January 2026 Updates
With the beginning of our first full calendar year now a month behind us, it seemed like a good time to send out some updates. We’re a little bit biased, so everything seems exciting, but we’re pretty sure you’ll find something going on that will get your attention!
Welding Area
We have officially signed a lease on about 860 square feet downstairs to expand and finish our welding area – right off the common area and easily accessible from the main shop. After working with the building and fire inspectors, and working closely with the building owner & property management team, we have a plan everyone seems happy with! The fire-rated ceiling was just completed last week. The fire-rated walls are underway with pre-demolition pretty much complete. And electrical upgrades to support 4 welders and HVAC should begin as soon as the walls are roughed in.
We’ve also acquired three new Vulcan multiprocess welders for classes (in addition to the big Miller MIG/stick and TIG machines we already have), and we just picked up a huge Acorn-style welding table at auction, complete with a good assortment of jigs & hold-downs!
We’re hoping to have enough construction complete to have the new space inspected in February for approval as our dedicated hot works area and open up for members and classes soon thereafter. Let us know if you’re interested in teaching a welding class once the new room is available!
Small Businesses Incubating at Mill Forge
We’re honored to host a number of small businesses and startups, and several of them have really gotten off the ground. We’ll be publishing a short piece on each of these – and maybe more! – over the next few weeks.
Andy & Mark of ECOformed started out with us in one work bay, and they’ve grown to a triple bay hosting a respectably-sized 3D print farm. ECOformed designs and prints sustainably 3D-printed wood housewares.
Myles, of Thumbprint Vintage, began as an active denizen of the textile area, and has now built out one of the most customized bays we have, curating vintage clothing and upcycled textiles & jewelry at his popup shops and on depop!
Brianna, whose equipment-filled bay is home to Agate All Along, joined Mill Forge early and brought her whole lapidary lab inside when the weather made outdoor work impossible. Her work is mostly sold direct, but occasionally hosted on Etsy!
And most recently, James and the crew from Bowers Design have been filling the space with sets for local theater programs, most recently, Milton Middle School’s production of Anything Goes. One of the largest groups working regularly in the space right now, it’s been great to see all the activity and personal connections they’re generating!
Stay tuned for more profiles of the small businesses incubating here at Mill Forge!
Repair Café Coming Soon
Last week, we hosted a group of dedicated fixers from the Neponset Valley Repair Coalition. These fixers aren’t the secretive lawyers & PR teams who fix thorny political issues in Grisham movies; these are sewists, solderers, technicians, and artisans who fix your broken stuff! Since 2024, the 100% volunteer-run Repair Café has been sponsored by the Westwood Environmental Action Committee, and is now growing to include more Neponset Valley cities and towns, hosting in Westwood, Dover (coming up soon!), and soon Norwood – right here at Mill Forge Makerspace!
It’s an enthusiastic and skilled team of folks, mostly using their own tools and supplies, who will now have access to the whole workshop during their Norwood events. They’ll be able to handle bigger and more complex repairs on electronics, textiles, and furniture, plus more room to spread out larger pieces for work!
More to come on welding, class schedules, and happenings here at Mill Forge Makerspace – stay tuned!
