We just cut the new sign-off file. Users will be required to CAD, CAM, and cut this design. All measurements and materials will be supplied.
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who’s Joe?
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Actually your name goes there.
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It is a combined pocket and profile, hopefully folks understand the difference
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Well, they will or they won’t pass, eh?
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It’s a pocket, a few profiles “on” the line, some of which start at a depth other than “zero” and an outside profile. It involves two bit changes.
No drilling.
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will the sign off classes still run a total of $70?
Not sure. Something around that level. We have been exploring bundling two to three bits with the checkout for new wood chip makers.
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We have considered using a checkride fee to provide users with some combination of bits, a personal spoilboard and perhaps a set of dogs for positioning work. To the extent anything like that happens, it will be at actual cost. There is the possibility that a small fee could be used to provide community spoilboards. None of this has been determined yet.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but if I end up giving checkrides, it will not be at personal profit (unlike was done for several years by others).
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Thanks for the quick replies! The issue wasn’t that I minded paying it, it was where the funds were going. If its going towards machine maintenance, spoil boards, and a couple of bits for the machine, then that seems worth it to me.
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what all do we need to do to get recertified on it?
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Everybody makes a “Mitch’s Workshop” sign? 
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What’s the process to access the sign-off file and get on the list to run the sign-off job?
Where can I see the new documentation on starting up the Multicam and running a job?
And if I get certified, can I get into the pool of people who help with certifications?
This will not become a private feed trough for instructors. We also desire to break the cycle of being beholden to a single SME. Machine check-outs will still require a fee to be paid to the check-out supervisor. If you arrive unprepared and are failed, you will forfeit your fee and be required to reschedule.
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We are about to post classes for existing users.
Being a check-off person won’t be an activity, but a serious responsibility. These people will be required to know the machine cold. At this point in time, 90% of existing users most likely will not be qualified to sign people off.
Please keep in mind we are eager to develop qualified people. In reality, the pool of check-out supervisors will most likely come from power users that are willing to and are able to teach the requisite classes.
I hope we develop an over abundance of both quality instructors and check-off supervisors.
Note:
Wood-shop basics would be a great place to start teaching for most people.
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The sign-off file will be a drawing with dimensions and the task will be to re-create it from scratch and then cut it. It’s not a VCarve file with toolpaths defined. Just a PDF drawing.
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With a different check-out instructor.
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but we have to do this design?
Yes. Drawing this in VCarve is pretty simple. If you can use Inkscape, you can use VCarve. For a real CAD user, this is trivial.
Part of our historical issues have been people utilizing the “Fake it, till you make it” approach. The machine has suffered exceptional abuse under that philosophy. Understanding the whole process is what keeps the machine from being damaged and someone yelling, “Oh, the bit slipped, my bad”. The reward is that the machine will be operational when you want to use it, not torn up by someone that hasn’t invested the time to become proficient.
Don’t be surprised if the checkout supervisor asks you to make a simple change and export the resulting tool path. Not that any of our membership might try to game the system by having someone else do the CAD & CAM in order to gain access to the machine 
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If the test is a concern. please remember that you can always cut your teeth on one of the other two CNC router systems DMS owns. The Shapeoko in Woodshop, or the Shapeoko XXL in plastics. There is no shame in slowly gaining knowledge and experience before diving in the deep end of the water.
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