April 2015

[Thanks to Dave Zedonis for this article]

All inventors need prototypes of their inventions.  Members of Club Cyberia—Mark Owens (marketing director; marketing@clubcyberia.com.org; 317-721-2582), his son Austin (events director), and David Norris (equipment director)—let us know about their maker space: a facility equipped for making prototypes inexpensively.  There, do-it-yourself people meet each other and use available tools and work stations to build, collaborate, invent, and learn.  The club is open to members 24 hours every day and offers a tour of the facility to the public on the first Saturday of each month or by appointment.

The facility (7,300 square feet for work and meetings) offers an independent inventor the opportunity to develop and build a detailed prototype of an invention.  Available equipment includes hand tools; drill presses, milling machines, lathes and (soon) a press brake; a full set of wood working equipment; 3-D printers; an 80 W CO₂ laser cutting system; and computers and software (e.g., computer-aided design [CAD] and stereo lithography [STL]) for creating files that direct the activity of these printers and laser.  The club offers classes on how to safely use the available equipment.  In addition, members teach each other how to do the same.

Membership is monthly (no long term commitments): $35 (basic), $60 (regular; includes storage space), or $100 (elite; includes private work and storage space).  Modest fees apply to use of the laser and advanced Objet 3-D printer.  Friends of members are welcome upon signing a safety waiver.

Thank you Mark, Austin, and David for helping to bring this excellent opportunity to inventors!