Makerspace FAQ, English

Here are answers to some of the most common questions we get.

Läs denna sida på svenska: Makerspace FAQ.

Contact Stockholm Makerspace

Before contacting us to ask a question, we would like you to look in the FAQ below, where we have listed the most frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers.

Questions to the board

Stockholm Makerspace operates on a volunteer basis, meaning that the association has no employees and we do everything in our spare time. Therefore, it may sometimes take some time for us to respond to various requests.
This also means that we DO NOT take questions by phone.

You can reach the Board directly via email info@makerspace.se. We prefer email contact because the Board jointly manages our email.

Other questions

If you have questions that are not addressed specifically to the board, but that might just as well be answered by other members, then we recommend that you ask the question in our Slack.

Social media

We are on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter & LinkedIn.

Visit Stockholm Makerspace

I want to see the premises before I become a member

- Can I come and look at the premises and what is there before I become a member?

Are you interested in the machinery and equipment available? Maskiner och inventarier has many machines, equipment and some tools documented. There is no guarantee that a specific machine is in operation or even is at the space anymore. See also Open house.

Open house

- When is the next open house?

We organize a large open house about 2 times a year where we show the premises to the public, otherwise we have no regular open houses.

If you are interested in becoming a member and want to look at the venue, you are welcome to come by on, for example, a work evening or new member introduction ("arbetskväll" or "medlemsintroduktion") (see the calendar), to take a look at the venue and talk to those whoever is there.

When you get here, our entrance is the door on the short side of the building. There's a doorbell with out logo that rings down in our space.

- I want to see if Stockholm Makerspace is a good place to work on my project. When can I come see the rooms?

See the above question about the open house.

Study visits / field trips

- We are a company / organization who would like to visit the Stockholm Makerspace.

A study visit for a group of people includes an introduction of Stockholm Makerspace and the maker movement (around 30-40 minutes), a tour of the space and time for questions, in all about 1.5-2 hours and costs 5,000 SEK. If that sounds interesting to you, please contact the Board at info@makerspace.se. Of course, we can customize the theme of your visit to suit your interests. Stockholm Makerspace has no employees, we run the entire association on a volunteer basis and get many requests. It is therefore not certain that we are able to receive your study visits at the time you wish, but we are happy to discuss your times.

- We want to start a Makerspace in our town. We would like to come by to talk and share our experiences?

As we are a grassroots movement that is run on a voluntary basis, we give priority to support other non-profit initiatives. We know how difficult it is to run a Makerspace from scratch without support and we would therefore like to help others in the same situation.

Initiatives with financial backing who want to learn from us may book study visits as above. This includes municipal and county-funded operations.

Become a member

- How do I get started making stuff at the Stockholm Makerspace?

Does it feel like Stockholm Makerspace is the place you want to create your projects as well as meet other friendly makers? Are you at least 16 years old? In that case, we recommend the following:

• The quick guide:
  1. Buy a "starter pack" which gives you a nice discounted yearly base membership and 2 months of makerspace access.
  2. Install Accessy and register an account if you don't already have one.
  3. Come by the space to get your access at a new member introduction ("medlemsintroduktion", see the calendar) which gives you 24/7 access to the space.
  4. Visit a 'Just Make It' event, attend a workshop, or just come by to get to know other makers and/or to start working on your dream project!
  5. Read through the new member guide to learn about how we operate.
• We also have an active Slack workspace you can participate in. This is usually most up to date with news and events.
• Read the wiki page for Machines and Inventory (Maskiner och inventarier), to see what equipment we have and sometimes even how to use things in the space.

How much does it cost?

Base membership

Everyone pays a base membership fee each year. As a member of the association, you receive email newsletters and have voting rights at annual meetings. You also get the opportunity to participate in the workshops and courses we arrange, as well as the opportunity to purchase makerspace access.

As a member without makerspace access, you have no access to use the venue in except during arranged workshops and courses.

Makerspace access

If you are a member and want access to the venue, you have the opportunity to purchase makerspace access. You can purchase this in 30 day chunks.

With makerspace access, you'll get your own key, the ability to use all machines (that do not require additional courses to use), and you'll be able to store your projects at the Makerspace (note that space is limited, see the "Storage" section below).

Makerspace access

- I'm a new member and paid online, what do I do to get access to the premises?

Take a look at your member page to view the additional steps you need to take to gain access.

The key system in the building uses Accessy which requires that you have a smartphone. For mer details on how Accessy works and which operating systems are supported, take a look at our wiki page on Accessy.

- Can I access the premises if my key is not activated?

If you want to work on your own projects, you'll have to purchase additional makerspace access via your member page. It should activate within seconds.

- I want to get makerspace access. Is there any opportunity to get my key before the next new member introduction ("medlemsintroduktion")?

No, but we try hard to schedule member introductions regularly. Check our calendar for scheduled member introductions.

- If I pay for more makerspace access right now, how long until it is activated?

If you have participated in a member introduction, it should activate within a few seconds.

- When is the next new member introduction ("medlemsintroduktion")?

See the calendar. That is how we communicate all new member introduction ("medlemsintroduktion") dates.

- I don't see any new member introduction ("medlemsintroduktion") on the calendar?

Then there aren't any on the schedule just now, and we won't be able to tell you when the next one is. Check back in a few days, we'll try to get them organized again soon.

- Is there an age restriction to be a member?

You can be a member as soon as you are 16 years old.

- Can I take kids/youth to the Makerspace, do they need their own membership?

Kids and youth under 16 don't need their own membership. They shall always be supervised by a responsible adult when they are at the Makerspace. As the responsible adult, you are responsible for all their actions and for making sure they don't injure themselves, others, or any equipment.

Kids 16 and over should have their own membership to be at the Makerspace and work on their projects.

- As a member, can I bring a friend to the space?

You can bring a friend as a guest a few times to show them the venue, but if your friend is there with you to work on a project then they will also need to have makerspace access. You are 100% responsible for the guests you bring in to the space.

- Is there room for more members? Is there a waiting list for membership?

There is definitely room for more members! We think that too many active members is a luxury issue that should be solved by the association expanding its premises and resources.

On a visit, it may look a bit crowded in the labyrinth of shelves, but there are plans to expand it considerably to bring in hundreds of boxes.

- When does my makerspace access start counting down?

If you are a new member, it starts counting down when you attend the member introduction and get your key activated. If you are already a member, it will activate instantly.

Companies & services

- Can my company / organization become a member and manufacture our prototypes at Stockholm Makerspace?

No, we only accept private individuals as members, and manufacturing for commercial purposes is not allowed at the Stockholm Makerspace. We recommend that you instead make contact with, for example, ToolSpace or Prototal.

- Can my company come to Stockholm Makerspace for inspiration?

See the section on study visits above.

- I have a problem with X, can you fix it / Can I pay someone to do service X / Can you make a prototype for me?

If you want someone else to do something for you, then it's probably not a service that Stockholm Makerspace offers. Our organization is based on becoming a member and doing things for yourself. We do not have any employees and are not here to be paid for any expertise.

The space and its equipment

Open hours

- When is the space open?

For members who have makerspace access the venue is always open. You get your own key and can come and go as you like while you have a makerspace access.

For others, see the Open house section above.

Machines & tools

- Are there staff in place who will teach how to use the machines?

No, Stockholm Maker Space is a non-profit organization with no employees. You are responsible for learning how to use the equipment properly. Our members are mostly very friendly and helpful, so if you are nice, curious and ask, it can usually be resolved. :) You can write a post in our member group, ask others at the Makerspace, or teach yourself using information on this wiki or other places on the internet.

- Can I use all of the machines without any special training?

There are some machines that require you to attend an intro course / workshop to use, for example our laserskärare. If training is required it will say on the machine's wiki page. These courses/workshops are announced on our calendar and in our Facebook group. If you do not see any listings there, there's nothing scheduled in the near future so just wait and see when they're advertised. Please note that these workshops always require that you sign up in advance.

Read more about Workshop and activities in the section below.

- How does the booking of equipment work?

For most machines it's "first come first served" but please share with others in a fair way, there's no form of advance booking.

There are a few exceptions to this, for example the Laserskäraren, which requires that you book time in advance. In such cases, this is stated on the equipment's wiki page.

- How does it work with consumable supplies?

The basic rule is that all consumable supplies are your own responsibility to acquire and bring with you. This applies to everything from wood to cut, to filament to use in 3D printers, to metal to use in the mill.

Then there are some rooms where we have arranged that the organization has purchased materials that are available for sale in the space at cost. This is especially true of materials that are popular to use but difficult to purchase in smaller quantities or as individuals, such as metal for milling / turning, interior-glued plywood for laser cutting, textile transfer paper for printing on clothes, etc. These materials are available in the various rooms and you pay for what you take via our web shop.

- What happens if I break machine X while I'm using it?

Unless it can be seen as a normal wear and tear, you will be responsible for repairs of any damage caused by improper use or negligence. If you notice that a machine is broken write a message on the corresponding rooms Slack channel.

- Do you have machine/tool X?

Take a look at Maskiner och Inventarier, where a large portion of our equipment is documented. If you don't find your answer there, come to the space to see or ask in our Slack.

- Can I borrow tool X?

We do not lend tools, but you can become a member and use the tools here at the space.

Storage

For more information regarding storage at Stockholm Makerspace, see Medlemsförvaring (in swedish).

- How does it work with storage of projects and the like between visits to the space?

All members with an active makerspace access may store a single storage box ("labblåda") on the shelves in the corridor. Use a plastic bin of SmartStore Classic 31 or SmartStore Home 31. You will need to buy it yourself as we don't sell them directly at the space. They are sold at, among other places, Clas Ohlson and Jysk. Please note that you should only use a box of this model. It's much easier to pack efficiently if everyone's boxes are the same size. Mark your box with your name and membership number. You can print labels for your box using Memberbooth.

If you intend to take a break and not have makerspace access for more than a month, you should take your storage box home. If you leave it at the space for more than 45 days after your makerspace access has expired, the box and its contents will become property of the Makerspace.

- My project is much bigger than a storage box, can I keep it at the space anyway?

There is limited storage for larger projects in our storage room. There are a few shelves there which are available for members to use for larger projects for a shorter duration. You should only keep projects there which you actively work on, since they otherwise quickly fill up. If you want to store projects that do not fit in your box, make sure that you;

• Put the items in a bag, tape them together or in some way make sure that there are no loose items.
• Mark the bag/parcel using a label for temporary project storage using Memberbooth.
• Place the project on a shelf marked "Medlemsförvaring" in the storage room.

Exceptions can be made during a shorter period of time (occasional days), providing that the project does not block anyone else's use of the workshops. Please note that the project still needs to be labeled as described above.

• Do not store the project longer than 3 months. But preferably shorter.

Projects that are not labeled properly, block the workshop or left for more than 3 months will be thrown away.

Good and bad example of temporary project storage

Other

- Can I get help with X for my project?

The makerspace has no staff, it's completely member driven. This means that the best way to get help is to just ask other members. If you are unsure about how to use a machine, ask someone at the space if they might be able to show you. You can also ask questions on any topic in our Slack or in our facebook group. More often than not, lots of different members will chime in with ideas and help.

This, of course, goes both ways. So if you see someone at the space who looks a bit lost, they would probably appreciate a helping hand from you.

- Can I bring my pet to the Makerspace?

No, it is forbidden to bring dogs or other animals to Stockholm Makerspace's premises. The exception to this is a certified assistant dog in service.

Workshops & Activities

Workshops and courses

- Can you hold a course in X?

Courses and workshops at Stockholm Makerspace are based on the fact that one of our members wants to lead it. The board has no ability to "ensure" that a workshop / course will be held. It is up to our completely non-profit course leaders to decide themselves to host course X and when they want to do it.

- When is the next intro course/workshop for X?

Available courses are on the calendar and are usually also advertised in our Slack.

If there is no workshop you want just now, keep watching the Facebook group and/or the calendar to see the next time. Some workshops are booked very quickly!

- When is it possible to hold the next introductory course / workshop in X?

See the above answer.

I want to lead a workshop

- I want to arrange a workshop / course about X

Awesome! Read more about that on the Workshops page.

Kid-friendly activities

- Do you have any activities for children?

Stockholm Makerspace has no activities for children at this time.

Miscellaneous

Sponsoring

- My company is interested in sponsoring the Stockholm Makerspace, how do we get started?

Great! Send an email to sponsring@makerspace.se and we'll continue the discussion from there.

Advertising

- Hello, I want to promote our product / course / competition / event. Can you spread this on your network?

We want to avoid spreading too many things in our networks and so it will cost something to reach our members in this way. If you are interested, you can buy an advertising space in any of our channels. Contact us at info@makerspace.se.

Stockholm Makerspace logotype

- Is there a graphical manual for Stockholm Makerspace?

Currently there is no graphical manual or similar for Stockholm Makerspace. If you are a graphical designer who would like to volunteer in producing one, please reach out to the board. However, you can find a vector versions of the logotype at the wiki page Stockholm Makerspace graphical profile.