Historical Reference Only: This page archives a board point paper dated January 25, 2021 (v1.0), written during the COVID-19 era at 130 W. Lachapelle. Membership counts, dues, and needs below describe that moment, not the present. For current facts see Organization & Legal Identity and the home page; for the founding story see History of 10BitWorks.
Download the original point paper (PDF) — “Point Paper on 10BitWorks Makerspace”, v1.0, drafted by board member Joe Rogers during the 2021 board term and dated 25 January 2021.
- 10BitWorks “Hackerspace” was founded in 2010 by San Antonio residents Christopher Hardee and Dirk Elmendorf (spelled “Elemendorf” in the original document) as a community DIY working space
- IRS 501©(3) designation received November 28, 2014 — consistent with the records on Organization & Legal Identity
- Initially housed at 1020 Roosevelt in a 2,000 sq ft former motorcycle repair shop; the small size limited capacity and capabilities, and the DBA name changed from “Hackerspace” to “Makerspace” to better communicate the mission
- Moved mid-2017 to 130 W. Lachapelle, a 7,000 sq ft former warehouse in the Southtown Lone Star Neighborhood Arts District (lease exhibit); improved capacity, but the building was not a long-term solution — electrical and plumbing deficiencies, most of the space not climate controlled, extreme dust
The paper describes 10BitWorks as a San Antonio non-profit, member-supported community DIY, maker, hacker, and industrial arts space: a place that is affordable to create and innovate within a collaborative setting, catering to artists, crafters, students, active military, veterans, retirees, and “anyone who is inspired to explore their creative potential” on their own or under the supervision of a mentoring member. Formal and informal training in safe project work sits alongside sourcing of repurposed material and logistical and technical guidance.
Claims the paper made about standing at the time: the largest DIY industrial arts space in San Antonio, one-stop shop adding to the cultural landscape of an evolving arts district, and the longest running organization of its type in the area, committed to bringing the maker experience to local schools, community groups, and neighborhoods. Its closing line: “There are no sidelines at 10BitWorks, everybody is a maker!”
Shop capabilities listed: woodworking, welding, blacksmithing, 3D printing, laser cutting, plasma cutting, CNC router table, glassblowing, ceramics, metal casting, metal lathe, wood lathe, sewing, embroidery, tee-shirt printing, and CNC milling. Community classes offered in-shop: welding, woodworking, ceramics, frame making, encaustic painting, and laser cutting.
Outreach and hosting the paper documented:
- Off-site participation: San Antonio Library Maker Faire, BSides San Antonio, San Antonio Mini-Maker Fair, UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures Folklife Festival
- Group education events: Girl Scouts Little Library Box making (2 x 25 students), Overland Partners Architects, UTSA Engineering Student Association, and the Freedom Rings wooden flag box build with wounded warriors and first responders
- Meetup hosting: Anne Frank Inspire Academy, Lions Field Adult Community Center, San Antonio Woodworker’s Guild, San Antonio Luthier’s Group
- Projects and collaborations: plastics recycling with The DoSeum, public outdoor seating with the Overland Partners intern project, homeless shelter builds with Broken Warriors Angels (a non-profit helping homeless veterans)
- Business incubation: inexpensive space for start-ups; examples named were Salty Bear Boards and Chadwell Art
- Events: active participant in Second Saturday Art Walk around South Flores, Lone Star, and West Lachapelle streets, limited after COVID to outdoor booths, music, and refreshments
- Around 75 active members at the time of writing; 100 active members prior to the COVID closure in March 2020
- Membership fees: $60/month individual, $100/month family, $100/month corporate (historical figures — current dues are on the home page)
- Post-reopening city COVID guidelines capped persons in shop at 10; spread-out hours meant full capacity was rare midweek
- Board of five unpaid volunteers focused on keeping the shop open, safe, and stocked
- The building lease was set to expire in Spring 2022 (the Lachapelle lease’s endgame is documented under 2026 Relocation)
- Grow the member base to 100 or better
- Pay off the CNC router table ($2,000)
- Acquire a woodworking dust collector ($500)
- Grow facility, capabilities, and capacity through membership, donors, grants, marketing, and community participation
- Strategic partnerships with other San Antonio nonprofits to leverage resources and reach underserved populations
- Fill community gaps, e.g. project-based after-school programs in industrial arts, creative arts, design, and fabrication
- Partnerships with area colleges to supplement engineering, manufacturing, and fine arts shop/studio programs
- Eventually acquire or long-term lease a 15,000+ sq ft industrial facility downtown with large secure outdoor area — three-phase power, climate control, clean areas, parking, industrial plumbing, and event capacity (the Botts Lane move ultimately delivered a version of this)
- Budget goals toward hiring a dedicated shop manager and administrative director
The paper positioned 10BitWorks as San Antonio’s largest and longest continually operating non-profit makerspace, having served thousands over ten years through training, projects, events, and collaborations, having navigated the 2017 move and the COVID pandemic, and being “poised for our next phase of growth.”
Contact block in the original: website 10BitWorks.com, main line 210-547-0221, plus the drafter’s personal phone — personal contact details are intentionally omitted from this page; the archival PDF retains the document as written.