4 ms·

I was in Sacramento over the past year and a half and heavily considered Hacker Lab. I actually toured it, and almost got a membership. The reasons I didn't we

I was in Sacramento over the past year and a half and heavily considered Hacker Lab. I actually toured it, and almost got a membership. The reasons I didn't were mostly financial + time investment. Membership fee was decent ($99 month iirc) though not extreme. On top of that though, most of the equipment required an additional course just to use specific equipment. Those courses were $300, and would take a few hours, just to use equipment that I already know how to use. For me, with my limited time, it was tough to validate ~$2000 for the first year membership + classes, vs spending that money on my own equipment and space. If I have to pay $600 to use a CNC machine and then a laser cutter, I'd rather purchase a 3 in 1 hobbyist tool. There are a bunch of clever solutions to keep going, but it doesn't seem to me that the people running it tested different options. A cheaper membership for infrequent use could have been good, as well as a way to opt out of classes and just "use the equipment" with a test or something.

YeBanKo 4y ago
$300 is a lot for basic classes to get started. Are we talking about Ultimaker 3d printer level of equipment or a CNC machine for tens of thousands?
- BrianHenryIE 4y ago
  Sounds like there must be a few classes required, probably three. Before Covid there were group classes, so there'd be four people paying $25 each, learning together. Then as restrictions eased they started only one-on-one classes, at the relatively higher prices.
- thejarren 4y ago
  The $5K+ CNC. Good equipment for sure. But they even had lathe courses with $100-$200 classes to get started, tacked onto the regular membership, and you'd have to show for the scheduled class times (that only happened every 1-2 weeks). Onboarding new people seems like it needs the most attention imo.
boneitis 4y ago
I suspect something was miscommunicated to you somewhere, and, as a to-be-former community resident, I would like to apologize for that. I'm not what one'd describe as holding my breath over what's happening, but I'd like to do what I can to prevent this from unduly disrupting my anonymous-to-me companion's campaign. While the monthly membership fee is actually a little higher than you remember, all the classes I've taken were either $20 or $40, and probably $60 today; I just haven't taken any recently. I just asked the front desk. Our priciest equipment class is/was [e: less than half the aforementioned figure] for a two-hour session for members.
- YeBanKo 4y ago
  Ok, [e: less than half the aforementioned figure] is <$150, then maybe that specific machine required multiple classes?
  - boneitis 4y ago
    Maybe. Hell, maybe 300 was the non-member rate, and maybe there was a misunderstanding somewhere. Anyway, as far as the campaign (that I'm otherwise not involved in) for something dearest to me goes, I mainly took issue with the misleading implication of the these statements placed together (and thank you for asking for clarification in a sibling post): > [M]ost of the equipment required an additional course just to use specific equipment. Those courses were $300[.]
stjohnswarts 4y ago
Where do you get a laser cutter and CNC machine on par with what a makerspace has for $600? Those classes are pretty expensive though I'll give you that.
- thejarren 4y ago
  Definitely not on-par with the makerspace equipment quality, it'd be hobbyist equipment at that point, which would likely suit my needs just fine for a few years.

YeBanKo 4y ago

$300 is a lot for basic classes to get started. Are we talking about Ultimaker 3d printer level of equipment or a CNC machine for tens of thousands?

BrianHenryIE 4y ago
Sounds like there must be a few classes required, probably three. Before Covid there were group classes, so there'd be four people paying $25 each, learning together. Then as restrictions eased they started only one-on-one classes, at the relatively higher prices.
thejarren 4y ago
The $5K+ CNC. Good equipment for sure. But they even had lathe courses with $100-$200 classes to get started, tacked onto the regular membership, and you'd have to show for the scheduled class times (that only happened every 1-2 weeks). Onboarding new people seems like it needs the most attention imo.

boneitis 4y ago

I suspect something was miscommunicated to you somewhere, and, as a to-be-former community resident, I would like to apologize for that. I'm not what one'd describe as holding my breath over what's happening, but I'd like to do what I can to prevent this from unduly disrupting my anonymous-to-me companion's campaign. While the monthly membership fee is actually a little higher than you remember, all the classes I've taken were either $20 or $40, and probably $60 today; I just haven't taken any recently. I just asked the front desk. Our priciest equipment class is/was [e: less than half the aforementioned figure] for a two-hour session for members.

YeBanKo 4y ago
Ok, [e: less than half the aforementioned figure] is <$150, then maybe that specific machine required multiple classes?
- boneitis 4y ago
  Maybe. Hell, maybe 300 was the non-member rate, and maybe there was a misunderstanding somewhere. Anyway, as far as the campaign (that I'm otherwise not involved in) for something dearest to me goes, I mainly took issue with the misleading implication of the these statements placed together (and thank you for asking for clarification in a sibling post): > [M]ost of the equipment required an additional course just to use specific equipment. Those courses were $300[.]

stjohnswarts 4y ago

Where do you get a laser cutter and CNC machine on par with what a makerspace has for $600? Those classes are pretty expensive though I'll give you that.

thejarren 4y ago
Definitely not on-par with the makerspace equipment quality, it'd be hobbyist equipment at that point, which would likely suit my needs just fine for a few years.