You asked, we answered. Again. And again. So we put it up here, and pointed silently at this page…
“To Bodge” is a British term, meaning “To make or repair hastily; to MacGyver; to hack together; to jury rig”. Bodgery members are “Bodgers”.
A makerspace, aka hackerspace, is a shared community workshop, where members and guests can use amazing tools, learn how to build almost anything, and find camaraderie doing so. In our case, we're democratically run, with our membership operating the ship. We are a friendly community of tinkerers, makers, hackers, educators, scientists, artists and crafters, and we welcome anyone who is, aspires to be, or just wants to hang around with folks like us! Bodgery members receive a key fob for 24/7 access.
The Bodgery has no paid staff. It is completely volunteer run by members. Some members help out a lot. Some members help out with little things like emptying the trash. Others are in leadership positions.
Sorry, not unless you are a special group and a volunteer is interested in giving your group a tour. Being run by volunteers means that we don't have paid staff to keep the door open and answer questions, unfortunately.
You can check our Calendar for upcoming events, as some are open to nonmembers. And of course, with a membership you get a keyfob for 24/7 access, so you can use the shop anytime it suits you!
No, but access by nonmembers is limited to various classes/events and as a member's guest. Check our Calendar for scheduled events open to nonmembers.
Unfortunately, we are not set up as a tool loan/rental service, nor do we have a “day pass” to offer. Our goal is to offer a robust and welcoming workshop to our members, and to offer learning experiences to our members and nonmembers.
The expensive, tricky-to-learn “red” tools are for members only, though member's guests may be present. Other tools may be used by trained members or trained guests of members.
Membership can be started and stopped on a monthly basis. While most members sign up long term, some members sign up for a few months of the year or as needed when doing projects.
No. See the answer above (Can I use your … as a guest?) for more details.
That's unlikely. Ask an area's Area Captain before first use of an area to see what's expected. In addition, most of our power tools require you to be checked off by an Area Captain or trainer, and our more complicated machines require training or a class (laser cutters, welders, machining equipment, etc). If your first visit happens to coincide with the Area Captain/Trainer being available, then you may have time to get checked off and use the tool(s) on your first visit. More often, it will take a second visit after scheduling a check-off/training. And for the more complicated machines, it will definitely take more than one visit.
Generally, no. We are not a fabrication company. We offer the tools for people to make things themselves, and the support from the community of makers. Some members do commission work. We can forward requests to see if a member are interested taking on your project.
Well…that probably won't work out. While one of our experienced members can often lend advice on a project, they might be busy helping out elsewhere or working on their own project. If you have a flexible schedule, finding some help usually works out well. But if you're in a hurry, or if the help you need is significant, your best bet is to offer members payment to do it, or else reach out to local businesses in that line of work.
Membership includes the option of having a shelf spot (~2'x2') or a locker. Please reserve a shelf-spot/locker only if you really need one (we will need to re-evaluate the free shelf/locker policy if we run out). There is a small fee to rent additional shelf spots or lockers. Other permanent storage options are wood storage ($10/mo, managed by the woodshop), cart parking spaces (2'x4', $24/mo) and studios (6'x8', $125/mo). Renting of storage space, including studios, is done using the Bodgery membership site. Shelf spots, lockers and cart parking are self-assigned. For shelves/lockers, there are cards and a pen on the end of the first shelf for writing your name and phone number. Here is a link to info on renting studios.
Temporary storage of projects being worked on is also provided at no charge. Items may be left on assembly tables up to 24 hours, in the “project parking” area for up to 2-4 weeks, or in the woodshop temporary parking area for up to a month.
All personal property left at the Bodgery must have contact information attached to it or attached to the storage location for it. Unlabeled property is considered abandoned. There are detailed policies and Standing Rules for Property and Storage.
To reserve time for machines or areas (e.g. laser cutter, welder, woodshop, classroom), there are links to the relevant teamup.com calendars located:
Even if there's no one else using the machine/space, please take a minute to make an entry in the calendar so area captains know how much the machines/spaces are being used.
That's a good question. Sometimes volunteer-run makerspaces are described as a do-ocracy – if you see or think of something that would be good to do and it won't bother anyone, just do it. Or ask others what needs doing. Or we have some specific systems/positions for helping:
Yes! For classes and events where you want to utilize the Bodgery's event calendar, you need to follow the instructions in the Slack #classes channel (also in Classes). For any event using the Bodgery classrooms or flex space, block off the time in the Calendar. When using other shop areas, check with the relevant area captains.
Yes. On the front of the building, key fob access is available through the main entrance (glass doors) at 740 Oscar Ave and through the woodshop door that is south (left) of the main entrance. The glass doors to the right of the main entrance (street number 742) are exit only.
The rear of the building is accessed by vehicle through a gate located north (right) of the Bodgery building. The gate has a keypad on the left side of the gate to unlock it. The 4-digit gate code is available to paid-up members by logging into the membership site. Doors on the rear of the building are, from right-to-left: an overhead garage door, a normal door with key fob access (immediately next to the garage door) and a door with key fob access that goes into the “annex” area (a couple hundred feet away).
Inside the overhead garage door on the right side are push-buttons to operate it. Push the Open button to open it. Push the Stop button while it's opening to partially open the door. Press and Hold the Close button to close it.
Yes. These follow from being excellent to each other.
Yes, but if leaving something in back more then 24 hours, you must get prior Board approval. Be very careful to not get anything on the pavement. If you do, clean it up right away. The landlord is sensitive to how the property looks to other tenants. This is also discussed in Standing Rules - Storage.
There is a high voltage outlet for welders near the left side of the garage door when viewed from inside. There is a regular outlet and extension cord on the right side of the doors wehen viewed from inside.
See also Standing Rules - Guests, Children, Minors
Kids are absolutely welcome at the Bodgery! And minors 16 and older may be independent members.
These age frames should be individually evaluated by their guardian. Unattended children in the shop can be a danger to themselves, the equipment, and possibly a nuisance to other Bodgers. Please take a critical look at your children and their behavior before making the choice to leave them alone in the shop. Your kid's behavior will be considered an extension of your own and is equally subject to the standing rules. Parents will need to fill out the standard waiver for their children that all members and guests fill out.
Children are the sole responsibility of their guardian(s) and other Bodgers are not to be utilized as impromptu babysitters. Bodgers can report disruptive or unsafe children to the guardian or shop leadership. To facilitate this, guardians must utilize a name badge to label your children with their name, your name, your phone number, and the area of the shop you will be working in. Shop members who feel the unattended child is being disruptive can identify who to call in on that child’s behavior. Shop members, please do not abuse this mechanism because you don’t like children. This is to be utilized for disruptive or unsafe behavior only. Disruptive is a very subjective term, please also consider typical child behavior versus obnoxious child behavior (quiet and unseen is not typical behavior).
Children are only allowed to be left unattended in the Clean Room, the Library area, and the Clean Classroom area. If adults are in the Clean Classroom trying to work, children may not be left there unless they can demonstrate the ability to not be disruptive to the adult. We politely ask adults wishing to work (non-maker related activities) that require concentration and quiet to move to the Clean Classroom if children are present in the Cleanroom. Children cannot be left unattended in industrial areas of the shop.
Please note, this policy only addresses leaving children unattended in the shop. This is NOT a policy on allowing children to use tools in the shop. Children using tools must be trained by area captains and under direct supervision of their guardian while using tools. Area captains reserve the right to set age restrictions on tools in their area.
Additionally, this policy provides guidelines for leaving children unattended in the shop. Guardian’s should strongly consider how long they plan to be in the shop with their children unattended. Leaving them in the clean room, even entertained, while you work in the shop all day is not fair to that child. If you plan to be in the shop for an extended period, please consider obtaining childcare.
If using tools, both the non-member child and the parent must be checked off on the tool, and use it together. Red tools are member-only, and require a more lengthy training. These are the more tricky/dangerous tools, and expensive to fix if used incorrectly. To use them, the parent would become a member, and both parent and child would go through the training, and use it together.
Yes, Bodgery equipment, tools and space may be used for both startup and established business purposes. However, the Bodgery does not have business-specific amenities such as meeting rooms and reliable mail/package delivery. Like all members, business users must share the tools and other resources in a cooperative manner.
No, we do not permit tools to leave the property. However, many of your fellow Bodgers have lots of tools and equipment, so you may find someone to borrow from if you post on the Slack #classifieds channel or the appropriate area channel..
The best way for nonmembers to get a quick response is by email: contact@thebodgery.org. Our phone number is 862-BODGE-ME, aka (862) 263-4363, but the response time is slower and more variable.
For questions for a specific area, see email addresses in Leadership.
The best way for members to contact someone is to use an appropriate channel in your Slack account (TheBodgery.Slack.com. )