A very welcoming makerspace, with good access to various equipment and knowledgeable members/volunteers.

Ace is a wonderful space full of workshops and different creative machines. They host many community events and remain accessible to everyone via volunteer program. I've personally learned how to 3D print and I plan on going to one of their many classes and social nights! read more

It was 11pm on October 30th and there I was, coming home from the graveyard with an armload of body parts for my monster only to find that my room mate was having a study session for an ethics class at UC and couldn't be disturbed by the hum of my generator and the occasional lightning strike I would need to power my beast. If only I had known about Ace Monster Toys then. With the high rents of the bay area it's nearly impossible to rent a decent castle and still have money left over to properly equip a laboratory. Ace Monster Toys has solved that problem by creating a shared laboratory space for mad scientists, allowing you to have a better equipped laboratory while saving space in your castle and letting your neighbors continue to believe that you are merely quiet and slightly withdrawn. I know you must be thinking (as I have), that if mad scientists are willing to share their laboratory they must not be nearly evil enough to be properly mad. In truth (which, mind you, I rarely stoop to telling), not all of the mad scientists at Ace Monster Toys are really evil... some of them are barely even nasty. I have found, though, that their relative goodness has only provided me with more opportunities to be evil and to corrupt budding scientists into truly twisted creatures, bent on pitting their creativity against the almighty (me, that is). The delight of Ace Monster Toys is that you can make it as evil as you want it to be, with less evil scientists to act as your minions and more evil scientists to be your mentors. Build your next robot army at Ace Monster Toys and together we shall rule the world. read more

Come for the toys, stay for the company. AMT is a place to make stuff. They have a shop with basic machines plus a nice lasercutter, 3D printers, CNC Router, mini CNC, and lots of other tools and equipment. I don't have the money or the space for any of this stuff at home, but at AMT now I have access to more than I know what to do with and can build to my heart's content. The best part, though, is the collection of great people who hang out there and do projects. It's like a clubhouse for nice, technically inclined, creative professionals. There are artists, hobbyists, engineers, craftspeople, scientists, educators, all sorts, all doing their side thing in a welcoming space. It's hard to explain how rad that makes the place. The environment is very rich for collaboration. It's the birthplace of HackerScouts. There are workshops for learning to use the equipment, but no one is going to hold your hand. If you're a jackass you'll probably end up burning/cutting/grinding off body parts, so please just stay away. read more

Ace Monster toys is one of the best equipped and affordable makerspaces around. They have laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC routers, a woodshop and electronics stations. The community is friendly, knows their stuff and is ever so helpful. They have several weekly events on Meetup. read more

Everyday I am amazed... The access you get to machines and experts, all for a very affordable price is simply amazing. Surround yourself with smart, creative people. It is a non profit and you can see from the leadership (Rachel) that things are just done right. 105 stars. Hope the air quality was fixed... I always kept passing out and had to stop going there :/ read more

I went to Ace Monster Toys for a class on "How to Make a Leather Tote" with Rachel. I was impressed with the industrial sewing machine, and the hands on experience to learn how to thread the machine properly and the background on safety. The fee for the class covered the materials and instruction, but I would have gladly donated money for upkeep of the space, since everything else seemed to be equally as intriguing. Check it out if you have a chance . . . it might actually exceed your expectations as maker, creator, hobbyist, general MacGyer types . . . the people who attended the class are also very artsy and share ideas. read more