With regards to the storage areas, I have noticed that the storage policy doesn’t seem to be enforced at all. There are many projects that have been in the storage areas since I joined in February, and they look like they have been there well before then. Someone went around and put paper signs on a lot of them stating they had until May 1st to remove them or claim them, yet nothing seems to have been done since then.
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245 people represent 80% of the visits to the space. If each of them were to spend just 10 minutes/week “committing a neatness” (e.g. cleaning up their immediate surroundings), this would equate to a full time 40 hours/week (at 100% utility - no coffee breaks) cleaning crew.
When I come in on Thursdays, I usually, at a minimum, haul a can or two of woodshop trash to the dumpster. I am usually pretty good about running the broom around, using the vacuum system when using the tools, returning an abandoned tool to its proper storage, etc.
Doesn’t take long, isn’t a big imposition, and helps make the space a little nicer. I encourage others to do likewise.
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AlexRhodes - In response to your feedback on the gates being left open/closed I’ve seen some manufacturers that offer current sensing switches and gates. IE when a tool is powered on the dust collection system is automatically turned on and the corresponding gate is also opened. Typically these systems also have programmable timers that keep the gate and dust collector on for x number of minutes after the tools are powered down. Some of the systems can get fairly expensive but as makers I’m sure we could also build something better or more than capable of meeting our needs.
We have looked at the ivac system ( http://www.ivacswitch.com/default.action?itemid=35) in the past but as you state gets fairly expensive to outfit every tool. When we looked at it we were about 300 members now that we are about 850 the money doesn’t seem so outrageous anymore. The sad thing is, its one of those things that really shouldnt be needed . For the cost of this system we could by another 3D printer, a lathe or other tools. @Cmorgan was working with another person on a system used a car door lock actuator to open and close the gate. I don’t know the current status though.
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I have created a meeting for Sunday at 4PM per the poll results. I will probably be there around 3PM getting a head start on organizing cleaning up. Feel free to show up and help.
This is a committee meeting. This meeting time was chosen from a poll Keeping the shop clean
At 4PM we will start in the wood shop organizing, finish ducting, and cleaning up. Around 5PM we will meet in the hands on class room. We might meet sooner depending on how many people show up and clean up the shop.
General Agenda for the Meeting, more to be determined
- Direction/Focus of Wood Shop
- Policies and procedures
- Ways to enforce when you see something wrong
- Ways to Improve Wood Shop 101
- Set Reoccurring schedule
- Teachers?
- Add Saw stop procedure
- Signage
- Content
- Placement
- Design
- Large Sign for Entry way
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Apparently the ryobi hand vac is not currently available online, and the 3 stores I checked didn’t have any despite what their online inventory claimed. So no new portable workshop vacuums for now.
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Hello All,
Bringing this one back to the top, I was in the shop with @MathewBusby cleaning the woodshop. I’m not sure why the table saws and the chop saw are immune to individual cleanup.
Those seem like 2 of the filthiest spaces where people cut their piece and walk off with no intent to come back and clean it up.
Also in a close 3rd is the planer and joiner area.
There is a shop vac, floor vac, 3 brooms, a dust pan and hand brushes. There is no reason folks can’t clean up after themselves after they are done with any tool in the woodshop.
The $4,000 saw stop was clogged up with dust, and nobody bothered to check the suction or bothered to clean up the mess. Yet when the sign goes up that its broken then folks get irritated.
It makes no sense to be lazy, and pig pen your way around a shared shop leaving chaos behind you. These folks know who they are and i’m sure its habitual.
If you make the mess, don’t leave it for the next person to clean up, and or the supervisors to clean it up for you to come back and mess is up again.
Yes we are all makers, but take pride in the space that allows you to be a maker.
Clean-up after yourselves please…
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To lend some insight to my experience, which I assume would represent the possible experiences of others and certainly lends credence to the immunity behavior you mention.
I have been in the woodshop while it’s in use by others, cleaning up MY mess while others are spewing shavings on the floor. It seems a little self-defeating when this occurs.
Also, I have also been derided for cleaning up my mess while others are making theirs right next door.
Things like that tend to stick with a person, even when they’re wrong. I have no idea how to change that culture other than to continue to ignore the person being an asshole…
I’m a newbie and I’m a little apprehensive about opening the SawStop table saw and fooling around with it. Maybe a class on basic care of table saws and other shop equipment might be good.
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I would say ignore the asshole, the cnc supervisors group is growing. Which mean more eyes to peep out the lazy folks who keep doing this. Your due diligence is appreciated no doubt, its not expected for you pick up every single piece off the floor. However if you leave a pile of shavings on the floor that makes the space look like crap, you will know the difference, so that needs to be cleaned up. If the guy next door is a pig pen, i’m sure that will be addressed as needed.
So please keep cleaning up after yourself its not everyone its a handful of what i call leeches that just show up use the equipment and go home. Not giving a thought to the spaces safety or look, keeping in mind there are people walking in and out touring the space, and the crap they left behind could cause injury to the next member of the space that wants to use the tool. It’s just a clear i dont care not mine attitude.
I mean I ignored the ignorance of the folks that left the chop saw and saw stop and table saw a hot mess, I didn’t make any of it.
Regardless its a joint effort, some filthy people won’t ever change its a habitual thing. However if anyone see’s a spot that’s just trashed out, please take 10 mins of your time and maintain it.
Otherwise, stuff like that saw stop is gonna break, and then the same people that just walked by it in a shitty state will complain that they can no longer do their projects.
So if EVERYONE chips in then the problem will disappear.
No worries your not expected to open up the saw, but the top, sides, and bottom was trashed with shavings, which is a clear indicator the suction isnt working. You see that black bar, if you put you hand on the end and feel nothing the suction is jacked up or the saw is clogging. Like any other tool, post your concern and one of the supervisors will address it, but dont just keep cutting on it making the problem worse.
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As far as the floor goes, there is a dust mop in the wood shop, which makes it really quick and easy to clean sawdust off the floor. It only takes about 10 minutes to sweep the entire wood shop floor with it, and even less time if you’re only cleaning the area around the tool you used. Simply push it around and around like a zamboni - no need to sweep like a broom. Push all of the dust into a central pile, then vacuum up the pile.
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To add a bit more information here, the root cause was certainly a problem with the dust collection system. @AlexRhodes opened it up and sawdust was absolutely pouring out of the filter section (which shouldn’t really have dust in it). It had almost zero suction and caused the dust to really pile up in all of the machines.
But the original point stands. If you see the dust collection failing as badly as it is, at least tell someone.
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I’d like to remind everyone that it’s up to every member to help enforce good practices, that might be cleaning, safety or plain old politeness. If you see someone doing something wrong, let them know nicely. If they’re a jerk about it, let me or another board member, committee chair, etc know and we’ll speak to them.
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@MathewBusby pointed out to me yesterday there is a floor vac, which most people might not now about. I agree the dust mop is the best option. Over by the dustcollection system there is a silver pipe connected to the floor, all you have to do is dust mop your shavings in front of it and the vac will suck it up. No shop vac needed.
So to your point the tools to reiterate a clean shop are there to use, its a matter of just usign them.
I agree with holding everyone accountable as well.
LOL, maybe the next time it happens, remove the blades and lock them up, with a sign saying until somebody cleans this up, the machine is closed. Continued behavior like the below will cause key components of the tool you want to use to disappear. That way when the a-holes leave a mess more folks will be apt to say something to avoid having the tool locked down.
Shouldn’t that be “create a ticket”?
Posting is also fine and easy, but as I understand it, the ticket should be the encouraged behavior…
Haven’t seen that. Did not know. Good tip. Will try next time. Brooms are OK, but slow…
Not sure if this is what you mean, but there’s large floor attachments for the shop vacs, and they work great, too. (as well as crevice tools for the nook’n’crannies if you’re working on a lesser used tool).
No sir, over in the corner near the big vacuum, there is a large silver tube that is attached to the floor, with an opening at the bottom of it. Its a floor vac, you just sweep your shavings into that opening and done.
Didn’t know about the tickets, i agree, need to find out how to do this.
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It should be pinned at the top of the talk page for everyone, as far as I know…
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/who-do-i-contact-for/5894
also, there’s a note from Brooks at the end post on using email to create a ticket if that’s easier.
Looks like this, mounted on the floor with a blast gate around chest high:
http://www.oneida-air.com/Images/Products/Large/dsn000000_lg.jpg
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By the way, the floor sweep should be the easiest indicator of when the dust collection system is starting to not work well. If that guy is not picking stuff up, you’re not really collecting dust at all. Let someone know 
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Hrrmmm. That’s like the second time in three months. I’ve cleaned the filter myself several times trying to keep it free flowing. Not really certain why it’s filling up, need to take a closer look at it. It went fast this time. I note that it’s always filled with very fine dust, the consistency of flour. I would have though most of that should get filtered before it enters the air handler.
Is there a reason the control board was left uncovered at the top? Won’t do it any good to be exposed to the dust.
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