Tucked away inside an old Roswell fire station at 1601 Holcomb Bridge Road is a somewhat magical place where craftsmen, artisans and those who enjoy tinkering with tools can make and create. The Roswell FireLabs is a nonprofit makerspace.
One of those terms you wouldn’t know about unless, well you know, a makerspace is a collaborative facility with tools and components that allows people to come in, use the tools and make things.
According to their website, RFL builds “community through making and promote personal growth through hands-on experience. Through our physical space, community events and online content, we serve as a creative amenity to the public. Roswell Firelabs is a pivotal resource for anyone with the desire to turn passionate ideas into reality.”
Suwanee tax attorney Randy Bampfield drives past two other makerspaces to use RFL’s woodworking tools.
“This one is fantastic in terms of the tools that it offers and the member’s experience that it offers,” said Bampfield.
The 4,200-square-foot workshop and classroom is home to an extensive list of woodworking tools, metalworking, laser, glass and sculpture areas. One multiuse room contains industrial sewing machines, an amateur radio station and an electronics IoT lab.
“The great thing about this place is you have access to equipment you just can’t store at your house,” added Bampfield. “And the quality of the equipment is well beyond what you would ever be able to expect to own personally. A lot of the woodworking equipment is commercial grade and requires different electrical circuits than most people have in their house.”
Members are required to complete training to ensure safety for themselves, others using the space and to ensure proper maintenance of the equipment.
RFL is open every Monday night at 6 p.m. for a “tourientation.” Classes are available on a rotating basis for introduction to welding and Computer Aided Design (CAD), getting started in the metal shop, glass fusing, stained glass, composites, robotics, sewing and even ukulele lessons.
Memberships for individuals and families begin at $50/month and include building access 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 365 days a year with free or discounted access to classes, workshops and events. Members also receive their own personal webpage on the RFL website to showcase their work.
Bampfield has been making cutting boards to give as Christmas gifts. Each one takes about a day to complete.
“My girlfriend’s former dining room suite was her mother’s and before that her grandparent’s and she recently lost her grandmother,” said Bampfield. “We cut some pieces off the table itself and put some bits of that cherry from the table into the cutting boards and are giving them to family members.”
The beautifully crafted cutting boards will certainly become family heirlooms.
Learn more about Roswell FireLabs at www.roswellfirelabs.org.
