TechShop Portland Grand Opening (Big Pics Inside)

Well, its finally happening. We are finally officially opening TechShop here in Portland. About time... For those in the area it is Saturday, April 25th at 3PM.

Still have a lot of goodies to get but we are getting there. Got the ShopSabre CNC router table up and running today. Still need to hook up the 20HP vacuum pump for the table though. Its got a 7.5 HP 30 Taper 24000 RPM spindle and is equipped with a tool changer.



Have three metal melting furnaces going now. Smallest one is about 120k btu and will do aluminum. The two larger ones are capable of melting cast iron and the smaller of the two is rated around 250kbtu. Also might be bringing a cupola in too! We are planning to do some metal casting demos for the grand opening. Also finished repairing the heat treat oven this last weekend. The gas valve and regulator were both leaking.





We got a 45 watt Epilog Laser cutter. Fun toy! It cuts up to 3/8" wood and acrylic. Whats really cool about it is it leaves a flame polished edge when cutting acrylic!




Got three desktop Prolight CNC mills that should be showing up this week, also a larger 16" swing Clausing cnc lathe will get unloaded tomorrow and I am also picking up a small Hercus CNC lathe with 8 gang turret in a day or two. Also took apart the head on the Series 60 Monarch. The clutch dogs for the feed reverse were really bad.

We have a sewing and textiles area going and the owner of the equipment is teaching classes. Got the usual stuff like a Serger, Walking Foot, and a embroidery machine. Also an old Singer Patcher among other things. She (Kathy Andrews) is the wife of the guy that gave me a lot of jobs when I was doing machine work for Laika on the Coraline film. Small world!

Been teaching classes too for the past couple months. I have my dad teaching welding (MIG, TIG, Oxy-Acet), had one lathe class, into the second 10 week session for the patternmaking classes and wood shop classes. I have been teaching the Epilog laser class. I really hate teaching.

Anyways, if you are in the area stop by!

TechShop Portland
http://portlandtechshop.com
10100 SW Allen Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005

-Jerry
Shop Forman

Congrats on getting the doors open - I'm sure Portland is full of enthusiastic DIY-ers ready to join TechShop!

Interesting concept....
Thought has crossed my mind on a metal working club a few times.
But I think about this, and the liability issues, as well as the potential to have complete nube's running the expensive machinery. That point seems like the place to stop thinking about it any longer....

Good luck with it.

dk

Interesting machinery !
I would love to pop by but unfortunately I happen to be in the Netherlands that particularly weekend.
I wish you lots of succes and a lot of potential customers at your opening.

very good idea, good luck

Nice job on getting setup macona. May the force be with you!

Outstanding Jerry, way to get 'er done!

Sorry that teaching is not more fun for you, most important job after the organizing and acquisition, the why.

If there is a renaisance of American manufacturing, guys like you will be the reason......big kudos.

Bob

Jerry
What are visiting hours and dates suitable for droping in?

jh

We are open roughly 10-8 7 days a week. Still best to call before you drop by. Then again I have been there every day for about the last month getting things running, repaired or put together.