Tool Library to unveil mobile unit and more!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by micah

The West Seattle Tool Library is pleased to announce that we are going mobile. Thanks to a few generous sponsorships and the ongoing support of our growing 700-plus member community, the tool library has purchased a trailer and refurbished it to serve as a mobile extension of our well-loved collection of tools.

The new mobile unit, sized 7×14 feet, will be stocked with a variety of the most popular tools. The trailer will allow for members who do not have a vehicle, who need a tool that doesn’t fit in their vehicle or simply want the convenience of having it delivered, to do so for a fee of $10 each way. The mobile tool library will also be available to community groups who are working on a project and need a large number of tools on site.

Members will be able to request a pickup or delivery by contacting the library by e-mail at library@wstools.org or by phone at (206) 317-4671.

“This mobile unit will dramatically increase accessibility to the West Seattle Tool Library for a number of our neighbors who, for one reason or another, can’t always make it down to the tool library itself during open hours,” said Patrick Dunn, tool library founder. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to reach out to the community and ensure that everyone has access to the tools they need to take on projects of all sorts.”

The bright red unit, which resembles a horse trailer and was purchased in used condition and refurbished to a pristine state by Tool Library Director Micah Summers, will be officially rolled out to the public Thursday night, July 12, at the Tool Library’s regular DIY community meetup and “Ask an Expert” night. It will then be on display at the GreenLife exposition (part of West Seattle Summer Fest ) this weekend in the West Seattle Junction.

Held at the tool library’s permanent location in the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way, the “Ask an Expert” event runs from 6-8 p.m. and offers area residents an opportunity to bounce project ideas off fellow DIYers and receive advice from experts in a variety of home improvement and sustainability fields.

The mobile unit was made possible by grants from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the West Seattle Garden Tour and other donors.

The West Seattle Tool Library officially opened its doors in June of 2010, offering free community access to a variety of more than 100 tools out of a small storage closet. Just two years later, that modest collection has grown to over 1,500 mostly-donated tools, serving a membership of around 700 people from a renovated workshop space at Youngstown.

The tool library also hosts a wide range of educational classes and workshops, a fixer’s collective and social events geared toward the Do-It-Yourself community. Besides Summers, an intern and a number of volunteers help keep the library open and humming on weekends and Thursday nights.

Tool Library Accepts $10K Gift From The Grainger Foundation

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Patrick

The West Seattle Tool Library officially opened its doors in June of 2010, offering free community access to a rather decent variety of over 100 tools out of a small storage closet. Just two years later, that modest collection has now grown to over 1,500 tools, serving a membership of around 700 neighbors from a wonderfully renovated workshop space at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

Though an incredible amount of volunteer effort, staff time, and member support certainly helped bring this community resource to life, The Tool Library also owes a tremendous deal of gratitude and thanks to its generous donors. These donors include The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, The West Seattle Garden Tour, Alaska Airlines, and, most recently, The Grainger Foundation.

In honor of The Tool Library’s achievements – and to ensure its ability to pursue all its exciting potential – The Grainger Foundation recently awarded The Tool Library with a extremely generous grant in the amount $10,000. As an organization that encourages sustainability, community involvement, technical training, and disaster preparedness, The Grainger Foundation identified The Tool Library as a natural partner. We couldn’t agree more!

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the entire Grainger organization for all their support and recognition, as well as all the other great work that they continue to support throughout the country.

Pictured in this photo taken in The Tool Library’s Workshop are (from left to right) Bob Noble, Grainger Assistant Branch Manager; Gene Boyington, Grainger Branch Manager; Christina Hahs, SWS president; Richard Garrett, Grainger Customer Service Associate and National Sustainability Chair; Micah Summers, SWS Tool Library manager; and Patrick Dunn, SWS Tool Library Founder.

In response to the demands from our membership and the greater community, The Tool Library will now use these funds to support our education curriculum, continue to develop our mobile operations, and increase our open hours to make The Tool Library even more accessible to all our neighbors throughout the region.

After two full years in operation and with all of this generous support, in many ways we kinda feel like we’re just getting going!

Thank you for your continued support of Sustainable West Seattle and the West Seattle Tool Library.

Fixers’ Collective Report – February 2, 2012

Posted on February 15, 2012 by christina

Image of Greg Kono fixing a pair of loppers with a welder

The previous Fixers’ Collective Meeting had quite the collection of items to fix. I was only able to stay for about an hour, but in that time we had five different items in for fixing!

James came in with an older bike in desperate need of a tune-up. The chain was having issues and the bike needed to be cleaned and oiled.. He began fixing it up using the bike stand and bike tool box before realizing that the bike needed more work than he could accomplish that night. He ended up checking out the bike stand and tool kit to do more repairs at home.

Greg Kono, head of the Fixers Collective, brought in a pair of loppers to be repaired. As part of the lopper repair, Greg got some hands-on welding experience as detailed in last week’s Tool of the Week post.

Joe, a long-time resident of the Tool Library was busy fixing up the Workshop joiner. He and Micah had recently put a new engine in the joiner and Joe was calibrating it to make sure it was working properly. This joiner will soon be featured in the Tool of the Week column.

Aviyah, a new resident of Youngstown, brought down her KitchenAid Stand Mixer to be repaired. It was not turning properly. After opening it up and taking a look, it turns out that the screws were loose inside the unit and letting the motor wiggle around. After a bit of action with a screwdriver, Aviyah’s Stand Mixer was running smoothly.

Finally, SWS’s new canopy had a broken link on the frame. Micah, our resident canopy doctor, was able to fix the broken section with some wire. The canopy is all ready for more wear and tear at the WS Farmers Market, where we hang out on the first and third Sundays of every month.

We’ll be hosting another Fixers’ Collective Meeting this Thursday, February 16 starting at 6pm. Come on down with all your broken stuff. If we can’t fix it, we’ll turn it into awesome art.

The Seattle Share Fair: Celebrate the Sharing Revolution!

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Patrick

The Seattle Share Fair
Tuesday, February 21st, 6-9pm
The West Seattle Senior Center
4217 SW Oregon Street

You may have recently heard the terms collaborative consumption, meshing, or the sharing economy. Basically, this is just a fancy new vocabulary for the time honored practice of sharing with your friends and neighbors. But now local services are springing up everywhere to promote the practice and provide inexpensive or even free access to almost all the various things you might need in your everyday life. Through these services, it’s now more attractive and simple than ever to share with both your inner circles as well as neighbors you haven’t even met!

At Seattle Share Fair, you’ll learn how to use all these services to gain easier access to thousands of tools and household items, workshops, cars, media, and even land for gardening. You’ll also learn how to personally start up similar services, just in case you’d like to have a Tool Library in your own neighborhood. The Seattle Share Fair is the place to get started!

The Course of Events
6-7pm: Share Fair Tabling: Get Involved!
7-8:20pm: Feature Program
Facilitator: Gene Homicki, Local Tools
Speaker: Patrick Dunn, Share Starter
Community Panel:
Billy Thomspon, Zipcar (Car Sharing)
Max Hepp-Buchanan, Cascade Bicycle Club (Bike Sharing)
Micah Summers, West Seattle Tool Library (Tool/Stuff Sharing)
Ken Gollersrud, Seattle Public Libraries (Information/Stuff Sharing)
Peter Rothbart, We Patch (Land/Garden Sharing)
Willow Brugh, Space Federation (Space Sharing)
8:20-9pm: Socialize & Sign up!

Admission: FREE

How to Share “The Gettin’ There”:
West Seattle Senior Center
4217 SW Oregon Street
If you can’t walk or bike, you might explore a few other options before you drive to the Share Fair by yourself:
Public Transit (Destination, Date, & Arrival Time Already Entered)
Zipcar (Car Sharing)
Avego (Ride Sharing)
If you’d prefer not to use any of these services but would still like to carpool, please comment to let us know and we’ll try to set something up the old fashioned way…by email.

Seattle Share Fair Reading & Resource List
It ain’t all reading and it is totally optional. Just in case you’re the type that likes to do some prep work….

The Sharing Revolution
What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption
Hardcopy available at The Seattle Public Library.
Audiobook available on itunes.

The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing
Hardcopy available at The Seattle Public Library
CD Audiobook available at The Seattle Public Library

The Sharing Economy, Fast Company
In A Down Economy, Sharing Takes Off, NBC Nightly News (video)
Steve Case, Founder of AOL, on The Sharing Economy , The Colbert Report (video)
Various Other Articles on The Sharing Economy

Seattle Tool (and Stuff) Sharing
Share your Stuff, Yes! Magazine
Ten Ways to Save the World: Build a Local Tool Library, Popular Mechanics
Tool Library Grand Re-Opening At Youngstown, West Seattle Herald (video)
West Seattle Tool Library
Sustainable NE Tool Share
Phinney Tool Library
Seattle Farm Co-op
neigh*borrow Seattle

Seattle Bike Sharing
Seattle Bike Share Feasibility Study, Department of Urban Design & Planning, UW

Seattle Ride Sharing
Carpooling a Click Away with Online Ride Sharing, Seattle P-I
King County Metro Rideshare Operations
Avego’s 520 Ride Sharing Pilot

Seattle Land/Garden Sharing
Garden Sharing: Farming Meet Social Networks, GOOD Magazine
Seattle Urban Garden Share
WePatch

Seattle Space Sharing & Co-Working
Shared Workspace Gaining Popularity, Seattle Times
The Space Federation
The Hub Seattle
Seattle Co-Working Spaces

How are you participating in The Sharing Economy?

Leave a comment and let us know!

Tool Library Offers “Handywoman for the Home” Series

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Patrick

Basic Electrical for the Home
January 26^th,7-9 PM
Instructor: Amy Ecklund of AmyWorks.com
Whether you want to change light fixtures or need an extra outlet in a room, this class will teach you the basic how-to steps for safe electrical repair. Learn how to use a voltage tester, change worn outlets and switches, label your circuits and more. You’ll also discuss larger jobs and get tips on doing it yourself. Hands-on experience will give you the confidence to safely try this at home.
Register Here!

Basic Tiling for the Home
February 23^rd,7-9 PM
Instructor: Susan Barnes of AmyWorks.com
Improve the value of your bathroom or kitchen. Learn to select the best tile for your project, prepare and install the tile and then grout to finish the job. You will learn the tools needed for the job and gain hands-on experience on how to use them.
Register Here!

Basic Plumbing for the Home
March 22^nd,7-9 PM
Instructor: Amy Ecklund of AmyWorks.com
Learn the basic how-to steps for repairing or replacing plumbing in your home. Class will cover faucet repair, wax ring replacement, faucet removal and installation plus caulking. Tips on how to do it yourself as well as knowing when it’s time to call a contractor.
Register Here!

Tool Library Offers “Introduction to Beekeeping”

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Patrick

This January, The West Seattle Tool Library is offering The Make-It Workshop Series, exploring a wide variety of unique crafts from beer brewing to beekeeping. Register for classes online at: http://www.meetup.com/WSToolLibrary

Introduction to Beekeeping
Tuesday, January 24th, 7-9 PM There a lot of buzz around bees these days. This class will cover basic beekeeping tools and equipment, local laws, getting started, basic hive management, and processing the harvest. Instructor: Brian Allen Cost: $20
Register Here!

Backyard Booze Recipes

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Patrick

For all those who attended the Backyard Booze class in December and all those who wish they had, Vanessa Primer has now passed along her favorite recipes. Be sure to let us know how it turns out!

Intro to Backyard Booze.Recipes

Tool Library Offers The “Make-It” Workshop Series

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Patrick

Introduction to Beer Brewing

Tuesday, January 10th, 7-9 PM Learn how to prepare your own beer! Participants will be introduced to all the necessary brewing equipment while learning how to prepare the mash, cook it, add flavors, and complete the brewing process. Instructor: Micah Summers Cost: $20

Introduction to Beekeeping

Tuesday, January 24th, 7-9 PM There a lot of buzz around bees these days. This class will cover basic beekeeping tools and equipment, local laws, getting started, basic hive management, and processing the harvest. Instructor: Brian Allen Cost: $20

Power Tools 101

Tuesday, January 31st, 6-9 PM Learn the basics of using small powertools such as circular saws, jigsaws, powerdrills, impact drivers, nail guns, and miter saws. During the class, you’ll demonstrate what you’ve learned by building a take-home, cedar planter box. Instructor: Amy Ecklund Cost: $20 + $5 for materials

The Make-It Workshop Series: Whaddaya Know?

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Patrick

Why keep your skills a secret, especially if you can earn a little revenue by sharing them? We’re constantly looking for new instructors on unique topics to be part of The Tool Library’s ongoing Make-It Workshop Series on Tuesday nights. Propose your class, anything from beekeeping to homebrewing, and we’ll try to find a spot for you. Instructors receive 50% of the proceeds, which could mean up to $150/class. To propose a class, please feel free to write to us at library@wstools.org to let us know your interest and qualifications.

Roundtrip Airfare Raffle @ The Tool Library

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Patrick

On February 21st, Sustainable West Seattle will be giving away 2 roundtrip tickets good for anywhere Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air fly. Raffle tickets will be awarded to all those who complete any of the following before the date of the drawing:

Join Sustainable West Seattle or renew your membership with a $20 donation;
Join The Tool Library or renew your membership with a $20 donation;
Purchase a Tool Library Gift Membership;
Take a Tool Library Class; or
Attend any SWS-sponsored activity and purchase a raffle ticket for $20.

Raffle tickets can also be purchased at The West Seattle Tool Library during open hours. Those who sign up or renew their memberships on the web will automatically be entered in the drawing. There is no limit to the number of times any individual can enter, through whichever means. SWS Board Members and their relatives are ineligible to participate.

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