Fab Lab of the Week: MidSouth Makers Opens 3D Printing Workshop

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This week’s featured Fab Lab is MidSouth Makers in Memphis, Tennessee.

Here is the mission of MidSouth Makers from their website:

Midsouth Makers aims to sustain the first ever hackerspace within the greater Memphis area.  The goal of this hackerspace is bring in builders, tinkers, artists, makers, and doers together under one roof to form a makerspace.  By bringing together these people a common place can be established to meet and discuss ideas, explore various technical endeavors, and communicate these thoughts with individuals from various backgrounds.  Ultimately we seek to further our knowledge as individuals and as a group by learning what we can from each other.

MidSouth Makers was written up in local publication The Commercial Appeal:

Several members of MidSouth Makers have been building their own 3D printers in the last year. Typically, 3D printing technology, which has been around about 10 years, has been the toy of large-scale manufacturers, whose equipment costs in the tens of thousands. MidSouth Makers’ President Daniel Hess said there’s really no reason the little guy can’t get in on the action.

Hess spent about $800 on parts for his printer and bought $100 worth of plastic. However, the printer may use as little as 50 cents’ worth of plastic on each project.

Most of the printers in MidSouth Makers like it because it’s fun and they can raise some funds for their group by doing 3D Printing Build-Off events in other cities.

The group of 33 members was founded in January 2010. Members pay monthly dues to have 24/7 access to a 1,500-square-foot shop, all of the tools inside it, and the know-how of other members.

Many, like Hess, used to get in trouble with their spouses for tearing apart equipment in their living rooms. Some makers have more entrepreneurial hopes.

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