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I have a recumbent bicycle that I built a few years ago and converted to electric-assist. Unfortunately standard bicycle maintenance stands aren't designed to work with recumbent bike frame geometry (let alone electric 'bents). So I finally got around to making a "bracket" that allows me to hang my recumbent from my regular bike stand to make working on it much easier:
Reply:Nice video.Im more interested in seeing your shop, looks really well outfitted.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:A little more equipment than most of us on here....
Reply:Thanks for sharing, excellent work, nice shop too.Airco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60D
Reply:Well, it's not technically my shop. It's actually my local maker-space, TXRX Labs (https://www.txrxlabs.org/) in Houston, TX. It's also where I work. The whole idea of a makerspace is to give people access to tools and equipment that they would otherwise not be able to use. It's kind of like a gym but with tools and equipment. If someone doesn't have the space or ability to afford expensive exercise equipment, they join a gym and get access to even better (and varied) equipment, as well as people hanging around that can give advise on how to use it. If someone lives in an apartment or rented house and can't install power for a welder better than a crappy 110V wire squirter (while still risking burning the place down), they can come to a makerspace like mine and use our 3-phase class machines, saws, big steel tables, and all the other accessories (with almost no fire danger). We also teach simple one-or-two day classes on the basics of how to use said equipment (and safety).TXRX Labs basically started out (a few years before before I even moved to Houston) as a few guys renting a closet in a commercial space to house a crappy 3D printer and a cheap miniature Chinese laser cutter. Eventually, they formed a 501(c)3 non-profit, grew, and gained enough members to rent their own space (about 3,000 square ft.) from the equivalent of a industrial slum-lord. That location, on Commerce St., had a roof that leaked (everywhere) when it rained and had rats occasionally falling out of what was left of the ceiling insulation. At that location they had more space to teach classes and add equipment (mostly donated by members). They taught classes on everything from soldering, electronics (Arduino), 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC router work, basic welding (MIG), and basic lathe work (on a old clapped out Southbend).Around 2012 (right when I joined as a member) we had grown enough (around 150 members) to rent a bigger, slightly less crappy, space. The Roberts St. space was around 20,000 sq.ft. We were there for about 8 years. In that time we grew to over 300 members, added more welding machines, CNC machines (plasma, mills, lathes, routers, press brake, and waterjet, lasers), dozens of 3D printers, a couple of forklifts, started teaching more classes, began working with local schools on their STEM curriculum, doing side fabrication jobs, and even renting out extra space to start-ups. I was eventually hired as our first paid employee to be the staff welder, fabricator, machinist, and fix-it guy.Eventually, we gained enough attention from local politicians and business development groups to manage to wrangle a deal where we partnered with one of the big local community development corporations, UPCDC (https://up-cdc.org/), to use tens of millions of dollars in local, state, and federal (EDA) grants and assistance to buy and renovate a 300,000 square foot building to become our permanent home and business incubator. The name of the facility and partnership is called the East End Maker Hub (https://eastendmakerhub.org/). We started moving in in early 2020 and are mostly up and running: https://product.costar.com/home/news/shared/253417596The funny part is that most of our connections came from teaching really simple classes. The had of the innovation department of one of the big oil and gas companies gives us prototyping fabrication and machining work on the side because he decided he liked us after taking basic CNC router class so he could improve the dollhouses he builds as a hobby. The CEO of UP-CDC came to take a soldering class with his son and got excited about us enough to join our board of directors. Tons of science and technology teachers take classes with us (usually on their own dime and time) to help learn skills to improve the lessons they can teach.Anyway, the vast majority of the equipment we have now was purchased at auctions. You would be amazed at how cheaply you can get some big toys if you know how to deal with riggers, heavy haulers, forklifts, have the 3-phase power to run them, and have the know-how to fix them. |
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