Gather ‘round now while we tell some tales of times past. April 2025 is our 10th birthday month, so we’re going to reminisce with a chronology of grainy photos and stories that are at least 90% true. 🎉
10th Bday Month Tale #3: Did you know that the whole Denver Tool Library used to be in the back half of the shop only (where the Workshop is now)?
Even though the $20,000 raised from membership pre-sales was more cash money than any of us had ever seen, we still had to be pretty scrappy. We could only afford to rent the back half of the shop (where the workshop is now) and still had to sublet a corner of it to screenprinter extraordinaire Arna Miller. Google maps would lead you to our secret back alley entrance. Our original sign was a cut up billboard found in the dumpster, and nobody got paid for years. BOY WE HAD FUN THOUGH!!! Our volunteers were truly truly amazing, so many generous people started donating tools to help us build our inventory, and members regularly brought us food and beer to help us survive.
10th Bday Month Tale #4: Did you know we used to have bands play on the roof during our First Friday parties?
Since everyone was a volunteer the first few years, we had to throw good parties. We got bands to play in our backlot, sometimes on the roof, and we’d serve drinks out of a poorly built particleboard structure that we called the “Clamp Shack.” For our first birthday party INCITE made us the big creepy baby that’s still hanging in the workshop. DTL First Friday morphed from live bands and vendors, to dj sets and stump, to mostly karaoke over the years. This year we’re doing First Friday Member Socials so everyone can get chatty about whatever they’re workin’ on. Everyone is welcome and members get a free drink 🍻and there will still be threes i bet, iykyk 🎲
Want to ensure this “cool concept” stays alive another 10 years?
