I felt the same way when I toured the Austin Techshop. They touted some hugely expensive machine and I was thinking 'How many people need to cut an 8 inch bloc

I felt the same way when I toured the Austin Techshop. They touted some hugely expensive machine and I was thinking 'How many people need to cut an 8 inch block of marble with precision?' Honestly, I think a similar concept would work with much more basic equipment. The various Hackerspaces seem like a good bet.