Kzoo Makers:About

Location

1102 E Michigan Ave,
Kalamazoo, MI
49048'

(Google Map Location)

What is KzooMakers?

KzooMakers is a Makerspace, also referred to as a Hackerspace, which is a workshop / laboratory and community of people who are interested in designing things, learning new stuff, and generally being creative! Makerspaces like ours have a set of community-owned tools to share involving elements of a machine shop, woodworking tools, lasercutting, 3d printing, electronics bench equipment, and other fabrication devices. We host classes and events to help encourage people to enjoy learning and creating. Many members typically join to work on individual projects while being able to ask others about their insight on a subject and use tools that otherwise would be out of reach to a typical hobbyist. It’s a great chance to meet other people who share these interests, and expand your own skills.

What Kzoomakers is

• A place for people to work on projects they're interested in - We provide a space for members to work on almost any project that interests them and provide the tools to help them do so.
• A place to socialize with like-minded people - We have open evenings which also provide a social venue for members to meet up and discuss what they're working on.
• A place to repair, improve or re-purpose things - We keep an extensive collection of tools that can be used to repair and hack equipment to make it last longer or be more useful and our members often help each other with repairs.
• A group to share knowledge and experience - We can find an expert on almost anything technical (and a lot of other things) within our membership, and most of them are very willing to share and teach
• A way to learn and teach new skills - Our members provide inductions and other training on most of our equipment, as well as workshops to demonstrate and teach new skills we don't have technicians etc
• A place to work collaboratively on projects with friends - We provide a venue for groups of members to meet up and work on projects that would otherwise be hard to arrange.
• You need to be a current paid up member to use makerspace resources this includes tools, internet and materials.

Kzoomakers is not

• A pay-as-you-go workshop - Although we're very flexible on membership contributions and require no long-term commitments, we do expect that being a Kzoomakers member is an ongoing process of contributing to the makerspace. Contributing only when you want to make use of the makerspace facilities is discouraged.
• A co-working space – whilst you may be able to sit down and do some work on a small scale you will very quickly find it is not suited to having meetings, conference calls etc the network may drop out, there will be noise and interruptions
• A laser cutting/CNC machining/etc service - We do not provide commercial services to the public, and we have a shared machine that many members will want to use
• A charity - We very much welcome donations and assistance; we are a registered public charity.
• A storage area - We have a small amount of space to store ongoing member projects and we're happy to have tools that are being regularly used, however we are very space limited and do not provide long-term storage.
• A business incubator - We're happy to support local businesses where we can
• A tool hire centre - Our tools are kept at the makerspace and are not loaned out to members.
• The Repair Shop wanting to repair stuff are very welcome to become members and get full access to our facilities. If you join up, we may help you fix it, if someone is around and they have time but we won't fix it for you.
• A source of free materials – You should bring your own materials if people have useable materials left over they can leave them for other member and other members should make a donation to the space to the value of the materials – it is one of the ways we support our selves
• A waste disposal service – Because it does not fit in your bin at home does not mean the space will find it valuable or useful

Other things

Guides and Rules

• General_Rules - Know the rules!
• Handbook - Makerspace Operating Membership Agreement Handbook
• Guides - Find out how things work and how to safely get involved.
• Faceplant - Common mistakes. Don't inadvertently destroy our equipment!

Core Material

• Library - Useful reading material. Update this when you borrow, return or contribute books.
• Maintenance - The space doesn't improve itself. Know how you should be helping.
• Suppliers - In the local area and online
• Inventory - Incomplete list of the stuff we have and its status.
• Pledges - Does the space lack something you want to use? See if others will combine efforts to get it.
• Consumables, Wishlist - We try stock cheap little things for convenience. Donate or restock to help maintain.