Community tool-chest?

[Blmpkn]

Thinking this may have the ability to help some people out.

Hardware stores & parts stores DO lots of times offer "free" tool rental with just a deposit... But sometimes their selection of stuff is either very small, or the tools are in shit condition, or somebody else is already renting what you need.. orrr mabey you just hate the jerk at the counter and don't wanna deal with him.

Mabey we could have our own type of communal tool circulation arrangement. Naturally.. size&weight of tool and it's associated shipping cost could make this idea not very feasible but.. doesn't ever hurt to see if an idea could work out.


All I can think of that I have personally to lend to someone (at the moment) is going to be a 1.75" dimple die that's arriving Wednesday.

It only cost me 60$.. but if all you need it is for one project and then probably never again.. in my mind.. it would make perfect sense to just pay the 12$ it would cost for round trip shipping and save yourself some money and space in your toolbox or your ever growing "tools used once shelf"

This would naturally require your project to have the ability to be put on hold for a a few days until whenever the tool is arrives at your house.. but at least with more specialty stuff like dimple dies... That shouldn't really be an issue lol.

Anyways... Just an idea!

 

[97RangerXLT]

i like the thought... but I can see where shipping can be a show stopper. but check out the memeber map (has it been updated lately?) maybe something to put in the local/ region forums. need a left handed Johnson valve compressor? see if someone nearby has one and drive to meet them. good way to get to know your fellow Ranger owners. I know there are a few that are in the Indy area, and at least one of them is pretty regular on here.

AJ

 

[Blmpkn]

i like the thought... but I can see where shipping can be a show stopper. but check out the memeber map (has it been updated lately?) maybe something to put in the local/ region forums. need a left handed Johnson valve compressor? see if someone nearby has one and drive to meet them. good way to get to know your fellow Ranger owners. I know there are a few that are in the Indy area, and at least one of them is pretty regular on here.

AJ

Setting it up regionally is a good idea.

Wish we had more regular members in the upper New England area..

 

[Robert Mangrum]

The just opened a community garage here. Its called the Late Night Fix. They have 2 lifts and 6 tool boxes stocked. Its a 4 bay shop where you can pay 25 dollars to rent a bay for the day or you can pay a monthly subscription and have access. Its open 24/7. I haven't been by there but I've heard it booming.

 

[sgtsandman]

The just opened a community garage here. Its called the Late Night Fix. They have 2 lifts and 6 tool boxes stocked. Its a 4 bay shop where you can pay 25 dollars to rent a bay for the day or you can pay a monthly subscription and have access. Its open 24/7. I haven't been by there but I've heard it booming.

I've never seen one of those in the civilian world but most active duty military bases have them. I can see such a place being in big demand in the right location. There are times that it is sooo much nicer to work on something on a lift rather than being on jack stands or ramps along with a creeper or a piece of cardboard.

 

[Blmpkn]

The just opened a community garage here. Its called the Late Night Fix. They have 2 lifts and 6 tool boxes stocked. Its a 4 bay shop where you can pay 25 dollars to rent a bay for the day or you can pay a monthly subscription and have access. Its open 24/7. I haven't been by there but I've heard it booming.

There are community work spaces up this way but they're all mostly geared towards woodworking and stuff like that.


I've always wondered what these places pay for liability insurance.. even though I'm sure all the customers are required to sign a waiver and stuff.. that insurance can't be cheap.

 

[fastpakr]

I've never seen one of those in the civilian world but most active duty military bases have them. I can see such a place being in big demand in the right location. There are times that it is sooo much nicer to work on something on a lift rather than being on jack stands or ramps along with a creeper or a piece of cardboard.

We had something similar here with a local high school renting out access to the shop after that program closed. If I can’t figure out moving into a house with a decent garage in the next year or so, I might take advantage of that if it’s still going.

 

[don4331]

They have a place called u-wrench here in Calgary which I have used a couple times to swap tires from one set of rims to another. Doing it on a tire machine rather than manually is so much easier at my age.

The equipment is well used but worked OK.​

 

[Curious Hound]

I've never seen one of those in the civilian world but most active duty military bases have them. I can see such a place being in big demand in the right location. There are times that it is sooo much nicer to work on something on a lift rather than being on jack stands or ramps along with a creeper or a piece of cardboard.

I used the hobby shops on several Navy Bases. New London had a bug auto hobby shop. In Puget Sound, I used the wood shop to help a buddy make a blanket chest for his fiancee. That was an awesome woodworking shop. The bandsaw must have had almost 36" throat depth.