Member tool sharing without the spreadsheet
Your space already has shared tools members use on-site. FriendsWithTools is for the personal tools your members own that they'd loan to each other: the stuff that doesn't live at the space, but probably should circulate.
You already have the trust; you just need the rails
Makerspaces and co-working workshops have something most groups don't: vetted members with overlapping interests and shared respect for tools. Borrowing among members already happens informally. FriendsWithTools makes it organized without making it feel transactional.
Use it for the personal tools members are willing to lend to each other (specialty bits, fixtures, infrequently-used machines), and keep your space's main inventory in whatever sign-out system you already use.
The "I have this at home" economy
Specialty tooling
Reamers, gauges, jigs, fixtures. Things a member made or owns personally that another member could use for one project.
Take-home tools
For tools the space doesn't have but members do (soldering stations, cordless tools, sewing machines), share access without each member buying their own.
Project-based loans
Per-tool message threads keep agreements clear: "Need it back by Sunday for my own project."
Member-only privacy
Group is invite-only. New members get added when they join the space; remove when they leave. No public listings.
One group per space, optional sub-groups by domain
Start with one group covering the whole membership. As the group grows, members often start specialty sub-groups (woodworking, electronics, metalworking), so the inventory stays browsable.
A free private group covers a small space. Larger spaces (hundreds of members) get more from a community group: member applications, announcements, and admin tools, with Community plans sized up to 500 members.
Running a tool-sharing group for your makerspace?
Community plans add member applications, announcements, and admin tools, with room for up to 500 members. Every new community group starts with a free 30-day Community Starter trial, no credit card required. Plans from $29/month, with discounted pricing for verified nonprofits.
See Community PlansBuilt for makerspaces and shared workshops. Free to start.
Create a group in five minutes, invite the first few members, and start sharing what you already have.