CliveFX
Plastic
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2010
- Location
- Venice beach CA
Hi, My name is Clive, engineer at XCOR Aerospace and wannabe production machinist.
I have recently founded a makerspace on the Mojave flightline, Mojave Makers
Mojave Makers - Makers at Mojave Air & Space Port … & Beyond!
with several other engineers from various companies at the Mojave Air & Space port.
Mojave Makers is patterned off of several successful makerspaces/hackerspaces. The founders have been extensity involved in similar spaces in Dallas, Los Angeles and Huntsville. The Hackerspace movement is a global phenomena that is giving people the liberty to create and learn in warehouses, storefronts and hangers anywhere groups of smart people unite.
We currently exist under the aegis of the Space Studies Institute, a California non-profit. Our plans including applying for our own 501(c)3 status in the next month.
All of our equipment as of yet is member-owned and loaned or donated to the space. Because we are a non-profit, donations to our space, both monetary and equipment, are tax deductible.
one of my goals is to make a place where engineers can really learn how to machine. I know all of you have seen prints come through your shop that shows that the engineers have never turned a crank in their life.
The airport administration has been very friendly to us, and we are opening the doors on a 4000sqft facility this next month. The only problem is that we don't have enough tools!
I have put my entire collection into the space (Seig kx3 cnc mill, harbor freight lathe, about $15k of other tools and equipment) but we do not have any "real steel" so to speak. No bridgeports, no Hardinges, no HAAS or Fadal or really anything other than hobby grade gear.
What I am looking for is some real old school stuff, as well as some nicer new stuff. I have always wanted a Moore No.3. A good Hardinge would be a blessing. More drill presses, lathes, anything. My tooling is hobby grade, and not suited for the punishment of novice users. Ask me about how my R8 shank key got launched out of the spindle into the bearing by somebody who didn't know it was there at my former hackerspace..
As for nicer new stuff, I have been in touch with HAAS but they dropped the ball on me.
My questions to this community are as follows:
1. Do you have any older machines that are taking up shop space that you are dying to fill with new stuff?
2. Do you know someone who does? a machinery dealer? a storage warehouse?
3. Do you know who to contact within HAAS, Fadal, etc, for this kind of educational non-profit connection?
I know this is a long shot. But I also know that there are shops out there with tools collecting dust, I have seen them.
Why should you give to us or help?
Well, obvious reason, it is tax deductible and frees up sqft in your shop. Second reason, I really want to promote this trade and knowledge of machining. Since I was a kid I have always wanted to be a machinist, but it seems to be a very exclusive club. I have been actively steered away from being interested in it, first in high school, then at my first job at NASA, and now even in my current job as an engineer for a progressive spaceflight company. I want to give people the chance to cut metal, to fall in love with the craft. And the people who I want to help are those that need it the most, the people making the drawings for all kinds of amazing aerospace projects.
If you are in the Socal area and think you have anything for us, please get in touch with me at clive @ clivefx.com. If you have any advice for us on how to find tools, please post in this thread.
At some point in the future we might even have budget to buy tools, but since we are not a business it will never be a whole lot.
Thank you for your time!
I have recently founded a makerspace on the Mojave flightline, Mojave Makers
Mojave Makers - Makers at Mojave Air & Space Port … & Beyond!
with several other engineers from various companies at the Mojave Air & Space port.
Mojave Makers is patterned off of several successful makerspaces/hackerspaces. The founders have been extensity involved in similar spaces in Dallas, Los Angeles and Huntsville. The Hackerspace movement is a global phenomena that is giving people the liberty to create and learn in warehouses, storefronts and hangers anywhere groups of smart people unite.
We currently exist under the aegis of the Space Studies Institute, a California non-profit. Our plans including applying for our own 501(c)3 status in the next month.
All of our equipment as of yet is member-owned and loaned or donated to the space. Because we are a non-profit, donations to our space, both monetary and equipment, are tax deductible.
one of my goals is to make a place where engineers can really learn how to machine. I know all of you have seen prints come through your shop that shows that the engineers have never turned a crank in their life.
The airport administration has been very friendly to us, and we are opening the doors on a 4000sqft facility this next month. The only problem is that we don't have enough tools!
I have put my entire collection into the space (Seig kx3 cnc mill, harbor freight lathe, about $15k of other tools and equipment) but we do not have any "real steel" so to speak. No bridgeports, no Hardinges, no HAAS or Fadal or really anything other than hobby grade gear.
What I am looking for is some real old school stuff, as well as some nicer new stuff. I have always wanted a Moore No.3. A good Hardinge would be a blessing. More drill presses, lathes, anything. My tooling is hobby grade, and not suited for the punishment of novice users. Ask me about how my R8 shank key got launched out of the spindle into the bearing by somebody who didn't know it was there at my former hackerspace..
As for nicer new stuff, I have been in touch with HAAS but they dropped the ball on me.
My questions to this community are as follows:
1. Do you have any older machines that are taking up shop space that you are dying to fill with new stuff?
2. Do you know someone who does? a machinery dealer? a storage warehouse?
3. Do you know who to contact within HAAS, Fadal, etc, for this kind of educational non-profit connection?
I know this is a long shot. But I also know that there are shops out there with tools collecting dust, I have seen them.
Why should you give to us or help?
Well, obvious reason, it is tax deductible and frees up sqft in your shop. Second reason, I really want to promote this trade and knowledge of machining. Since I was a kid I have always wanted to be a machinist, but it seems to be a very exclusive club. I have been actively steered away from being interested in it, first in high school, then at my first job at NASA, and now even in my current job as an engineer for a progressive spaceflight company. I want to give people the chance to cut metal, to fall in love with the craft. And the people who I want to help are those that need it the most, the people making the drawings for all kinds of amazing aerospace projects.
If you are in the Socal area and think you have anything for us, please get in touch with me at clive @ clivefx.com. If you have any advice for us on how to find tools, please post in this thread.
At some point in the future we might even have budget to buy tools, but since we are not a business it will never be a whole lot.
Thank you for your time!