Elise Spontarelli -
This summer Vector Space received a generous grant of $9,500 from The Easley Foundation to fund the acquisition of new capital equipment for our machine shop. Our existing milling machine (a 3-axis Bridgeport) will stay, and we will add sheet metal tools, tube benders, a cold cut saw and a vertial bandsaw. We will also replace our existing lathe with a larger and more powerferul one. Our plans for expansion go beyond this grant, and will eventually include a CNC milling machine.
What will we do with these new tools?
In the last few months our community of makers at Vector Space and outside organizations have shown a need for training and access to machining equipment. Vector Space is the only publicly available machine shop in Central Virginia, and this expansion of our machining facilities will increase our capacity for teaching these valuable, sought-after skills. As an older workforce looks toward retirement, these fields are in need of skilled and experienced welders, machinists, and CNC operators. Our membership ranges from students and hobbyists to certified professionals, and each will have access to training and use of this equipment.
