Important updates about your new workshop:
New times, new space, new pricing
Opening our new, bigger workshop hub has been a dream come true for us. Over the years, our two community workshops in Leith and Portobello became a vital part of the local communities, and watching friendships forms, skills grow and projects come to life around these spaces has been one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
Running two workshops did come with its own challenges, though. Not only the cost of spaces, but also maintaining machines across two sites. Opening one larger, better-equipped hub means we can do everything we did before, and more.
Our goal is for Edinburgh Tool Library to be a resilient organisation rooted in our city’s third sector ecosystem – one that can weather difficult funding periods and keep serving this community for years to come. To do that, we need to make changes to how the workshop runs.
What’s changing with workshop access?
Access to the community workshop will still be included in your membership. However, rather than being included as a free perk, sessions will now move to a pay-as-you-go booking. This ensures costs of machine maintenance, rent and electricity are covered, keeping the workshop a strong reliable resource for the community.
How much is a pay-as-you-go open workshop session?
Each open workshop session gives you 3 hours of dedicated time for you to practice, explore and work on your own woodworking projects. It’s a great way to get hands-on with bigger machines and connect with fellow Tooligans to share ideas and skills along the way.
A standard membership session is £10
A concession membership session is £3
+ a Humanitix booking fee – We’re moving our booking platform from Eventbrite to Humanitix. Humanitix is on of the most ethical booking platforms, where 100% of their profits are dedicated to charity.
When are open workshop sessions?
The open workshop sessions will be on:
Thursday 5 – 8pm
Friday 1 – 4pm | 5 – 8pm
Saturday 1 – 4pm
Do I need to be a member?
Yes! Access to the open workshop sessions is part of an Edinburgh Tool Library membership.
Becoming a member is easy, and gives you access to over 3000 tools in our inventory, open workshop sessions, 10% of all classes, and a community full of knowledge and skills to learn from.
Sign up for a membership HERE
What do I need to get started?
You’ll need to complete our safety induction before attending your first session. In this induction we walk you through all the machines and how to use them safely. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and is also a lovely way to get introduced to the community and the ETL ethos.
If you’re new to woodworking and want to build your confidence before diving into your own projects. Our Basic Home DIY course is the perfect starting point. This 3-week course will give you all the skills you need to get you going and completing it automatically counts as your safety induction.
For members who were previously inducted at one of our old workshops, don’t worry! For the first two months, every session will start with a 30 minute refresher to get everyone comfortable in the new space.
We’re so excited to welcome you into this new chapter. See you in the workshop!
