TechShop

A+++ would woodshop again!
I only wish I could afford a subscription/membership…since they are opening one up in STL.
I recently bought an older radial arm saw, so I took their Woodshop 101 SBU (Safety and Basic Use) class so I could learn how to safely use my saw at home in St. Louis… I was visiting my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to see family for Thanksgiving last year, and that is when my boyfriend and I decided to take this class.
We built two small wooden shelves (one per each of us) and got to learn how to use the table saw, miter saw, band saw, belt sander, and drill press. We also used some hand held tools. Instructor was knowledgeable and funny. Not a bad deal for the length, I think it was like 2 hr class for $ 120…(per person.) don’t quote me on that though, I have shit memory! Thereabouts tho, but you can find the pricing on their site. I was just glad they had a class during the holiday week, would have been hard to squeeze in otherwise!
This place is epic cool, and I wish I could come here all the time and use their awesome tools and machinery! I will probably go to the one in STL (opening ~summer 2016) to try out a laser cutter to help me decide if I wanna buy one for home use or not.
Also their fantastic woodshop tools have spoiled me! That miter saw! UNNFFFFF!!!
BTW the SBU classes are the ones you must take and pass successfully before they will allow you to use the tools if you are a member.
Wear clothing that is not loose-​fitting, tie up any long hair, use earplugs/​muffs/​hearing protection, safety glasses, and dust mask/​respirator when working with woodshop tools. Safety is priority!!! And clean up after yourself when finished. ;-D

I am a fan of arts and crafts time. The TechShop is the grown up version of arts & crafts, only better. From blacksmithing to laser etched glass, the TechShop caters to all.
I am not a member… yet… but I can attend the events like 21+ Night or specific beginner training classes. On this past 21+ Night, I made a stitched felt coin purse (shaped like a pig), indulged in some delicious dishes from around the area, and fired some marshmallows from a TechShop made air gun. How cool is that!?!
I cannot speak on memeber benefits, but I can tell you I hope to soon find out.
When you’re looking to get crafty, check out the TechShop and make something truly unique.

How do you explain this place to an ordinary person on the street? Simple, it’s geeky. In a good way.
Imagine those days where you were forced to take shop class in school. Now amplify them by about 100%. It’s more like wood shop, metal shop and art class all rolled into one. You get to be as creative as you want here. I know what you are thinking, but don’t worry about the fact that you may not know how to use a piece of equipment in here. It a learn as you go experience in here. The teachers they have are more than happy to show you how to do something.
Monthly fees apply, or you could just choose to attend a specific class for a fee. From glass etching to silk screening, this place will tickle your geek bone inside.
*Added bonus here if you are a Veteran, no charge to you to join.

This place is super cool in a geeky way. There is a ton of equipment that you can use if you join for a monthly fee. I went to an open house type of event and was really impressed by the different types of machinery they had. The 3D printers are neat and they have screen printing. They also have a ton of other things I wish I knew how to use :(

I was really excited to learn about this place! Went to a Unilocal event here where I discovered it and I got to do a demo making a laser cut flower. I went back for a basic electronics and soldering class and had a lot of fun making an LED Christmas tree and learned how to solder and put electronics together! They have a great setup and all the staff are super nice and friendly. Would like to see a bit more range of classes in some of the areas but definitely some nice offerings in a range of projects.

My experience is that the concept and execution are impressive. It is well lit, clean, and spacious. The location in Bakery Square is perfect. The employees that I have dealt with have been incredibly helpful, polite, and enthusiastic. The experience reminds me of an uncrowded Apple store in a super clean industrial setting with a serious «Wow!» factor. Before I finished the tour, I was already thinking of a bunch of projects to do.
In order to use the machines you have to take a class to learn proper use and safety issues. The classes are not cheap but are entirely in line with the understanding that you are getting highly personalized training to use expensive machines that require maintenance. I learned to use computer driven laser etching/​cutting equipment to create incredible etched bottle labels and mugs. Buying the equipment to do this including laser, computer, exhaust system, and accessories would be around $ 40k, not to mention the hours setting up, teaching myself, troubleshooting software, and figuring out how to maintain the system. Without TechShop, there is no way I would be doing this.
If you have any interest at all in learning to to use some amazing equipment, or are looking for an incredible gift for somebody, do yourself a favor and stop by. Tours are being conducted constantly and are really interesting.

this place is so cool! I have a very cool dad and really sweet nephew and both of them are going to be getting classes here for Christmas.

Having not yet signed up, I’m still going to say that this place is a kid-​at-​hearts dreamland. Want to turn raw materials into something awesome? Prototype anything? TechShop has it all.

Thee most exciting thing happening in Pittsburgh right now is the Techshop! Mark my words kids, this is next level shiz!
What is the TechShop you say? Well, I had no clue! But when I took a tour of the place I could hardly even listen because I was so excited about it. You can come here and make things! And you don’t even need to know how to make things, you can learn!
From sewing to glass etching, printing to woodworking and way beyond, you can make! So if you’re someone who already knows how to make these things, you can purchase a membership and stop in to make your project.
Don’t know how to make a metal flower? Me either! But I will once I take their class on how to make one! All classes range in price, but if you get on their mailing list, they seem to send out discounts frequently.
If the space wasn’t cool enough, you can also use this as a work space if you’re remote! They have a café with free popcorn, I mean, what more could you need in your workday!

Why has no one reviewed this yet?! I counted down for months waiting for this place to open and it’s everything I hoped and dreamed. Access to all the power tools I never thought I’d get to play with 9am to midnight 7 days a week. What’s more, the people who run it care about what their members think, are constantly working to try new things, create new classes, and get new stuff that makes the place cooler every day.
On talking to some people who have thought about joining, the barrier seems to be price. Especially since you have to pay to learn to use all the machines. But honestly, for the up front investment, you get access to expensive power tools that you don’t have to pay utilities or maintenance for, let alone the rent for a space big enough to put something like a CNC router in the middle of Pittsburgh. And on top of that, you get to be part of a community of people who like to make stuff. I’m so glad they did this right :-)