Retiring and losing my shop

[Ron Citerone]

I am retiring after 35 years of Middle School Tech ED/Industrial Arts teaching. I will therefore lose access to my shop. I have a lot of portable power tools, but no real shop at home other than my garage which is packed to the gills. I was wondering if anybody ever made an arrangement with another serious woodworker who allowed buy in to their shop. This could mean a monthly payment toward electric etc. Also it could mean finding someone with space, but not the cash to buy some machinery which I could help with.

To my knowledge there are no woodworking clubs here. There is a woodworking school that offers open shop time in Philadelphia that has 3 month membership plans that I could get into during the winter months. Spring/Summer/Fall I could probably find enough other stuff to keep me busy working on my house and cottage etc.

Not looking for a specific place right now............more kind of looking for some discussion about arrangements others in a similar situation may have made.

Thanks, Ron

[Malcolm McLeod]

Look into local 'maker-space' clubs or coops. They could offer you the space you need, and perhaps a membership discount for making some of your tools or expertise available for use by other members...?

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I open my doors to a fellow member here when he had to move and had no place for a shop. All his tools ended up in storage minus a nice PM mortiser which ended up in my shop along with an array of chisels.

We keep in touch every now and than and when he needed shop time, he would ask to come by on a weekend I'm free.

I don't charge him for using my shop because I value the friendship we developed more than any amount of money can be offered. He also shared a great deal of knowledge with me in regards to woodworking. If anything, I should be paying him for the lessons.

[Peter Gavin]

It would be very helpful if we knew your location.

Peter

[Jay Runde]

I would assume he is in or near Philadelphia by reading his post.

[Von Bickley]

Different strokes for different folks...... I can't see that working for me, but I have heard that there are some coop's that work well for woodworkers.

Hope you can find something that will work for you.....

[Eric Rimel]

My very first shop was a shared space. I went and looked at a bulletin board at a large hardwood supplier that catered to custom furniture makers and saw several ads for shop space. I called them all, but really clicked with one guy with a small moderately equipped space. We were shop mates for years until I moved out of state. We pooled equipment and also worked for each other when the need arose.

Prior to that I rented space when a shop owner went on vacation for several weeks at a time. I also managed to bump my way into a Co-Op space that was amazing, but they didn't have anymore bench space. I just rented time on their equipment and worked out of my small basement. I also took classes at a local arts college to gain access to equipment and some amazing teachers.

The Makerspace surge is certainly something to look into. I visit one on occasion for events but am not a member. With your years of Tech. Ed. teaching you might be a shoe in for teaching classes/seminars or just being there a certain number of hours a week to help people in exchange for membership.

[Don Jarvie]

This maybe a good time to clean out the garage and set something up.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Congrats on retiring BEFORE the shop was sold out from under you.

[Jim Becker]

The shop space at Philadelphia Furniture Workshop is outstanding and you will not meet nicer folks than Alan and Mario.

Of course, Don Jarvie has an excellent suggestion, too.

One of the biggest issue with "sharing" a shop with another individual comes down to liability, so that may be difficult to obtain if you don't already have an established, strong friendship or at least one going in that direction.

[Martin Wasner]

Here in Minnesota, I see shared spaces on Craigslist frequently. I usually come across the posts when I'm looking for equipment.

[Keith Hankins]

Where exactly are you at? I heard some say near philly, but how close west east etc.? Might help finding something.

[Ron Citerone]

Here in Minnesota, I see shared spaces on Craigslist frequently. I usually come across the posts when I'm looking for equipment.

I looked once on CL but nothing really showed..............will try again. Thanks

[Ron Citerone]

Where exactly are you at? I heard some say near philly, but how close west east etc.? Might help finding something.

Deaware County.........near the airport. Looking for ideas on how others may have pursued their search more than an exact situation as I have lots to do until late fall. Thanks a lot

[Rick Alexander]

A little extreme I know but move to Greenville SC. Lots less snow - great place to live - cheap housing - and probably one of the finest woodworking guilds in the country with an AMAZING club shop that cost like $160 / year to use. I live in Atlanta and we have a great club here but no shop. We've visited the Greenville shop a couple of times as a club outing and man - AMAZING shop. Good luck on your search - I really hope you find a good situation
n.

http://www.greenvillewoodworkers.com/

Congrats on the retirement as well.