The new version of the Precious Plastic Machines went live yesterday, along with the new website and all that jazz: https://preciousplastic.com/ My face is on that front page! It was a super fun project to get involved in, and now we're trying to get a similar thing off the ground here in Montreal. I'm hopeful, but the team seems a little unfocused? Lot of people, ideas and goodwill but not so much concrete direction, actions and skills. It's at times like this I wish I had a little more technical skills in the workshop to advance things. Because I'm doing what I can in the planning, business, social media etc but without the working machines it's all moot. And all the current machines we have are broken/disassembled. It's also a bit frustrating how there seems to be a lot of planning about setting things up "properly". For example there is pushback against setting up in a makerspace because they will take a percentage off revenue from classes we might give as opposed to no classes because we don't really have a space right now. I'm learning a lot about setting up a non-profit, with bylaws and all that. And I don't really have anything else going on anyway so no harm no foul. I'll give it my all, and if it ends up being a bust I can always jump ship and try starting it on my own with a couple competent people. I just figured it might be easier to join an existing team vs starting my own project like I usually do. We'll see!
Well shit... Precious Plastic Machines is pretty dang cool! I pawed through that whole web site, and then shared it out with a dozen or so friends of mine who are all ex-Burners, with a crafty focus, and strong business minds. Commercial real estate in my area is pretty cheap, and I could see 4-5 of us going in on different starter kits, putting them all in the same space, and creating a crafty workshop ... that could eventually turn into a small business! What a cool idea, community, and set of tools! Thanks for sharing this! It's got my crafty business brain gears turning and churning...
Hahah i had the same reaction when I found out about this project, which is why I jumped on the opportunity to go to Eindhoven to volunteer for them. It’s super cool and inspiring. And setting up a workspace at the maker space my burner friends just started is the dream. But the local faction of precious plastic is less enthused. I’ll see if I can push them in the direction that feels right to me. A a caveat, I think very few people have managed to build a successful business out of building products - because it’s labour intensive and the techniques are still rough. The products don’t feel « expensive ». But that’s mostly because it’s quite a new craft imo. And I’ve seen some beautiful transparent sheets from the sheet press that look way cooler than stained glass.
The lack of a successful business is only a mild concern to me. If we got a group of Burners in a studio at Equinox Studios in Georgetown, and maybe 5 of the different plastic starter kits, you'd have a destination for people to go to. Watching one plastic shredder at work, or pouring a resin countertop is interesting for about 9 seconds. But when you walk around the room and see different things made by different machines, all out of recycled materials, then your mental wheels start turning... and it becomes a place to go to for all kinds of crazy ideas. And, Equinox Studios is the core of the monthly Georgetown Art Walk. So every month, you'd have people coming through your studio, seeing what had been created, and interacting with the people and materials. Sure, you need 5-6 people with $3-10k to spend on a hobby, but that's more realistic at my age, than at yours, honestly. And if I invest in the equipment, I don't want to run it 24x7. So I'd get people your age who were interested in the idea, and give them a cut of anything they make. So, like, 75% goes to you, and 25% towards rent/materials. I'll lose money for a while, but that's fine. It's a hobby, so it could always lose money. But... BUT... if it happened to click, and people started coming in not just during the Art Walk, and started ordering finished goods... I could see this taking off. Especially because everything you'd make would be custom, one-offs, with interesting details and attributes. I like it. Thanks for sharing it with us!