Approaching lowes.

[nathanporter]

So did this project ever materialize?

[genek]

They have plans to put cnc ect at every locations and they would only take the pattern for themself so I droped it.

[carlcnc]

Lowes with a cnc?
now that's gonna be entertaining!
given the big box propensity for hiring and/or training to minimal skills and knowledge
this should be a million$ fiasco.
and pity the poor company who sells them the machine/software etc.

I have worked wit many brands of machines, the problems created by lazy "users" can be many
I was one once!

[David Iannone]

HA. that is pretty funny. I have seen some of their "associates" using the panel saw and that can be scary......

Although, why not shopbot try to sell each store a handibot??? I have never used one but they look pretty handy from the videos.

Dave

[MogulTx]

Lowes has teamed up with a group that puts in 3-4 Shopbots in tech centers right next door to them. People become members of the tech shop "club" and can use the Shopbot and other tools ( once they pass some form of training and proficiency test... I highly doubt that it is profitable. But they have these tech centers in 6 or more places IIRC already. I have been to one. I think the concept is cool - but the execution and long term profitability must be considered, as well.

[myxpykalix]

Gene i got an email from you with a lot of russian writing on it. You may have been hacked? I deleted it

Given the quality of lowes employee this will be abandoned pretty soon.

[tri4sale]

Lowes has teamed up with a group that puts in 3-4 Shopbots in tech centers right next door to them. People become members of the tech shop "club" and can use the Shopbot and other tools ( once they pass some form of training and proficiency test... I highly doubt that it is profitable. But they have these tech centers in 6 or more places IIRC already. I have been to one. I think the concept is cool - but the execution and long term profitability must be considered, as well.

We had a tech center like that here, and it failed. Over a million people in the Metro area, and they situated in the middle of it, near high tech centers and people with high income, and they still couldn't stay open. Cost was about $1500 per year, they did have monthly options, but still was very expensive.

[willnewton]

I miss the Techshop, I would drive an hour each way to take classes, but was not close enough to justify a membership. I took the Shopbot classes there well over a year before I had an actual machine and that class is 100% of the reason I own a Shopbot today.

[bleeth]

Woodcrafters tried that and they didn't make it either. The one near us lasted a year (one lease term). Located in the middle of a million or so ranging from full spectrum of income levels and many retirees.

[tri4sale]

My gut about these services is that people with disposable income high enough to afford $100+ per month membership fees can afford to own the equipment at their house.