Question 1

How do I find out more about your space?

Accepted Answer

The best way to find out more about our space is to attend a General Orientation & Space Tour. These consist of a tour and then a general orientation which tells you about our organization and our policies. You're welcome to get the tour and leave before the orientation as well!General Orientations are at the following times:First Thursdays at 6:30 PMSecond Mondays at 8 PMLast Saturdays at 11 AMIf you can't make those times, reach out to us using the contact form and we'll find a time that works for you!You can also browse our website and our wiki for more information, and join our Discord Server to get the most up-to-date information and connect with our over community of makers, over 500 strong!

Question 2

Can you make me a ______?

Accepted Answer

We cannot, but our members might be willing to! We have a channel on our Discord server called # job-requests where anyone can ask our community for help making an item.

MAKE Roanoke provides the space for community use, and is not responsible for quality of work, negotiating, or ensuring payment. Participate at your own risk.

Question 3

How can I donate to MAKE Roanoke?

Accepted Answer

We accept both monetary and equipment/supply donations. We have a full guide on our donation page.

Question 4

Are there any membership discounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes!
Individual memberships are $50/mo for one person. 
Couple memberships are $90/mo for 2 people (Must be paid on one card)
Student memberships are $35/mo (must present a valid student ID) and we have
Reduced Rate memberships for $35/mo (must qualify based on income)

We also offer all of those memberships as an annual membership for even more savings (equivalent to getting one month free):
Individual memberships: $550/yr
Couple Memberships: $990/yr
Student/Reduced-Rate Memberships: $385/yr

Full details on membership rates are on our Membership Page.

Question 5

What tools are available at MAKE Roanoke?

Accepted Answer

So many! You can view fairly good lists on our wiki:
3D Printing 
Wood Shop 
Metal Shop 
Electronics 
Fiber Arts 
Laser Cutting

Please note that all yellow and red tools are for Members use only, and require training beyond the General Orientation.

Question 6

What do you have for kids?

Accepted Answer

MAKE Roanoke is more geared to adults than to kids. We don’t have a full-time staff to supervise, and do have heavy equipment that can be quite dangerous. The minimum age to enter our space is 8 years old.However we do have some options for kids! Some of our classes are open to kids (this varies by class, depending on the kinds of tools we’re using), and members can get a youth-access pass for their kids for $25 per child per month. There are age restrictions by shop: Fiber Arts: Ages 8+The Lab (3D Printers, Electronics, Laser Cutter): 12+Wood Shop: 14+Metal Shop: 14+Any exceptions to these age restrictions require a written agreement between the shop captain, parent, and board. Full details are in our member handbook, section 1.3 (Minor Child of a Member)

Question 7

What’s available for Non-Members?

Accepted Answer

Non-Members can attend our Maker Meetups and most of our classes, as well as community builds like for the Daisy Art Parade Puppet every year. Any event for that’s exclusively for members is marked “Members Only", and you can filter our events by "Open to the Public" to see what's available.Additionally Non-Members can be guests of Members at the space, but can only use our Green-Level tools. Non-Members are welcome to bring their own equipment and use that in our space, though! (For example, a non-member cannot use our sewing machine but is welcome to bring their own sewing machine and use that)

Question 8

Where did your tools come from?

Accepted Answer

Most of our tools are from donations! Whether from other makerspaces, businesses, or home shops. We raised over $10,000 in a kickstarter in 2024 which also gave us a starting budget to buy some equipment. Occasionally, we will do informal crowdfunding amongst our community members to raise funds to buy something specific (Our Bambu P1S was purchased this way!)

Additionally, our shop captains have budgets that they can allocate as they see fit to outfit their shops based on feedback from membership.

Question 9

How accessible is your space?

Accepted Answer

Our space is not currently ADA Accessible (it is something we plan to fix as soon as we can).  The step to get inside the building is roughly 12 inches high with no handrail. There are steep ramps on the step as well, but no room to maneuver a wheelchair. Our bathroom is very small with no handrails.

Accessibility is very important to us and is a primary focus of our build out.

Question 10

What's the Parking Situation?

Accepted Answer

Our parking lot has a one-way design, entering on Albemarle and exiting on Williamson. There are marked parking spots along the left of the building, and you can also park along the grass behind the building.

When parking in the grass, please park at an angle to maximize space, and be sure to pull all the way off the asphalt.

There is overflow parking highlighted in blue.

Note that when you exit the parking lot, you have to cross the Mill Mountain Greenway before entering Williamson. Please watch out for cyclists and pedestrians, and take care to clear the small median!

Question 11

I applied for a membership but haven't heard back

Accepted Answer

So sorry about that! Please feel free to reach out to the Board on Discord or by email (board@makeroanoke.org) and we'll help you out.

The steps to complete a membership are:
Complete the membership application
Youth-Access application is here 
Make an account at members.makeroanoke.org and get a key fob from a Board Member
Pay the monthly membership fee on Member Matters
Youth Access are still done through PayPal on our Become a Member Page
Complete a General Orientation

Frequently Asked Questions