Do Shops Rent Out Time?

[Jamie Baalmann]

I recently moved to Orlando and all my tools are in storage...In Wichita... I would like to get some material jointed ripped and planed so I can work on some projects curious if you've heard of shops doing this or is it to much of a liability?:confused:

[Josiah Bartlett]

You might try a want ad on Craigslist, maybe you can find a friendly woodworker who will let you use some shop time.

[JayStPeter]

Check the local woodcraft (if there is one). Also ask at various lumber suppliers and such. Here in the DC area, some of the WCs and a lumber dealer have shops that rent time.

[Alex Shanku]

Perhaps, but I have never met any shop owner willing to trust someone to use his tools.

[Mike Spanbauer]

Correct Alex. But, I will provide these things as a service as long as the person requesting it is reasonable (schedule wise generally).

For a reasonable wear and tear fee, locals can use the 20" planer with Byrd head, 8" PM jointer, 16" resaw bandsaw, or 24" drum sander. I do the work, otherwise, my insurance wouldn't cover it. Helps to offset some of the tools, and many who don't have access to large tools find the service very useful.

Of course, this won't help in Jamie's case as he's on the opposite coast from me.

michael

[Ryan Hovis]

If there is any doubt, buying stuff from the shop usually helps break the ice. There is a great small sawmill/shop here in western PA that makes hardwood moldings, I bought a bunch of molding there and now they don't mind running a piece through a machine for me, usually free of charge. Usually it's just one board through their 24" CNC-controlled planer. I found out they have a 36" wide belt sander and 20" bandsaw, told them I'd be there every day :)

The liability variable seems to be whether or not you run the piece through the machine yourself. Go in looking for a piece of lumber, say hey while we're at it could you run this through your machine? Earlier this week I picked up a 4/4 10" x 7' oak board and had two small pieces of maple resawn and belt sanded for $20. I would not use the shop as a replacement for not having my own basic machines, rather a place that has machines that are impractical for a hobbyist to own.

[Peter Quinn]

The millwork shop I worked for would do anything you needed at standard shop rates. Lots of local craftsmen came in occasionally with pieces too big for home shop machines. I'm in CT but guessing there are shops in FLA doing the same. Under no circumstance were non employees allowed to use the machines. Not even maybe...not even guys we knew well, not even former employees!

My local woodcraft rents shop time for students in their classes and I think to the public in general. If we were closer you could use mine!

[Vince Shriver]

I recently moved to Orlando and all my tools are in storage...In Wichita... I would like to get some material jointed ripped and planed so I can work on some projects curious if you've heard of shops doing this or is it to much of a liability?:confused:

I have taken projects to cabinets shops for milling of one sort or another. However, I don't see any upside for any shop to let you do the work yourself; liability being only one issue. As stated, shop rates apply usually - sometimes high, sometimes low; ask first.

Another thought: check into your local high school, jr. college, and/or trade school to see if they might have adult classes. Those school shops are usually very well facilitated, and you generally work on your own projects. Plus the instructors will normally leave you to your own devices, once they see you know what you're doing and they don't have to worry about you leaving class with a bloody stump.

[Ed Jolin]

I'll second the jr. college idea from Vince. Stop in during a night class and ask the instructor what their policy is. If they won't let you do it for liablity reasons since you're not enrolled, see if they'll give you a good student interested in a short job. Asking how you can contribute to their wood/tool fund would also help; around here, anyway, the programs are underfunded and can always use contributions.

[Joe Chritz]

There was a shop in the next town over that rented shop time to work. Not sure if it took off or not but it was available for a while.

The overall most popular thing is to do the work for a time rate. A millwork/lumber supplier a few miles from me sells time by the minute. Now that I have a drum sander I don't use him anymore but I had rented time on the wide belt before.

His widebelt, straightline rip saw and gigantic jointer are popular tools to do work for other people on.

Joe

[J.R. Rutter]

Schedule permitting, I charge my shop rate of $65/hr to do prep work for other people. We run everything ourselves, though. Last week, the contractor and friend who built my house brought in 50-60 glued up raised panel assemblies to run through the sander. He was thrilled to pay less than $3 per piece to have them done. If someone just wants a freebee other than a simple single rip cut, then they don't understand business, and get shown the door...

[Jerome Hanby]

You might check out local woodworking or wood turning clubs. The web page for the Birmingham Turners club mentioned something about their "community" and what tools were available there...

[Jamie Baalmann]

Thx everyone for advice.... I am going to try the local Woodcraft first. There is a woodworking club there. I will try to make some friends/connections the second Thursday of every month and go from there. ;)