Just wanted to share something I suspect is highly unique that I discovered yesterday in Louisville, KY.: "firstBUILD".

A community accessible "micro factory" facility sponsored by General Electric and housed on the University of Louisville campus, containing all form of modern industrial creation tools, from 3D Printers, press brakes, CNC machines to high pressure water jet cutters. The facility is available to all inventors/creators wanting to do rapid prototyping, model makers printing short run 3D parts or fabricators needing a one of a kind part - to name but a few.



I was totally amazed to learn that such a facility exists!

Their website link follows:

https://firstbuild.com

Interesting Mike. I just hope GE can keep paying my pension each month as things have been better for that company.

I hear that - both my sister and brother-in-law worked at Appliance Park for many years.

I don't know what the fee structure is at firstBUILD but I do know the services are not done gratis.

Yesterday I learned that a family friend is doing a rather unusual engine swap, (a brand new Corvette LS crate engine into a still great looking 13 year old BMW body.) Nobody makes a set of after market engine mounts for that combo so his son who is an industrial engineering major at an out of state college worked up a CAD file for the mounts. They ran them out at firstBUILD and welded them up. I saw them installed in the car and they look great!

I was blown away by the mounts and by their reports of the things this facility can do!

I am considering trying to design a few model parts of my own and having then run them out on what I am sure is a way better 3D printer than I could ever afford.

Well with the fuel nozzle 3D printing I saw GE doing at the Auburn plant in Ala, you could print out the metal molds and sell us new customized injection molded plastic kits. Only takes a little initiative and investment, right? Best of luck and following closely over here in Fern Creek

That looks very similar to Maker Space that I mention in this thread:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/273031&page=1

Cool! Ol' Derby City is hosting more new technologies.

Will you ask them to make a 1/10 Chi-Ha for me?