Frequently Asked Questions

How It Works       Kids FAQ       Class FAQ     Certification FAQ

Tech Room FAQ     CNC FAQ     Metal Shop FAQ     Auto Lift FAQ
 

How It Works

Anyone is welcome to come and utilize our 9,000 sq.ft. MakerSpace and workshop; either by learning though a class or private instruction, by renting one of our many shop areas, or simply with just a guided tour to see what we have to offer! 

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Do I need to be a member to use the shop?

We are open to the public. Membership is not required to use the shop or our tools, however Members receive many perks (see below). Some equipment requires training and/or certification before you can use it. Please review the list and request certification before coming to the shop. 

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How do the memberships work?

Memberships are annual and start the day you sign our agreement and pay the $169 membership fee.  

• Members receive a 50% discount on Hourly Shop Rates $12/hour ($24/hour for non-members)

• Members receive 20% off of all classes.​

• Members receive 20% off of all private instruction.​

• Members receive 20% off of fabrication services.

• Members may attend free monthly member's only events  

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Do I need a membership in order to take a class?

No, you may take any class we offer without a membership; however, members receive a 20% discount on classes.

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Do I need to set an appointment to use equipment?

You may reserve space in a specific area of the shop to make sure it is available to you on your schedule. Otherwise, equipment is available on a first come - first serve basis.

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When are you open?

Our operating hours are Thursdays 10am-10pm, Fridays and Saturdays 8am-8pm and Sundays 8am-5pm.  We recommend you make a reservation online before you pack up and bring all your materials to the Cave. We cannot guarantee space will be available for drop ins. 

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Can I rent/borrow a tool to use somewhere else?

This is not generally allowed; however, exceptions may be made with owner approval.

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Can I leave/store my project there while I work on it?

We do have some limited storage options available for Members should they choose to pay an additional fee.

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What do I have to bring with me to do a project?

Bring all your own materials and hardware you will need to complete your project. We do have some materials for purchase and some scraps available for free. We also stock a small store for purchase with things you might need like wood glue, sandpaper, dust masks, safety lenses, welding rods, grinding wheels, etc.

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Can I use my own tools at DIYcave?

Yes.

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Can DIYcave do the work for me?

We encourage people to Do It Yourself, however we do offer fabrication services with owner approval. Learn more about our Fabrication Services Here

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Can I bring a helper?

Absolutely! Helpers are $12/hour to help either a member or non-member on their project. 

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Can I bring a guest along if they won’t be working?

Yes, as long as they have signed our waiver.

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Can I rent a portion of the shop for a meeting or private event?

Of course! Our classroom is available to rent by the hour. If you desire another portion of the shop, we will need to quote you based upon the resource availability.

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How do I become an Instructor?

We encourage skilled people to share their knowledge. Go here to learn more about our classes and teaching opportunities

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How do I become a Steward? How can I volunteer?

Our shop is managed by all volunteers, we call Stewards.  Stewarding our shop is a great way to build community and learn new skills. Go here to learn more about our Steward Program

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Can I donate tools and materials?

Donations of materials help us reduce the cost of running the shop and offering classes. We use donated materials whenever possible for class projects. The rest of the donations we sell in our store to generate revenue for the program. Donations must be brought to our shop. Except in very special cases, we do not have the resources to pick up donations.

 

Kids FAQs

So what can kids do at DIYcave? Here are some options.

Can my child attend an adult class?

The majority of classes are geared toward adults; however, you may take almost any class with your child. Just check the age restrictions in the class description.  If you child is old enough, sign up yourself and your child for a fully immersive experience together!

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Sign up your child to any specific Kid’s class

We do have several classes designed specifically for kids. Check our schedule online for Kid-specific classes.

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Bring your kids with you

You can reserve specific parts of the shop for use, such as the wood shop or metal shop. Minors ages 8 and up may be accompanied by an adult while using the shop, at no extra cost! This is a great way to allow you to impart or practice your skills with your child. 

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Private Instruction

Our instructors have a plethora of skills to teach. Fill out our Private Instruction request form and we will do our best to match you with the perfect tailored learning experience. 

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Waivers

All minors (including guests of members) must have a Minor Facility Waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian on file before they will be allowed to attend classes or work on-site.

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Membership

The minimum age for membership is 18 years old.  Minors 8 and older may accompany an adult with a Membership at no additional cost. If your child is at least 16 years old and wants to become a member, please email info@diycave.com for special application information. ​

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How old does my child have to be to use the equipment?

Under 8 years old

• No children under 8 years of age are allowed as members or in classes at this time.

• Children under 8 years of age are restricted to special events and staff-supervised tours.

Ages 8-11

• Children 8 to 11 years of age must be under the direct supervision of a parent, legal guardian or authorized adult at all times while on-site.

Ages 12-17

• Children 12 to17 years of age must have a guardian member present at all times (unless they are in an age approved class with an instructor.)

• Children 12 to15 years of age may take approved classes without on-site parental supervision.

Ages 16-17

• Children ages 16 and 17 may apply for membership review and be able to access the shop without the presence of a guardian. This requires parental consent and is at the sole discretion of DIYcave management.  If not approved, the minor may reapply after private instruction to develop the required skills to use the shop independently. 

• Minors over the age of 16 are eligible to apply for Certification Only tools and equipment.

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Class FAQs

Class Refunds & Transfers

We understand that emergencies happen, so if you are unable to attend your class and you cancel with:

• More than 14 (fourteen) days notice before your class, you may request a full refund or transfer the full amount paid to another class.

• Less than 14 (fourteen) days notice before your class, your payment is non refundable. However you may transfer the amount paid, minus a 15% cancellation fee, to any class within 90 days of request. It is not guaranteed that a comparable class will be offered within 90 days.

• Less than 48 (forty eight) hours before your class begins, your payment is non refundable. 

Please send all cancellation and change requests to classes@diycave.com 

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Class Changes or Cancellations

DIYcave reserves the right to cancel any class, limit class size, change class times or substitute instructors for those listed in the schedule. If a class is canceled, students may choose to receive a full refund or may transfer – with no fee – to another class or workshop. If DIYcave cancels for any reason, all payments can be refunded.

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Certification FAQ

How do I become certified to use a machine?

You can request training and certification here DIYcave certification tests are available for Members only.  The other path is via classes or private instruction. 

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Which tools require Certification to use?

All of the following require certification before Members can use on their own:

Wood Shop:

• Table Saw

• X-Carve

• Wood Lathe

Metal Shop:

• Welders

• Ring Roller

• Auto Lift (Online training​)

Machine Shop:

• CNC Plasma Table

• Metal Lathe

• Machine Mill

Blacksmith:

• Forge

Tech:

• 3D Printers

• Boss Laser

• Glowforge Laser (Online training - NO CHARGE)

Glass Studio:

• Stained Glass Tools

• Kiln

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Techroom - 3D Printing and Laser FAQs

If you reserve an area like the tech room, or machine shop would you be the only party in that area?

Generally no, the room is large enough for several people to work in and use is often expanded to allow that. It is possible to reserve the room completely, with some caveats.

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What training/certification is required for a 3d printer and how much does that training cost?

Training is private instruction or certification, based on your level of experience already. If you have never 3D printed it can be several hours as there is a lot to learn. If you are not interested in getting certified and are simply looking to have something printed, that can be cheaper and faster.

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Do you need to provide your own filament, if not can you use your own filament if you wanted to do something special like metallic or rainbow?

We have filament available to purchase (by weight as you print) but you can bring your own as well. Filaments with additives (wood, bronze, carbon fiber, etc) need to be cleared by staff, and are usually difficult to use if you are not experienced.

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Do you have a recommendation for design software ( I am assuming it would be best to model at home and only reserve room for printing time)?

We recommend Autodesk Fusion 360

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What happens if you miss estimate my printing time and the printer is still running at the end of my reserved session?

You are allowed to start a print and then leave it running past your reservation. The reservation is simply to allow you time to get the machine tuned up and properly start your print. There are no additional time charges for your print. On the other hand, 3d printers are only available on a first come, first serve basis so you may want to see if anyone is using the printer before you come in.

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What training/certification is required for a laser engraver and how much does that training cost?

The Boss Laser requires you take a class or private instruction to get certified. The Glowforge training is self-achieved and provided at no cost to our members. Please visit our Glowforge page for more details.

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Is the laser engraver capable of engraving aluminum? If not actually etching the aluminum what about coating/paint removal?

Aluminum is not laserable in almost any laser under $50,000 due to its extreme reflective nature. You are correct that the laser can eliminate the paint/powdercoat/anodization off of aluminum.

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What size objects can be engraved, including thickness?

The Glowforge can accept material up to 20"x12" with a working area of about 19"x11" and you can put material in about 2" thick. You will get all this information in the online training.

The Boss Laser has a cutting surface or 54.25" x 32.5"

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Would I be able to engrave a disassembled firearm receiver? (or are there rules against working on weapons, firearms?)

As long as the item is made of a material that the laser can interact with, yes. There are no current restrictions on working on weapon parts.

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Is it possible/easy to position odd shaped objects to get engravings in exact positions?

Yes.

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CNC FAQ

How/who/when can I get a tutorial on CNC plasma operation?

At this time we are still working out a path toward member use of CNC plasma operations.  We do offer fabrication services at a very reasonable rate.  The file creation is the most important piece.  With a good file we bill 15 minutes for set up time and charge hourly rate for run time. ($75/hr)  Keep checking back for new usage procedures as the are developed or reach out directly for further questions. .svg files created in inkscape are a fairly straight forward path to completion.

 

What are my options to create something on the X-Carve?

The certification on the X-carve is about a 30 minute process, free for paid Members, and assumes that you have prior experience and or knowledge of how to use a CNC.

If this is not the case then you would be looking for training, which would assume no prior experience or knowledge. Private instruction starts at $75 per hour, and I would estimate no less than one hour to get up and running from scratch on the x-carve.

If you are just looking for assistance in making a cut then you would simply need to have everything ready to go in advance (i.e. material prepped, design files created in advance in SVG format, watch this video on how to use Easel.) After that you can arrange to have 5 to 10 minutes of educated help from either Kevin or Aaron at an arranged time where we will point you in the right direction and get you through a specific project. Incidentally, this is a great way to move towards certification as you are self-educating and getting experience to boot. Just be aware: if you begin to demand too much time from the staff when we are holding other responsibilities (thus the 5 to 10 minute rule) your help will turn into private instruction.

In the end we want to empower you to Do-It-Yourself and achieve your desired results. Final pro-tip: bring enough material to have a "testing piece" so you can get the mistakes out of the way on that first.

 

Metal Shop FAQ

I enjoyed the TIG class and I want to get in for some practice time.  What consumables do I need to bring with me? I am assuming the metal I will be practicing on, the TIG welding tungsten and the welding rods.  Anything else?

We always have some scrap metal around for practice.  Bring your own if you have something specific you wat to practice.  Tungsten is provided.  Please resharpen for next user. We do have an honor system for gas and other welding consumables, and we also have filler rod for sale up front. (We are still in the process of organizing and pricing). So come on down anytime and let the steward know you took the class so they can update your profile as TIG certified
 

How do I get certified to use the pipe roller, or arrange for assistance to put a radius into some pipe.  

First question is what diameter, thickness and length?  We have limited dies.

The roller certification process has not been developed yet. At this time all certifications on the roller are done in person and training is mandatory.  This will entail at least a half hour of private instruction.  You can request training and certification here.

I have a welding project in mind, and I was wondering if I need a certification to use the welding equipment on my own. 

You are able to schedule time and use welding equipment after becoming certified (all our welding classes include certification, or you can request training and certification here.

 

I took a class and am certified to weld. I reserved a time slot for welding, can I request someone to help on my first time?

We do have some cheat sheets for getting the MIG welders set up. Feel free to ask questions when you are in. Shop stewards do have varied experience in the metal shop. If you feel a need for more instruction, you can request training and certification here.

 

 

Auto Lift FAQ

How do I access the Auto Lift?

Reservations are needed for the Auto Bay. This is to ensure that you have the space you need for the time you need it as well as a certified person to help you lift & lower your vehicle. 

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Do I need a membership to use the Auto Lift?

No, everyone has access with proper reservation.

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Can I bring a helper with me while using the Auto Lift?

Sure, helpers are an additional $12/hour and will need to have a signed waiver on file. 

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How do I become certified to operate the Auto Lift on my own?

Please purchase and complete the “Lifting it Right” online course at www.autolift.org/lifting-it-right-ali-direct/ Once you have passes the test, bring your completed certificate into the shop and give to the Steward at the front desk so they may update your profile in our system.

 

Most of our stewards are certified on the auto lift. Contact us in advance of your reservation to make sure someone is available if you are not certified.

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