Contact

It’s great that you’re interested in Protospace!

+ +

+ The best starting point is to + come out to one of our open house nights, held every Tuesday from 7 pm to 9 pm + (even holidays). Just drop in and you can have a tour, meet some of the people and see how we + work. There are often people around on the weekend, and occasionally our volunteers make + arrangements to meet someone at another time, but Tuesdays are the best opportunity. +

+ +

+ Aside from visiting an open house, you can contact us through these methods (email is the + most effective): +

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Email:

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info@protospace.ca

+ +

Telephone (only Voice Mail):

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+1 (587) 774-5672

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Postal Mail:

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+ 1530 27th Avenue NE, Bay 108
+ Calgary, Alberta, Canada
+ T2E 7S6 +

+ +

+ + Here is a Google Map to our location + . +

+ + + +

Parking:

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+ Designated spots are available in the rear parking lot. There is also street parking at the + side of the complex. A door bell available at rear entrance. Please use the front door during + public Protospace events, as you will be required to sign in and get a name tag. +

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Getting Here:

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+ + View Larger Map + +

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+ Our space is in an industrial area and not overly pedestrian friendly. To make it a bit + easier we offer a loose car pool system and there are often members happy to give you a lift + home if you can get down to the space.
+ Here are the nearest transit stops: +

+ +

Stop: 6033 – NB 12 ST@27 AV NE
Stop: 7512 – EB 27 AV@12 ST NE
Stop: 7522 – WB 27 AV@15 ST NE

+ +

+ +

Calgary's Original Makerspace

+ Protospace is Calgary’s non-profit makerspace. We have a community wood shop, metal shop, + sewing room, 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics lab, and + much more. We offer classes on equipment you are unfamiliar with, + and all skill levels are welcome. Membership is $55 / month for 24/7 access. +

Member painting a project at a Protospace work table

Member working on a wooden project with power tools

Member using an industrial embroidery machine

+ We are a quirky, fun community where artists, makers and geeks come together to share our + knowledge, equipment and ideas. We have no owners, shareholders, employees, or staff. + Everything we do is driven by our members volunteering. +

+ We are more than just our machines. We are a place to meet new friends, to hang out, to + learn new skills, discuss common interests and network. We always welcome new members, + everyone from beginners to experts and everything in between. +

Membership

+ Membership grants 24/7 access to the makerspace. You’ll be able to use the wood shop, + metal shop, sewing room, 3D printers, laser cutters, and electronics lab to build your + projects. You can + attend classes + for machines that require training or a safety orientation. You’ll get a shelf to store + projects or supplies if you want. +

+ +

+ Most importantly, you’ll belong to a community of makers, hackers, and nerds just like + you! Protospace is ran 100% by the membership. Everything is done by volunteers. We have no + owners, employees, shareholders, or staff. Actually, you might be the only one in the + building at 3:00 am. +

+ +

Dues

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+ Member dues: $55 / month – (students or low income: $35 / month). +

+ +

Membership Includes:

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24/7 access to Protospace
Personal storage shelf
+ Access to all tools: +
- Laser cutters
- 3D printers
- Full wood & metal shop
- Hand & power tools
- Sewing room
- Electronics room
+
Access to workbenches / workspaces
Vote on decisions at meetings
Community of nerds

+ +

+ New member discount: pay for the first two months, get the third one free! +

+ +

Payment options: cash, cheque, Square, PayPal or e-Transfer.

+ +

Cancellation: Pause or cancel any time, there are no contracts.

+ +

Membership Process

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Outline:

+ +

Attend Tuesday Open House 7-9pm
Sign up
+ Probationary membership +
- Four week period
- Find two sponsors
- Attend New Member Orientation class
+
Get vetted
Full membership
Take classes

+ +

+ Attend open house: Every Tuesday from 7-9 pm we host an open house (even + holidays). The public is welcome to attend, take tours, interact with the membership, and + look at our gizmos. No need to book anything, just show up. +

+ +

+ Sign up: When you are ready to join, you sign up at an open house. + We’ll print some forms for you to sign and take your initial payment. +

+ +

+ Probationary membership: You’ll be a probationary member for a minimum + of four weeks. During this time you’ll only be able to access the space when a full + member is present. +

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+ Four week period: After four weeks you can choose to get vetted, or continue + as a probationary member indefinitely. +

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+ Find two sponsors: You’ll need to find two members who can vouch for + your good character before you can get vetted. You can meet people during the weekly open + houses, monthly cleans, or many of our classes. +

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+ Attend New Member Orientation: Before you can use any tool larger than a + screw driver, you’ll need to attend an orientation class. It covers general shop safety + and outlines the culture of Protospace. +

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+ Get vetted: After four weeks, two sponsors, and the orientation, you can get + vetted. This usually happens on Tuesday nights. We’ll ask you some questions, make sure + you’ve met the above requirements, and give you a key fob. +

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+ Full member: Once vetted, you’re considered a full member. + You’ll have 24/7 access to the building, get the alarm code, be able to vote at the + monthly member meetings, be able to sponsor new members, and get a shelf to store things on. +

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+ Take classes: Some of our machines require training in order to be allowed + to operate them. Volunteers routinely run classes that you can attend for a small fee. +

+ +

Member Duties

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Our 3 guiding principles are:

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Be excellent to each other
Don’t make us make a rule
Don’t be on fire

+ +

+ We rely on our members to make things happen. Members are expected to pitch in to keep the + place safe and tidy. +

+ +

Membership FAQ

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We receive a number of repeat questions in our inbox:

+ +

Do you offer day rates?

+ +

+ No, we are not set up to host and monitor users on a per day basis. We don’t have + staff, everything we do is done by our wonderful and amazing volunteers! +

+ +

Can I just join for a month to do my one project?

+ +

+ Not exactly, as a new member your first month is a probationary month where you are unable to + use the space alone. Also, the training courses necessary to use certain equipment may not be + offered at times convenient to facilitate this. That said, we are not a like gym and there + are no contracts so you are free to cancel or pause your membership at any time with no + penalties. +

+ +

+ Can I get immediate/urgent access to your space to do my school project or that thing I + left to the last minute? +

+ +

No, all new members must go through the same new membership process described above.

+ +

+ I need to do just one small thing, but it’s urgent or I don’t have the + skills + to do it. Can someone do it for me? +

+ +

+ You are welcome to post a commission request on + our forum. + However, please be aware that there is no guarantee that we have any members + willing or able to take on your request. It’s up to you to work something out with a + member. +

About

+ Our space occupies about 6500 square feet consisting of two 2000 sq ft warehouse bays that + constitute our workshop areas, along with general work space, office and support areas. +

+ +

Select an area to view:

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Wood Shop +

Metal Shop +

Laser Cutters +

Sewing Room +

Electronics Lab +

3D Printers +

+ +

Facilities available to members include (training may be required):

+ +

New Sewing Area (embroidery machine, serger, DTG printer, sublimation machine)
Electronics Area (soldering, oscilloscopes, power supplies)
3D Printer Village
Laser Cutters
+ Woodworking Shop (table saw, miter saw, bandsaw, sanders, planners, jointer, CNC Routers + large and small) +
Machining Shop (milling machine, lathe, CNC milling machine)
Welding Shop (MIG, aluminum spool gun, AC/DC arc/stick, TIG welder)
Member Storage
Classroom Space (with computers and projector)
Lounge
Office/Small Meeting Room

+ +

+ Our space is always growing. We add new tools and features every month. If you haven’t seen + us in a while, drop by and and see what’s new! +

+ +

Tool Donation Wishlist

+ +

Protospace will benefit from the following tools:

+ +

Sawstop table saw
Soldering irons
Metal lathe collect chuck
Large wood planer
Engine hoist
Motorized winch / gantry
20″ disc sander
Panel saw
Pantorouter
Thermal camera
Pottery equipment
Glassblowing equipment

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