Case Western Reserve University’s Sears think[box] has produced tombstones, circuit boards, race cars, airplanes, robots, hammers, fake body parts, a child’s growth chart, a replica of an ancient 432-pound stone fragment, and much more during its 13 years as a mecca for makers.

Claire Dorsett leads Case Western Reserve University's Sears think[box], whose many products include artificial jaws for dental students to practice working on.Visitors have also repaired toasters, car parts, a sewing machine, and a wedding dress there.

Executive director Claire Dorsett says that, with its brackets, “think[box]” means “think outside the box.” The place is the nation’s biggest free, public makerspace: That’s true whether based on size—about 50,000 square feet on seven floors—or based on visits—about 81,000 visits per year by 5,500 different people.

Everything at think[box] is free, except for reservable workspaces and some materials. What’s more, makers can bring their own stuff. The place even has free coffee and kitchenettes.

During a recent tour, Dorsett points out storage carts and bins heaped with parts, scraps, tools and more. “Everything looks like chaos,” she says. “That’s the nature of innovation.”

Maker mayhem
Think[box] is like a shop classroom gone wild. It offers 3D printers and scanners, laser cutters, water jets, and many other similar new-fangled devices.

The roughly $51 million think[box] hosts students, amateurs, and professionals alone or in groups. It hosts exhibits, talks, a STEM summer camp, CWRU classes, student clubs such as Engineers Without Borders, the school’s Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, community groups such as the National Association of Black Engineers, and startups such as Sorcea Labs, which makes personalized recommendations for skin care.

“Think[box] matters because it levels the playing field between the place's makers and better-heeled ones,” Dorsett explains. “Many of our tools and machines are typically only found in a research lab or corporate setting. We make them free and accessible to everyone. And if you’ve never used them before? No problem. We’ll teach you. That's free, too.”

Mike Crawford uses a big laser cutter to make wooden gift boxes at the Sears think[box].Machines, material and mentors
Makers praise the place. “Whatever you need, there’s always material and equipment,” says Mauro Torres, president of the Case Rocket Team, while he drips decorative bits of solder on a carabiner he's giving to a friend as a gift.

“It’s an amazing place,” says Michael Crawford, who inscribes tombstones there as think[box]’s tombstone maker, “not just the equipment but the people.”

Crawford says he gets great advice from other makers and the staff, which usually includes 13 full-timers and 35 to 40 student technicians. “You can start a business here,” he says. “You can take your business to another level.”

Think[box] leases long-term space to eight startups, including CLEANR, which makes microplastics filters for washing machines. Company CEO and president Max Pennington, a CWRU alumnus, says, “The Sears think[box] offers a true sandbox to innovators.”

Think[box] and five of its startups won Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) 2025 Best of Tech honors. Think[box] gives startups about $105,000 per year in seed money. Businesses launched there have raised more than $435 million in capital over the past 13 years. Dorsett says the organization not only helps makers make goods and money, it also enriches Cleveland’s economy.

Making a makerspace
Sears think[box] is named for leading donor Larry Sears, an electronics magnate, CWRU alumnus, adjunct professor, and trustee, and for his wife, Sally Zlotnick Sears.

The center started in 2012 in the university’s Glennan Building and moved in 2015 to its current home, the Richey Mixon Building, formerly Lincoln Storage. It has gradually expanded to fill the building.

People with no ties to CWRU can use think[box] by bringing a photo ID and registering for a key card. They can handle simple equipment like computers, printers, vinyl cutters, and soldering irons without coaching, unless they want it. They must undergo 60 to 90 minutes of training for any advanced machine like a lathe, blowtorch, or water jet. In case of a gaffe, there are first aid stations.

Think[box]’s seven floors host somewhat ascending levels of production, organization and profit. “You can walk in with the spark of an idea and, as it evolves, move floor by floor into new materials, new tools, and new kinds of support,” says Dorsett.

Think[box] Derby cars are made with a range of materials—from potatoes to power strips. Past entries have included a working radio on wheels and an imitation dragon with flapping wings.Think[box] staffers make some products to order, including artificial body parts for medical practice. For instance, the Cleveland Museum of Art once ordered a replica of a 432-pound stone fragment from the sixth century to help determine what sculpture the fragment belonged to.

Some organizations visit think[box] to make their own goods. Great Lakes Science Center has constructed parts of an exhibit there, while Cleveland Public Theatre builds parts of its sets.

Of the public events held at think[box], one involves volunteers from Fix-It Cleveland, who help people repair their possessions from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of every month.

On the first Saturday in April, the think[box] Derby takes place for cars made with a wide range of materials—from potatoes to power strips.

Past entries have included a working radio on wheels, an imitation dragon with flapping wings, and a car playing “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music” while scaling a hump in the track.

Dorsett says she loves that sort of creativity. “We’re not just teaching skill sets; we’re teaching mindsets,” she says. “The machines matter, but so does the way people learn to approach problems.”