Techgym opens up its workshop to the public

Nathan Lewis with Techgym member David Griffen working on a door of a Series Two Land Rover.

Wintec has opened the doors to its Rotokauri campus to allow the general public to utilise its engineering and trades facilities.

It has adopted a gym-membership model, and for a monthly fee users will have access to state-of-the-art equipment, specialist tools and instructors.

Nathan Lewis has been involved in the project from the start and said the aim was to use the equipment outside class hours and to increase engagement with the community. The Techgym was something he had contemplated for 18 months.

"There was an element of 'you want to open it up to the general public? Are you crazy?'," he said.

"The biggest thing is that we want people to be safe. There's a lot of dangerous equipment."

The setup of the gym means particularly dangerous areas, such as the welding and heavy fabrication room, require swipe card access. A person's membership card can be given access privileges depending on their level of training.

"No one can just bowl up into a workshop," Nathan said.

Fees cover training, safety advice on the equipment, and qualified instructors to monitor the workshops.

The gym is also in the process of producing interactive videos on Wintec's website which can be found by scanning QR codes next to equipment.

Nathan said there had been good uptake, with around 90 members already enrolled.

The facility was designed to comfortably host 200-300 members.

Before opening, Nathan talked to a number of local and national gym owners to get advice on how to operate the new gym.

"They said you get those people who have a pressing need who want to be there 100 per cent of the time and those that come when life suits. At the moment we're letting it evolve naturally and we're not currently having any membership cap.

"So far we have targeted it at people in industry and we have only opened up the fabrication area for metal work."

Nathan said a lot of people had come in to learn how to weld, and recent projects he had seen included people making an exhaust for a scooter, an outdoor pizza oven and steel sculptures.

"We have a guy working on a Series Two Land Rover - he brings in small pieces at a time. At the moment he's working on a door frame."

Nathan said he had been given the green-light until Christmas to show the gym could be a successful venture and over the coming weeks he hoped to have the wet work areas open, and that the carpentry and machine shop would follow.

"Eventually we will open up all the trade areas, including the electrical and automotive."

Those interested in joining should get in touch over Facebook or the Techgym website.

"We would be happy to give a walk through," he said.

Nathan is determined to quash the view that the Techgym is just for men, and will be running ladies' nights in future.

"A number of ladies from the city campus have said 'I want to be able to do an oil change in my car but I don't know how to'. We're going to run classes to show them."

A Wintec spokesperson said proceeds from the Techgym project would go back into the gym and then later into the facility's maintenance.

The gym is currently open Mondays and Thursdays from 5pm-9pm and Saturdays from 10am-4pm. Members also have access to discounts for personal safety equipment like steel cap boots and goggles.

For more information see www.techgym.co.nz.