Timothy Lottes

Anyone have experience using www.techshop.ws/index.html (member based based machine-shop in the bay area). Do they have a good selection of tools?

Would I have to go through a forced safety-howto class to use a non-CNC vertical mill there? I've got many years of prior CNC experience on large Toyoda machining centers.

I need to ream the pair of shock mounting bolt holes on both front a-arms because the LG GT2 coil-overs don't fit. Spacing is off between the bolts, nothing fits even with the suspension off the car. Guessing the tolerances of manufacture of at least the early C5's wasn't all that good.

Normally I'd be fine with the safety class, but I'm in a bind, and need to get this done asap because I need to get the suspension back on the car to move before the end of the month

flink

I went to the Menlo Park one a couple of years ago. I needed to get onto a drill press (my life sucks). I did manage to get the job done.

Overall they're quite oriented towards the "club" side of things: people join up and go there regularly for courses, work on projects, etc. It's not intended as a by-the-hour machine shop.

That being said, the staff are reasonable and I'm sure they're very familiar with your situation. Give them a call?

Timothy Lottes

Hopefully I'm going to be saving someone else the time here: the Tech Shop is a scam. Tool selection is really poor (at least in the San Jose location), and each machine you want to use requires $100 and more importantly 3 hours of your time for "insurance mandated class". There is more to be said, but I'll stop there.

If anyone knows of an actual machine shop in the south bay area where you can pay to use the machines, bringing your own consumables (like inserts, etc), please let me know.

mgarfias

Friend of mine had a good experience at one of em, traded some blasting media for time with their blasting cabinet.