Dallas Makerspace

I've loved joining and trying out the classes and the trying out some DIY stuff on my own so much. This place is absolutely a hidden gem kind of deal. Membership fee is $60, but if you can get a household member deal from someone who already goes, it's only $15 per add'l household member. A lot of classes also don't necessarily require you to be a member to go, just to sign up. The whole place is volunteer run, so it's not so much a school or "company" vibe, but more of a do-it-yourself shared community space. Tours for the public are on Saturdays from 10a-12pm, and otherwise FYI the front door is locked and members can only get in with tag/let someone in, so if you're not a member but want to go to a class, reach out to the person leading the class after you've signed up ahead of time to give heads up, so they can let you in.

Ridiculously amazing price to use their amazing shops. Take a free tour of the place to see your self. Membership is literally month to month so you can cease your membership if you find you didn't like the place or end up not frequenting the shop as much as you anticipated. I believe it was like $50 a month or something for 24 hour access (they use a card reader thing). They have a wood shop, metal shop, car shop, more C&C machines you can count, 3d printing lab, and just so so so much more. I was very impressed. Everything is communal and tight nit, very down to place to work on your projects.

It started out as a great place with friendly people who could get along or tolerate each other. However over time it became a place full of political and personal missions with a lot of in-fighting and bickering and personal vendetta's. Safety is an issue as it is looked at as a second thought or after incident kind of thought. Both workshop safety and personal safety as facility physical security kinda sucks. They caught meth heads preparing pipes in the science lab, no background checks occur for anyone. No true control of exposures to chemicals or substances from the many things that occur in the workshop. There is no handicap access though you might get lucky and be able to roll in through the auto bay if no one is using it. There is leadership but it waxes and wanes with every day. Some days it is good and some days they are acting as dictator like people. It stays a perpetual mess and storage is poorly controlled. Maintenance is poorly handled and leads to increased safety issues. Finances are a mess and are finally getting a little organized however it could definitely use an IRS audit. Some of the previous board members took personal gains and were never dealt with or reported. They do not have a proper nor valid certificate of occupancy and have many outstanding issues with the fire marshal and city code enforcement. They don't have proper permits for pretty much everything in the workshop. The fire system didn't function until about 2 years ago. They have theft issues every year or so from members. There is bad electrical wiring in the ceiling. AC units fail or malfunction regularly. The chairs in the Commons were comfortable but now are the most uncomfortable ugly things you have ever seen. Used to have some couches and chairs where folks could socialize but people kept sleeping there or living there. Rather than deal with the individuals they just removed all the couches and chairs that we're comfy. Internet speed is great! Parking is ok but watch where you park or you might get a flat or paint all over your car. Electric car and Tesla chargers available but are not always accessible as they are in the loading dock. Coincidentally where flats and paint spray happen most. No emergency lighting until just last month. People will have no respect for you or your things at times but thankfully most folks there are good folks. A great wealth of knowledge is available from it's members. The woodshop is good but be prepared for down equipment and poor maintenance. Also it's kinda hot because they never clean the woodshop when they are done working so the AC is full of saw dust in the woodshop. Private information is not protected very well so be careful what you give out but to do most anything including visiting you have to give PII. Have fun and watch out for your own safety, never volunteer for any position if you don't want the massive liability that comes with it. Wear ear muffs and you'll get a lot more done and might find it more pleasant most of the time. I was a member for 3 years total before I canceled my membership. I volunteered, helped out around DMS a lot in my free time. I was even a committee chair at one point but resigned due to liability issues. I canceled my membership for the above issues listed.

Amazing playground for adults. Free/cheap classes will give you a satisfying taste of what membership has to offer. The equipment is well taken care of, mostly newer gear (not hand-me-downs like many other makerspaces), and a friendly social environment. The open houses are a great way to see what all the facility has to offer and ask questions from the members.