mill in littleton question

[greencobra]

there was talk a while ago, maybe a long while ago, of someone having a machine shop in the mill and it could be rented hourly. or someone was thinking of doing this at one time. so, is there? did it ever happen? @one-eyed Jack , am i dreaming this up? you have any idea of what i'm talking about? remember guys, i'm old and have earned the right to incoherently utter aloud, or in this case post publicly, my rambling thoughts and misunderstandings.

 

[AJK129]

I thought that was an idea someone had, not an actual thing. But I'd be happy to be wrong

 

[Spanz]

in lowell there is a Maker space that has a machine shop for use by members. Looks like a reasonable membership fee.

Metal Shop

The metal shop at Lowell makes is a general fab shop not limited to only metal, includes fields such as machining, welding, and general metal fab. The shop is looking to expand into forging, black …

lowellmakes.com

 

[Mesatchornug]

in lowell there is a Maker space that has a machine shop for use by members. Looks like a reasonable membership fee.

Metal Shop

The metal shop at Lowell makes is a general fab shop not limited to only metal, includes fields such as machining, welding, and general metal fab. The shop is looking to expand into forging, black …

lowellmakes.com

And the machine shop is run by @warwickben (last I knew)

 

[Spanz]

And the machine shop is run by @warwickben (last I knew)

it IS a small world.
I was just outside of there. a bunch of the artists that have shops there had a big art flea market in the parking lot. it was fun.

and god, i needed to go DO SOMETHING outdoors.

 

[wilson911]

Gonna need an extra server if we just gonna post threads about possible ideas we may or may not have had before. This would be a prolific and esoteric list.

 

[10mmdave]

Dream killer

Gonna need an extra server if we just gonna post threads about possible ideas we may or may not have had before. This would be a prolific and esoteric list.

Still a fun guy I see

 

[wilson911]

Dream killer

Still a fun guy I see

Still not a reading comprehension guy I see.

 

[Mesatchornug]

it IS a small world.
I was just outside of there. a bunch of the artists that have shops there had a big art flea market in the parking lot. it was fun.

and god, i needed to go DO SOMETHING outdoors.

Yeah, I still haven't been up. I helped offload our second surface grinder from Artisan's to him a few years ago. With our impending move, many of the long time members are up at Lowell now.

Did you find anything good at the market?

 

[one-eyed Jack]

there was talk a while ago, maybe a long while ago, of someone having a machine shop in the mill and it could be rented hourly. or someone was thinking of doing this at one time. so, is there? did it ever happen? @one-eyed Jack , am i dreaming this up? you have any idea of what i'm talking about? remember guys, i'm old and have earned the right to incoherently utter aloud, or in this case post publicly, my rambling thoughts and misunderstandings.

I know nothing about this. Not a good idea anyway as we are too far away from the nearest emergency room. Jack.

 

[Drix]

I know nothing about this. Not a good idea anyway as we are too far away from the nearest emergency room. Jack.

"You lookin for the NES Lower shop? Down that hallway, take a left, left, right, go up the stairs, left, right straight to the end of the hall, up the stairs, right... You know what? Just follow the blood."

 

[Nick Leduc]

in lowell there is a Maker space that has a machine shop for use by members. Looks like a reasonable membership fee.

Metal Shop

The metal shop at Lowell makes is a general fab shop not limited to only metal, includes fields such as machining, welding, and general metal fab. The shop is looking to expand into forging, black …

lowellmakes.com

There is one in Worcester as well.
Worcshop

 

[Spanz]

Yeah, I still haven't been up. I helped offload our second surface grinder from Artisan's to him a few years ago. With our impending move, many of the long time members are up at Lowell now.

Did you find anything good at the market?

mostly my wife did, she bought a glass ball/wire necklace, and a fancy scarf. i just bought some knick nacks

 

[Tommy Gun]

I posted the question a while back but got no replies.
I had a Bridgeport and do have a 3D Mini-mill and engraver.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

I posted the question a while back but got no replies.
I had a Bridgeport and do have a 3D Mini-mill and engraver.

How about insurance? Jack.

 

[greencobra]

How about insurance? Jack.

isn't it time to feed meghan, jack?

 

[one-eyed Jack]

isn't it time to feed meghan, jack?

Hey. In an industrial/commercial rental building if anyone is hurt or if anything gets broken and the tenant does not have insurance, the building owner is the one that gets sued. Jack.

 

[Asaltweapon]

in lowell there is a Maker space that has a machine shop for use by members. Looks like a reasonable membership fee.

Metal Shop

The metal shop at Lowell makes is a general fab shop not limited to only metal, includes fields such as machining, welding, and general metal fab. The shop is looking to expand into forging, black …

lowellmakes.com

That's the same area as the Artists Studio is it not? I have some wood carvings from within that building and a friend lives there with his own studio. Tons of cool artists in there.

 

[Spanz]

That's the same area as the Artists Studio is it not? I have some wood carvings from within that building and a friend lives there with his own studio. Tons of cool artists in there.

yes.

the deal is....artists have been absolutely screwed by this coronavirus. they sell their wares by going to weekend craft bazaars and other in-person shows. So when ALL of those show got cancelled last spring, they basically could not sell anything. Some sold nothing for the christmas season--usually their biggest season.

some transitioned to etsy or other online sales, but they have to pay a commission to those places, AND it is really hard to get seen.

So basically, many artists became homeless overnight. Despite Boston supposedly being a "center for the arts", there is pretty much no support for individual artists. the museums could not give a shit about local artists, they only want to display famous artists.

So a place like this Lowell maker space, where there are very affordable studios....and an established way to sell their art (thru shows and open studio weekends) is really great for them. What is even better are the artists lofts where there is living space coupled with their studios, so they are not homeless, or on the verge of being homeless any more.

i do not know who set up that lowell studio, but i bet it was some rich person who wanted to support the arts.

if it were in Boston or Cambridge, that same sort of old mill building would have been turned into condos and sold to rich people long ago.

 

[greencobra]

Hey. In an industrial/commercial rental building if anyone is hurt or if anything gets broken and the tenant does not have insurance, the building owner is the one that gets sued. Jack.

I did not know that

 

[moojpg2]

Hey. In an industrial/commercial rental building if anyone is hurt or if anything gets broken and the tenant does not have insurance, the building owner is the one that gets sued. Jack.

this 100%, and injuries on lathe's and mills are often degloving injuries which are gruesome and can be life changing.

 

[Asaltweapon]

yes.

the deal is....artists have been absolutely screwed by this coronavirus. they sell their wares by going to weekend craft bazaars and other in-person shows. So when ALL of those show got cancelled last spring, they basically could not sell anything. Some sold nothing for the christmas season--usually their biggest season.

some transitioned to etsy or other online sales, but they have to pay a commission to those places, AND it is really hard to get seen.

So basically, many artists became homeless overnight. Despite Boston supposedly being a "center for the arts", there is pretty much no support for individual artists. the museums could not give a shit about local artists, they only want to display famous artists.

So a place like this Lowell maker space, where there are very affordable studios....and an established way to sell their art (thru shows and open studio weekends) is really great for them. What is even better are the artists lofts where there is living space coupled with their studios, so they are not homeless, or on the verge of being homeless any more.

i do not know who set up that lowell studio, but i bet it was some rich person who wanted to support the arts.

if it were in Boston or Cambridge, that same sort of old mill building would have been turned into condos and sold to rich people long ago.

It's a very cool place. We love going there with a safety blanket (because Lowell) but its a great place for these people to interact with other like minded people AKA artists who can be different in their own right. Not a bad thing.
There's a ton of talent in there.

 

[Mesatchornug]

yes.

the deal is....artists have been absolutely screwed by this coronavirus. they sell their wares by going to weekend craft bazaars and other in-person shows. So when ALL of those show got cancelled last spring, they basically could not sell anything. Some sold nothing for the christmas season--usually their biggest season.

some transitioned to etsy or other online sales, but they have to pay a commission to those places, AND it is really hard to get seen.

So basically, many artists became homeless overnight. Despite Boston supposedly being a "center for the arts", there is pretty much no support for individual artists. the museums could not give a shit about local artists, they only want to display famous artists.

So a place like this Lowell maker space, where there are very affordable studios....and an established way to sell their art (thru shows and open studio weekends) is really great for them. What is even better are the artists lofts where there is living space coupled with their studios, so they are not homeless, or on the verge of being homeless any more.

i do not know who set up that lowell studio, but i bet it was some rich person who wanted to support the arts.

if it were in Boston or Cambridge, that same sort of old mill building would have been turned into condos and sold to rich people long ago.

IIRC they came about the same way as most of the makerspaces around here - organically. There was a critical mass of folks with gear and interest who went in on an otherwise unused space. They formed a 501(c)3 and have done well at finding sponsors who like supporting the arts. I believe they also had a move recently, though I've been fuzzier on that part of their story, but that comes with growth and success.

Fortunately, Lowell is still relatively depressed, so you don't yet have every building in the city turning into condos...yet. This also means that creatives can more easily afford to live up there than e.g. Camberville. You're completely right that these spaces are drying up in Boston and the surrounds; which is why Artisan's Asylum is moving into its fourth location, a site owned by the Big, Red H, in Brighton.

On top of that, my (second/third-hand) understanding is that Lowell has been kicking a bit of effort into their arts scene with events like The Kinetic Sculpture Race, that helps attract interest.

I'm going to have to take a ride up soon.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

I have a nice 1400sf space available at the Mill now if someone wants to rent it and fill it with artists and make a profit. PM me. Jack.

 

[warwickben]

i still run the metal shop at lowell makes.
dealing with some family medical stuff why ive been away on nes