Get Involved with Your Local Hackerspace

We've talked about how to find and get involved with a hackerspace in your community, and it's a great option in this case as well. While not every hackerspace will have a focus on DIY woodworking or fabrication projects, many do, and even if they don't, they'd welcome someone who did and would be willing to get them started. Check out what's near your at Hackerspaces.org, and see if any of the ones nearby focus on the types of projects you're interested in. You'd be surprised how many 3D printers, laser etchers, CNC routers, and other heavy equipment are already available in hackerspaces, so you don't have to get one for your apartment, or struggle with where to store one. Even if the hackerspaces near you don't have that kind of focus, chat with the folks who run the hackerspace anyway. If you're willing to share your tools or offer your expertise to the community, see if they're willing to help you out, subsidize your membership, or even help you out with the costs of tools. You'd essentially be buying into a shared garage with all the tools you'd need, all the space you could want, that you can use whenever you choose. Worst case, hit your building message board, your city's Craigslist page, and talk to your friends and neighbors. You may be able to gather enough interest that starting your own hackerspace is a good idea—then you really will have your own garage you can use anytime you want to work without bothering the neighbors, even if it's the middle of the morning or late at night. Hopefully those are a few tips that will get you started and off in the right direction. With a luck and a little digging, you'll be able to get your DIY on in your own home (just be cognizant of the time of day and courteous of your neighbors) at a dedicated workspace, and hopefully have somewhere else to go when you need to spread out a little bit and work with something bigger. Living in a small space doesn't have to slow you down!