Mueller Idea HIJACK... CO-OP Metal Shop, Mike planted the seed, I'm adding water. Options

[Brian Mifsud]

Mueller mentioned the idea of a Co-op for pro-level tools not needed often enough to justify buying them yourself. Here's an example of a Woodshop "Co-op"... maybe this would work as a model for regional

914club Metal shops??

We ALL need the resources.. what about it??


"SawDust Shop"

[lotus_65]

moose408, congratulations on your dream becoming reality. co-ops are great and should be more common in my opinion. here's my problem with trying to apply it to car repairs, or restoration:

unlike a woodworking shop, a car is transitional, that is to say that unless you want to pay a bay fee for storing your repair or restoration there on site, you have to move it off the site regularly. i don't know how the work flows through the sawdust shop, but i'm sure there is a locker area for projects and personal items that are in the works.

i only have 1 recreational car to work on, and only a few hours a week to accomplish it, and really only a limited number of things i would do to it. so unless i bought, fixed, then sold, repeat. i can't imagine this maintaining a strong a membership base because if someone wanted to do that kind of repeat work, they'd have a day job at a collision company.

a wood shop, however, one could have endless projects for the home, cabin, garage, neighbor, etc. i would also imagine that some of the sawdust shops clients are artisans choosing that environment to produce their products as opposed to investing in their own shop, which makes all kinds of sense to me! having tools and consumables like a small lumber yard on site could literally make the difference for someone with more talent than cash.

an auto shop that offers long-term project space risks becoming among other things, a warehouse for people's projects that they have lost interest in. then the process of clearing the inventory becomes a colossal headache.

oops, that is too good of an idea to have it stolen, sorry.

if there was a place that you could go to, and (for example) have an expert add custom flares to your teener while saving 20-30% by adding your labor, would you do it?

pm me if you want to know more.

This post has been edited by lotus_65: Mar 16 2006, 08:42 AM