Lowell Makes

Lowell Makes is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community workshop and education center.  It is a place where people can learn and practice a wide variety of trades and crafts, ranging fromtraditional to cutting-edge.  We are a diverse group with widely-varying backgrounds who are creating a resource for the entire community. With public schools eliminating things like shop classes, and with limited access even in vocational schools, the community need for a place to learn and practice these skills is greater than ever.  Emerging technologies such as 3D printing, easy-to-use microcontrollers, and E-textiles are absent from classrooms. At Lowell Makes we have an active and growing community that enjoy our 3D printing andelectronics areas.  We recently began running workshops open to the public where people can learn things like basic electronic theory, soldering and programming and more. Since we began surveying the community to assess interests and needs, having a wood shopwhere people can do things from basic chopping and ripping, to furniture making, fine work (like ornaments, toys and trinkets) and framing really stood out. Even before we had our grand opening on November 1, 2013, when people heard about us, they began bringing in woodworking machines and tools, and woodworkers have been enjoying use of the space to do work they cannot do in their homes due to noise or space challenges. Today our "wood shop" is a collection of machines out in the open which allows our makers to work with wood, but sawdust and noise are a real problem for both the woodworkers and others in the space working on more delicate projects. It would be hard to overstate the importance of putting up walls around the wood shop to keep from contaminating other shop areas and the private work areas for members.  A walled-in wood shop would also keep those not trained in the use of such equipment away from potential hazards. Our campaign to raise $15,000 will allow us to build an actual wood shop, which will greatly improve usability, safety, comfort and allow us to comply with practices required by our insurance company for isolating dangerous equipment if minors are present. The community has donated or provided on long-term loan many machines for the wood shop.  Your support will allow us to make the actual shop and fit out the rest.