Wishlist

New Space

All Hands Active (AHA) is Ann Arbor's oldest makerspace. Formed in 2009 by a handful of makers, AHA has slowly grown to 50+ members. We offer weekly classes and public free access to tools such as a laser cutter, CNC router, soldering irons, sewing machines, vinyl cutter, and 3D printers. The brightest minds in Ann Arbor come to our space to learn, explore, hack, and make. We invite entrepreneurs to use our co-working space as a place to get started. Over the past 7 years, we've slowly grown our space by continuing to add new tools, classes, and equipment. While we're excited to provide our members and the community with more variety, it's become increasingly aware that our space is running out of room. To allow for more growth and provide makers with more project space, we've decided to relocate.

We're excited to announce that we've secured a new location 2 blocks from our current space on Liberty street!

Our goal for the new location is a more professional look and a fully outfitted classroom that will allow us to offer programs 5 days a week to the public. We are humbly asking for the help of our members and the public to raise additional funds to make our new location as awesome as it can be.

What we've accomplished so far

Here's what we've accomplished this past year with the help of our members.

• Acquired new large laser cutter for public use
• Upgraded all public access computers
• Upgraded portions of our network and purchased shared storage for projects
• Built out our kitchen
• Upgraded our electronics bench with new gear
• Purchased more electronics bits to provide the public with for free.
• Upgraded our 3D printing area with more printers available to the community.
• Streamlined our event class hosting process

Proposed layout of new location

A mock-up of our new location is shown here: | here

What we hope to improve

• Better electric access (more outlets everywhere)
• Improved look
• More Seating
• More work area/Re-configurable classroom
• More storage
• Projector/Upgraded Network

What we hope to purchase

The total estimate for all the space improvements is just shy of $12,000. That is a staggering amount of money for All Hands Active. To secure the lease All Hands Active will wipe out any savings it has and will have no money left to make any improvements. Without your help, our new space will only be a shell. We need to make it feel like a polished new home to ensure our success as we grow in the future.

Better Electric Access

We presently run an array of small surge protectors and long extension cords. We've had our new location properly wired with lots of outlets to eliminate many of these. We'd love to finish the job and securely mount power bars to the wall behind each table and build secured power drops from our fancy new ceiling mounted twist lock outlets in our classroom area.

• 48"+ 12+ outlet wall mount power bars x 7 - $75 each
  • 3 new bars for our sunlit work area
  • 1 new bar in our craft area.
  • 2 new bars for our classroom tables
  • 1 new bar for the 3D printer area and store display
• Move-able high amperage twist lock outlet drops x 5 - $150 each

Total: $1275

Improved security

The new space will offer RFID/pin based locks on the building door and the door to the space. All Hands Active is on the hook to purchase, contract the install and manage the system to keep the building secure for us and other tenants. We've already acquired a new camera system to improve monitoring.

• 2x RFID System and new tags - $300
• Installation by building approved contractor - $500

Total: $800

Improved Floors

The new space will need floor upgrades to address one of the major issues at our current location. The new space is a mix of carpet and 3 types of beat up tiling. We're removing walls and counters so in addition to mixed flooring we'd have gaps between any existing tile. We want to start fresh and address this issue from the start. To do so we need to remove carpet, re-tile the entire space, and install trim around every wall.

• New tile floor - $3000

Total: $3000

Decoration and signage.

The new space has been white boxed - it's big but boring. Using our new vinyl cutter we'll create signage for our windows and outdoor advertising locations. We'll need to add splashes of color to the existing walls and have some new signage, business cards, and banners printed with our new address.

• Printed signage/banners - $500
• Paint - $300
• Vinyl for new our door signs - $500

Total $1300

More seating

Our present chairs are a mixture of mostly donated and mostly broken older office chairs. We actively maintain them but most are past their expiration date.

• Used circular Table for common area - $50
• Office Chairs x 15 (Circular table, classroom and spread throughout the space) $25 each UM property disposition
• Drafting/Tall Chairs x 8 (Sunlit work area) - $80

Total: $1065

More work area

Our present work areas are 8ft folding tables that have seen better days. Our finished top plywood work benches will stay but we'd like to better outfit our classroom and public areas.

• 4 10ft work benches (1 for crafts, 1 for 3D printing, 2 for classroom)
  • 4x 10ft Oak tops coated in polyeurathane - $200
  • 4x Steel 7ft stringer [[[- Steel Stringer|Link] + 4x set of legs [|Link] - $95
  • Wheels (for 2 classroom benches) - $40

Total: $1220

More Storage

In our current location we've used many plywood shelves and a mixture of old kitchen cabinets. We find the cabinets to be better at organizing and deterring clutter.

• 1 Rolling tool chest [| Link] - $389 + 20% off coupon
• 8 Steel wall mounted cabinets [| Link ] - $149
  • 4 for craft/laser area
  • 2 for loud noise room
  • 2 for electronics area

Total $1504

Upgraded Network

The current network at AHA is a mismatch of 10/100 and 1GB switches. We'd like to replace the remaining 10/100 switches and better distribute internet throughout the new space. We'd like to hardwire all the new ethernet drops in the space.

• Conduit, wall jacks and cabling - $600
• 3 16 Port 1GB Ethernet switches [| Link] - $100 (each)
  • 1 for classroom
  • 1 for work area
  • 1 for 3D printing/laser area

Total: $900

Funds:

• Donations of <$1000 are usually project-specific, such as the funds that went to sponsor this year's Power Wheels Racing Series efforts
• Donations of >$1000 don't have a usual mode of use since we've never had one yet, but rest assured we'd put it to really really good use.