Jay’s Story Building a Broadcast Ready Podcast Set
Jay’s Story - Building a Broadcast Ready Podcast Set for Stihl on a Compressed Timeline
QUICK FACTS
⏱ Time to Complete: 6 weeks (nights and weekends)
🔧 Favorite Tools: Track Saw, CNC Router & Open Studio Assembly Space
💡 Key Learning: Reset not upset. When the deadline is non-negotiable, parallel workflows and 24/7 access become your competitive advantage
🎯 Skill Level: Professional set builder, first commercial client project at this scale
📍 Location: Norfolk
The Challenge
Jay Tuthill and his team landed a contract to build a fully custom, broadcast-ready podcast set for Stihl. The timeline was aggressive. The client expectations were high. And there was zero margin for error.
This wasn't a hobby project they could pause and restart. It was a professional deliverable with a hard deadline, multiple custom fabrication requirements, and a client who expected flawless execution. One delayed component, one bad finish, one misaligned assembly, and the entire project timeline collapses.
For a team working nights and weekends around day jobs, this meant they needed more than tools. They needed infrastructure that wouldn't slow them down.
The Project
Working out of 757 Makerspace Norfolk, Jay assembled a team (Rob, Sope, Emanuel, Alex, and John) and attacked the build.
The scope included custom wall systems and cabinetry, monitor concealment panels designed to read as windows on camera, metal components, custom color matching, and detailed finishing throughout.
Here's what made it possible:
24/7 access meant parallel workflows. While one team member cut wood on the track saw, another ran components through the CNC, and a third was assembling sections in the open floor space. No waiting for "shop hours." No bottlenecks. When they needed help cutting on the CNC, they had it here with another member to add to their team workflow.
Professional grade equipment they didn’t have yet and specialized tools to make the work easier like: Track saws, CNC router, metalworking tools, and 4,000+ square feet of assembly space all under one roof. Renting this equipment and space separately for 6 weeks would've eaten their entire budget before they touched a single material.
Our Norfolk location of 757 Makerspace provided them with Open Studio space to spread out and move fast. They could lay out full wall sections, pre-assemble components, and quality check everything before it left for installation. No garage Tetris. No compromising on process because of space constraints.
"We needed to move like a professional shop without the overhead of being one. 757 Makerspace gave us the infrastructure to deliver on time without burning our profit margin on equipment and space we'd only use for this one project." —Jay Tuthill, 757 Makerspace Member
Jay and team building a cyclorama corner wall
The Outcome
The finished set delivered a polished, professional broadcast environment that exceeded Stihl's expectations and was completed on schedule. The project showcased Jay's team in taking on more commercial clients at scale.
Here's what actually made that possible:
Access to professional grade equipment for $199/month per member
24/7 availability so nights and weekends didn't slow them down
Fabrication workflows under one roof with no outsourcing delays or coordination overhead
Space to work at commercial scale without commercial overhead
Some makerspaces are hobby clubs. We're infrastructure for people who have real deadlines and real clients.
Jay's team paid for memberships. Stihl paid for results.
New production studio ready to move in
Is this you?
If you're taking on commercial work, client projects, or contract builds where failure isn't an option, let's talk.
Book Your Project Consultation – We'll walk through your timeline, show you the equipment you'd need, and confirm if we can support your workflow. No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether we're the right fit for what you're building.