Posted on by ted@thebrickyard.org

A long overdue update – with some big news!  

There’s been a lot going on, and a lot of work behind the scenes. You know there usually is when you get radio silence from us…

First off, we need to thank everyone who made our Patronicity campaign a huge success back in August!  Of course we all know what trying times we’re living in, and to be honest it was hard to even ask for help.  The community stepped up and showed us they believe in us and our work, and that means a whole lot to us.  We made our goal and then some, and got our grant request in just under the wire…  Fingers crossed Mass Development will support us the same way they’ve helped us in the past.

Next, we have a new home!  We were able to work out a deal with our landlord and take over a space only a short walk down the hall.  We picked up about 1000 sq/ft, bringing us up to 4600 sq/ft, with a much more usable layout.  Our new address is Suite 107B at 71 Linden St.  As of last weekend we got all our members tucked into their new digs, and we’re working to get the shop areas a little more organized and set up.  You’ll see our new “Rapid Prototyping” lab with 6 filament 3D printers, a Formlabs SLA printer, our Glowforge laser cutter and the Vaquform vacuum forming press, along with the Shapeoko CNC router that’s been a workhorse for us.  Of course, there’s all the rest of our gear, now a lot more organized.

Take a look at the photos – we have more flex-space for the big projects, and room for a handful of new member spaces as well:

One of the benefits of the new space is, well, more space.  We are able to lay out the stations with much more of a focus on COVID-aware safety, allowing room between work areas, partitions, and a floor plan that allows a safer traffic pattern.  Another plus?  We can keep areas of the shop that are 18yrs + restricted separated, so we can handle younger kids in a much safer manner.  This works hand-in-hand with the relationship we’ve built over the summer with the amazing people in the Lynn Education District organization – more on that to come.

Finally, some acknowledgement of the wonderful work by the Boston Derby Dames, whose space we’re taking over, and though we’re excited for our new home, it’s a bittersweet move.  Almost immediately in March the group had to cancel events and close up, and they were forced to give up their space.  They are friends and family of The Brickyard, and it was heartbreaking to learn the news. We have little doubt this is just a temporary setback for them, and we’ll see them again soon.

In the meantime, if you’d like to chip in and help them out, they have a GoFundMe campaign running here: Boston Roller Derby Needs Your Help! 
Their Facebook page is here, and their website is here.

Plans are in the works for an Open House coming up, with COVID requirements met, so stay tuned!  Thanks again for all the support and help, and we’ll see you soon!

“Keep making stuff. Take care of people, play nice and clean up after yourselves.”