Our Maker Space
We are developing a maker workshop offering affordable access to basic equipment such as workbenches, pillar drills, soldering irons, sewing machines and saws etc.
We also have a growing list of specialist traditional and contemporary making tools, listed alongside our community technicians below. Membership packages will be announced online soon, in the mean time attend one of our free open days – Maker Thursdays – to see what’s on offer.
Letterpress Workshop
Graphic Designer Paul Butler is leading the charge to create a community of beginners, enthusiasts and experts to restore, use and share knowledge about our letterpress facilities, This includes a beautful Cropper Platen Press that was donated to the Waiting Room along with 1.5 tonnes of lead type.
Kiln Room
Caroline Rhys-Lewis is the resident ceramicist, with a kiln donated by Colchester Institute. We hope to provide a centre for local ceramicists to meet and share ideas and skills, whilst also providing affordable workshops for enthusiasts. To pot or not to pot maybe a question, but providing a community kiln will help to arrive at an answer.
Certified Kitchen
Our professional kitchen is available for our members to use. Whether you want to produce your first batch of goodies for sale and need a certified kitchen or have simply run out of room at home. After a short induction with one of our residents you can start making use of all of our professional equipment.
Silk Screen Press
Tom Armstrong is the our resident silkscreen maestro, a whirling dervish of ink, pressure washers and sheets of acrylic – no problem is too tricky for Tom to overcome. Tom runs his own design and print business offering bespoke T-shirts, bags and merchandise to local bands. Tom is also a bass player in Manningtree noise-mongers Dingus Khan, this probably explains why he never cleans up after himself.
Nano Brewery
To support the resurgence of Real Ale, we are about to launch our first crowd-funding campaign to build a DIY brew facility on site.
We will offer public workshops and self-brew access for trained members. It will also provide us wih the opportunity to use innovative and experimental techniques to create small-batch craft ales for sale at the Waiting Room Bar.
Large Format Prints
‘Large Format’ Mike - aka Mike Polom fell in love with Big Bertha an Epson 7600 large format printer when working on This One Wall with the Creative Coop. Since then Mike has begun establishing a modern printing facility for members of the Waiting Room Maker Space which also includes a A3 Laser. We hope to add a 3D printer and Laser Cutter to our collection in the coming months to!
Coffee DarkRoom
When the Waiting Room first opened as an empty shell local photographer and pin hole enthusiast Jack Briggs-Miller jumped at at the chance to set up an experimental dark room using readlily available household chemicals where ever possible. Visit Jack at one of his regular workshops and open day events.