City’s oldest makerspace is more than a workshop

Hack Pittsburgh enables residents to learn skills, gives back to community

The first thing a visitor sees inside the Hack Pittsburgh office is the Thor-menator.

At 50 pounds and about 5 feet long, the hammer comes with a plastic battle helmet in a nod to the Marvel comic book hero.

“You have to wear the helmet to lift the hammer,” said a grinning Chad Elish, HackPGH’s president.

The Thor-menator is one of many strange things in the building, nestled in an Uptown alley behind Fifth Avenue. A replica of the telephone booth from “Dr. Who” and a flashing pedestrian sign also decorate the room, which is stacked high with tools and machinery related to various trades.

Aside from those oddities, at first glance the building appears to be nothing more than what it is — a garage, filled with half-finished or completed projects and with tools both old and new. A plastic purple sailboat sits proudly on a shelf, a product of one of the 3-D printers. Near the ceiling, a homemade alert system dings loudly every time HackPGH is mentioned on Twitter.

But for the past decade, the garage has also served as a place for Pittsburgh residents to learn trades, including 3-D printing, laser cutting and robotics.

It is the oldest makerspace in the city and for $50 a month — $30 for students, veterans and senior citizens — members have 24/7 access to the garage’s tools, which are provided through money from fundraisers and member donations, in addition to their dues.

The workshop draws people of all backgrounds, ranging from blue-collar workers to government