[hackerspaces] Cost sharing for lasers and 3D printers?

[Al Billings]

Oh, and I should add that a significant portion of collected monies are set aside to pay for upkeep. We've had to replace a tube or two since we started and those aren't cheap. 

-- 
Al Billings
http://www.openbuddha.com
http://makehacklearn.org


On Friday, January 18, 2013 at 4:58 PM, Al Billings wrote:

> Ace Monster Toys charges for laser cutter usage. 
> 
> Seven (?) of us got together and fronted the money to buy the giant ass laser cutter and got it into the space. Once a quarter, out of funds collected, are are paid back a little on the investment.
> 
> We charge the public $1 a minute (this is from memory). AMT members pay $0.50 a minute. The original investors pay $0.25 a minute and it is applied against their investment monies owed.
> 
> We built a little odometer that counts every second that the laser tube fires (we could build a better system maybe) automatically. We hand keep records of the tallies per user of readings when they started and stopped using on a given use. People bring their own materials in to laser cut from the approved list.
> 
> Al 
> 
> -- 
> Al Billings
> http://www.openbuddha.com
> http://makehacklearn.org
> 
> 
> On Friday, January 18, 2013 at 4:51 PM, Arclight wrote:
> 
> > Sorry to post off topic, but I have a hacker space related question.
> > 
> > We just acquired a new 3D printer (used commercial-grade machine) and
> > of course lots of people have already lined up to use it.
> > 
> > How do other spaces do cost recovery/sharing for machines like laser
> > cutters and 3D printers? We know we need to record what people use and
> > get them to pay for materials and money towards upkeep, but what's a
> > good system?
> > 
> > My experience in the past has been that some hackers either think
> > everything should be "at cost" (meaning materials+0.0% markup of any
> > type) and that "the collective" will chip in and pay for stuff when it
> > breaks. My experience with this is that someone is always left holding
> > the bag when some $300 expense pops up and passing the hat yields $38
> > and change.
> > 
> > Other folks (like me) feel that the space should charge members for
> > materials, plus money to bank for repairs and hidden costs, leaving
> > anything left over as profit/money towards a later replacement
> > machine.
> > 
> > What system does everyone use? Money jar next to the machine? RFID
> > accounting by user?
> > 
> > 
> > Arclight
> > 23b Shop
> > _______________________________________________
> > Discuss mailing list
> > Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org (mailto:Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org)
> > http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 

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