The Hardesty Center for Fab Lab Tulsa is a non-profit entity that has collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to assemble a diverse collection of state of the art equipment and computers into one workspace as a community center for innovation, entrepreneurship, and STEM education.

Fab Lab has equipment for small-scale manufacturing and rapid prototyping.  This includes laser cutters, 3D printers, a Makerbot, a vinyl cutter, screen printing equipment, and a Shop bot sawing table.  The equipment can be reserved by members, and membership includes training classes and sample projects.

Yearly Membership runs from $40 for students to $60 for 4 hours of machine time or $125 for 10 hours of machine time.

History

Planning for Fab Lab Tulsa started in 2008.  There was initial difficulty finding a site and a main donor.  By 2010, they had finalized the location in the Kendall-Whittier Neighborhood, with the Hardesty Family Foundation as the main donor.  The founding board included Anne Pollard, Diama Norris, Micah Kordsmeier, Josh Moseby, Trinna Burrows, Matt Norris, Dan Moran, Lori Timmons, and Dr. Robert Strattan.

Fab Lab opened in 2011.

Links

• Fab Lab Tulsa on Blogspot, including some of the early history
• Tulsa's "Fab" Fab Lab, 4/23/2010, by This Land's Ray Pearcey
• These Walls: Fab Lab Tulsa, 7/30/2012, on i2E's site, reprinted from The Journal Record story by Kirby Lee Davis