Columbus Idea Foundry

Ever thought «I wish I could make one of those myself» — about practically anything?
Brother (or sister, or nonbinary), have I got some good news.
The idea foundry is a combination of maker space, incubator, and general education located just on the border of Franklinton and downtown Columbus, where you can come in with a membership to rent tools, take classes, get practical hands on help, or find someone already working there and ask for their help making your project into a reality.
Featuring several 3D printers, a fully equipped woodworking shop, laser cutters, and even a working blacksmith’s forge, if they don’t have it there, you probably don’t need it.
I’ve been to the foundry for three events, now, and each time learned about something new there, and will be returning for a class on knifemaking at Macabee Metals (the house smithy) soon. It’s an awesome space that offers a wealth of resources to Columbus. Go check it out now — I think you’ll be happy that you did.

I came here for an open house, meet the maker event. I had never been here but heard good things.
Well, I’m ready to go to a class here and possibly become a member.
They have the coolest tools here, anything from huge 3D printers, to woodwork, to leather making and black smithing!
The staff was great, friendly and ready to teach.
Like I said, I’ll be back at lest for a class or two.

I absolutely love this place it has so many great things and it has a wonderful plan for expansion I cannot wait to see the future for this company again if you can think it they can help you make it check it out

Great space, enjoy teaching classes and learning from all of the other makers here.

The Columbus Idea Foundry seems like a great maker-​space! As a member, you gain access to a wide variety of really cool tools/​machines that enable you to do anything from welding to building furniture to programming a robot.
The Idea Foundry is located in the up-​and-​coming part of Franklinton, next to the Land Grant Brewery, Strongwater, and COSI. There’s a lot of free and open street parking. The workspaces themselves are clean and well-​maintained and the building has free wi-​fi. Membership fees are $ 35/​month, but there are also fees for equipment use (ex. the woodshop is $ 5/​hour, the laser cutter is $ 35/​hour, CNC is $ 25/​hour). This still seems like a great deal compared to when I was living in San Francisco and the fees there were ~$ 170/​month to use a maker-​space. Note: you also are required to take a class with a piece of equipment before you are able to use it, which totally makes sense for safety and liability purposes (but classes are good anyway to both to teach beginners and remind experts of tips/​tricks).
The community is probably the best part about the Idea Foundry. Everyone is very nice and approachable and there always seem to be experts in just about everything working on their own projects that are happy to answer questions and help you out. It feels like a safe, open environment and it is nice to meet other people with cool hobbies! Also, all types of people are there – young and old, men and women, artsy fartsy and average joes, hipsters and country boys.
I have taken 2 classes at the Idea Foundry so far: laser cutting/​engraving and intro to woodshop. Both were excellent.
In laser cutting and engraving, we went over how to use the Idea Foundry’s 2 laser machines, choose materials, and set up files on the computer. The class was fun and informative and the guy leading the class had a lot of really useful tips for what kinds of pictures make good etches, local shops to find acrylic and other materials on the cheap, and machine settings to get the type of cuts you want.
In intro to woodshop, we went over how and when to use a bunch of different machines, including joiners, planers, sanders, routers, table saws, band saws, and circular saws (there were more, but I forget which ones). This was a really great overview of woodshop tools and safety concerns. We went over choosing and prepping wood for projects and techniques for using all the machines I listed above. It was a hands on, so I got to use a couple of saws and the router by the end of the class. Overall really fun.

A must visit, then experience. This is a great idea brought to life through grants, hard work and dedicated people.
From industrial type equipment to 3d printers, if you can dream it, it can most likely be made here. Pick something you are interested in, take a couple of classes to familiarize yourself with the equipment, and start making your ideas come to life. Membership is $ 35 a month. They have different options like date night! Check out their Facebook page or website.
They are evolving as they grow, and will soon be adding a gift shop so visitors can purchase items from the many artisans that work there (including a for real blacksmith!).
This is definitely a great addition to the many things Columbus has to offer for visitors and those of us lucky enough to live in a diverse community.