks and tosses it somewhere never to be found again.

Okay, WTF is my point? I want to gauge people's interest in a "small parts bank"
It would be best to make it a member's only parts bank... and depending on the numbers and usage maybe a premium members only bank. it would certainly provide a value added service for forum members if it could be made to work well enough.

I'd certainly join, contribute, participate.

Over the past 6 months I have ordered so many items from Amazon that required me to buy multiples of things I only need one of. Despite hating Amazon, because I like free shipping, and I hate ordering a single part from Digikey Canada or similar only to have to pay $20 shipping out of the USA for a $2 part. God forbid I need a part from McMaster Carr and have to go with a trans-shipment company in Buffalo.

I don't have the space to store the surplus parts, but I hate to toss em in the garbage. A few weeks ago I decided to add two jog buttons to a project JUST to make use of momentary switches I ordered in error. I don't have enough parts inventory to become a retailer or anything, but I can save enough to submit parts to a library quarterly and only have a small shipping bill for canada post.

I am sure that there are many of you that also have small items you don't or wont ever need that you none the less retain until death.

What I would propose is identifying interested members who are strategically located across Canada that meet the following criteria to host regional parts banks:

They're trusted long term members
They're organized and not too busy (retired even?)
They live in town and have easy access to Canada Post office or depot.
They have space to host and maintain a small parts storage system.

There are many ways that such a system could be implemented. I'd survey members to ascertain what they'd prefer. The initial storage system could be crowdfunded by members, making it as complex or as simple as desired. The bins can be organized many ways.... whatever works for the person hosting.

You could perhaps implement a database as part of the forum, and members help maintain it online, add their parts to the database and label their parts as to where they get stored and then ship off the actual parts to the Librarian.

OR the storage bins could be simply labeled by member name, and the member just ships a bunch of parts to the librarian and then lists their parts in the classified ads section of the forum. This could be a reserved classified ads section in the premium members only forum.

I envision a system where parts are donated by members and distributed to other members at no cost other than S&H so they'd mostly be low value items. The "purchaser" would pay the librarian the cost of shipping and handling. The librarian would do one mail run a week to keep handling fees low.

BUT they parts could be sold as well, with two payments being made by the purchaser but that would be more complex, and create potential headaches.

This is different than the online classifieds ads, since it pools goods and provides a member with the opportunity to buy multiple small esoteric metal working related items and pay a single shipping fee to reciieve a single delivery rather than 10 amazon deliveries with too many parts.

How well is the member's only tool library working out? Or is that secret only for members?
 
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Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
The admin's talked about this. I think the classified listings could maybe work best for this idea. People who have extras could simply list them there. Thanks John.
 

deleted_user

Super User
The admin's talked about this. I think the classified listings could maybe work best for this idea. People who have extras could simply list them there. Thanks John.

Sorry, I can't be bothered to list two Bussmann MDA3 ceramic fuses that I don't need out of a five pack... and have to package and mail them out to someone. Or the many other odds and sods of little things I'd need to pack and ship individually. But I'd send a dozen or so to a central library every quarter with a single trip.

I'd donate to a local maker space, but those are all in downtown Toronto and the exclusive playground of the overly privileged few.

Anyway, I was just spit balling. I may just decide to acquire commercial shop space, set up my own maker space with metal, wood shops and electronics shops and sell memberships. Then I could also have a retail arm where I could keep and sell off these types of little things. I would address my space constraints and give me a write off on cnc router and laser cutter. Bonus, I'd be able to convert the roof space into hydroponic greenhouse to address my severe garden space deficit as well.
 

ThirtyOneDriver

Johnathan (John)
@TorontoBuilder - this idea has come up in my past relating to similar but different situations - here's some things I've seen/have been discussed by others using me as a sounding board.

"Tool Crib" - name is from Army maintenance shops (in my experience) - technicians are issued their own tool boxes w/ commonly used tools - a tool crib holds specialized/less often used/more expensive tools/tooling and access is controlled by an attendant (loan-a-tool programs would be similar).

We had different "hobby clubs" on bases to provide social and resource support to soldiers - these were more critical on bases that had students/newer recruits staying in barracks (essentially dorms). To me, the maker studios that have popped up in the past 5 years are eerily similar to what I've seen and my Dad tells stories about from his 'soldier youth' (as far back as 1976?). Ones that I'm familiar w/ are wood working and automotive based - all the ones I had access to had tool cribs at the core. Space could be rented by members of these "clubs" (hourly/daily/weekly); specialty tools were lent because the club actually belonged to the base commander and if there was ever an issue w/ non-returned items, it was going to impact your career progression.

St. Catharines had a "rent-a-bay" style automotive car club that I accessed in ~ 2006 over holidays while home visiting family. You rented space; premiums for hoist bays (hourly) but just "open" bays could be rented by the hour/day/week/month - the paint booth was another premium space that could be rented. Because it was so long ago, I can't remember if they rented specialty tools out, but I do remember them having their version of a tool crib and therefore assume that they must have.

I've seen ads on Kijiji once in awhile for places like these (Barrie area, Kitchener, Elmira?, etc.); the worrisome aspect for me would be liability and the cost associated protecting oneself/an organization/business from it where it comes to public service - I'm sure there's lawyer types that would know how to mitigate those challenges.

I'm a fan of the idea but I've never pursued it myself because I could never "figure it out" well enough/saw enough need for it.

Regarding ideas for you personally; I've had buddies set up enclosed trailers while they were between ideal living situations (posted to the city/still have a house at the last posting so their kids could graduate school with their friends, etc.) - there's obviously capital up front and it never appeared like they got to "enjoy" their equipment and there were risks of the tooling/equipment degrading (corrosion) or possibly being stolen.

I feel you.
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
We've talked about developing a maker space on the forum several times. Most of us have a shop of some sort so joining another one does not seem to garner much interest. I can relate - why would I drive 30 minutes someplace when I can do what I want in my shop? Well one reason would be access to space and tools I don't have. Another reason is the social aspect to discuss projects and problems in person. Some of us on the forum are members of maker spaces for that reason. We've also had some talk of group projects but it seems the project I want to do nobody else is that interested in at the moment - and of course it's vice versa too. The thing about the forum is we have a lot of good ideas but not enough volunteer time or money to do a lot of fancy things.

If covid ever ends or at least diminishes we can get back to in person meetups. I think that is the next step for the forum. Keep posting everybody The admin's talk about this stuff endlessly.
 

deleted_user

Super User
@TorontoBuilder - this idea has come up in my past relating to similar but different situations - here's some things I've seen/have been discussed by others using me as a sounding board.

"Tool Crib" - name is from Army maintenance shops (in my experience) - technicians are issued their own tool boxes w/ commonly used tools - a tool crib holds specialized/less often used/more expensive tools/tooling and access is controlled by an attendant (loan-a-tool programs would be similar).

We had different "hobby clubs" on bases to provide social and resource support to soldiers - these were more critical on bases that had students/newer recruits staying in barracks (essentially dorms). To me, the maker studios that have popped up in the past 5 years are eerily similar to what I've seen and my Dad tells stories about from his 'soldier youth' (as far back as 1976?). Ones that I'm familiar w/ are wood working and automotive based - all the ones I had access to had tool cribs at the core. Space could be rented by members of these "clubs" (hourly/daily/weekly); specialty tools were lent because the club actually belonged to the base commander and if there was ever an issue w/ non-returned items, it was going to impact your career progression.

St. Catharines had a "rent-a-bay" style automotive car club that I accessed in ~ 2006 over holidays while home visiting family. You rented space; premiums for hoist bays (hourly) but just "open" bays could be rented by the hour/day/week/month - the paint booth was another premium space that could be rented. Because it was so long ago, I can't remember if they rented specialty tools out, but I do remember them having their version of a tool crib and therefore assume that they must have.

I've seen ads on Kijiji once in awhile for places like these (Barrie area, Kitchener, Elmira?, etc.); the worrisome aspect for me would be liability and the cost associated protecting oneself/an organization/business from it where it comes to public service - I'm sure there's lawyer types that would know how to mitigate those challenges.

I'm a fan of the idea but I've never pursued it myself because I could never "figure it out" well enough/saw enough need for it.

Regarding ideas for you personally; I've had buddies set up enclosed trailers while they were between ideal living situations (posted to the city/still have a house at the last posting so their kids could graduate school with their friends, etc.) - there's obviously capital up front and it never appeared like they got to "enjoy" their equipment and there were risks of the tooling/equipment degrading (corrosion) or possibly being stolen.

I feel you.

I've looked into liability insurance, it is not overly costly. I used to have a storage locker in a facility that had many people using the spaces as shops, They had no issues with liability insurance and their security makes theft unlikely. I used to belong to a makerspace in Downtown Toronto when I live right downtown, but they were more crafts oriented and only had one laser cutter and their cnc router was perpetually broken.

The biggest barrier for me is that traditionally affordable industrial condominium spaces exploded in price almost as much as housing costs in Toronto. I'd have to make an income from a space to make it work.

Tonight I just spoke with my brother about moving my heavy wood working tools into his basement to free up space at my place to allow me to get into more digital printing, engraving and small metal casting jobs with electric furnace and burn out oven.
 
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deleted_user

Super User
We've talked about developing a maker space on the forum several times. Most of us have a shop of some sort so joining another one does not seem to garner much interest. I can relate - why would I drive 30 minutes someplace when I can do what I want in my shop? Well one reason would be access to space and tools I don't have. Another reason is the social aspect to discuss projects and problems in person. Some of us on the forum are members of maker spaces for that reason. We've also had some talk of group projects but it seems the project I want to do nobody else is that interested in at the moment - and of course it's vice versa too. The thing about the forum is we have a lot of good ideas but not enough volunteer time or money to do a lot of fancy things.

If covid ever ends or at least diminishes we can get back to in person meetups. I think that is the next step for the forum. Keep posting everybody The admin's talk about this stuff endlessly.

Oh yeah, I participated in a group build in the past on a steam engine... and I've participated in group print exchanges with print making artists from all over the world printing editions and submitting them to a coordinator who then mailed the sets to everyone. I'd love to do so again on the right projects if anyone tries to organize one again.

I drive 1/2 hr to access half of my shop already. Two summers ago I drove an hour each way to tend my greenhouse every day.

I'd travel an hour to access a CNC knee mill, a good cnc router and plasma cutter and a decent laser cutter. IF I wanted to dream wildly I'd also like to access a waterjet cutter. Space issues have made me pass on so many killer deals

I wont travel that far to grow at a hydroponic greenhouse because you have to do it every day and spend long days working in the heat each day on top of the travel...

I'll just put it out there, if you have a cnc router and are amenable I'd pay a fair fee to use it on occasion... I need to mill a ton of copper parts for several projects in particular and the local firms can't be bothered with my "small jobs"
 
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