Woodshop Basics demand way higher than supply

Woodshop
#1

First of all, good job on the number of basics classes that you guys put together. It went from zero for the month to four in the last week. Unfortunately demand is crazy high. I’ve checked several times a day and all the classes fill up almost instantly.

***My offer still stands to anyone authorized to give the basics course, I will pay you the $50 honorarium for a one on class at a time agreeable to both of us. I’ve been woodworking for a couple years so I am very familiar with safety issue and procedures. If interested please email me at [email protected].

#2

Well,

You might want up your price to the $100 and make it a donation to woodshop. Because nearly all the woodshop classes have the full honorarium donated back to the committee.

Good luck, can’t believe you missed all 4 classes.

#3

Good to know, thanks. Yeah, that was a real bummer
missing all the classes. I joined primarily for the woodshop, to be honest,
and I was really watching the events calendar like a hawk. I can’t complain though, I’ve been going to different classes and thinking of all the possibilities(custom hinges, CNCed designs for wood panels).

Mario

#4

Mario, go to the classes and ask to be put on standby. Chances are you will be able to get in

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#5

Show up to the class anyway hoping to fly standby if someone does not show…

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#6

Thanks for the suggestions Nick, Kriskat30 and Bill. I will show up and hopefully get in(can’t believe people miss class so often that this is considered a reliable option). Thanks again.

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#7

Neither can many of us, but there it is.

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#8

Whenever I teach I prefer to have just five people but I will take two standbys for a total of seven if there is that demand. I prefer to have just 5 but I understand the demand. I am putting two up for the end of July. My schedule doesn’t allow me to do them sooner sorry.

6 Likes
#9

I’m not quite as nice as Alex, I typically only allow for one standby. The reason for that is that basics is a hands-on class, and each extra person added extends the class by about 20 minutes. It’s already a 2 and a half hour class.

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#10

A while back in the wood shop Hangout I suggested a workday where people can come and do “stations” in the wood shop so more students can get through during a given period of time and perhaps work through some of the backlog on classes for the wood shop. The idea was met with utter disdain (@tapper). Perhaps this idea can be revisited by the committee? Teaching a handful of students at a time isn’t cutting it. Get it, CUTTING IT!?!?

10 Likes
#11

@bknapp fully understand. I teach Milling classes in Machine shop. I try to limit to 6, but will sometimes take one extra. My classes usually run 3 ~ 3.5 hours and that’s one a single machine, but very hands-ons and I think the attendees feel comfortable enough to go ahead and start practicing machining on the chuck of aluminum to start practicing on.

For me adding someone extra is about 15 more minutes to class.

1 Like
#12

I’ll volunteer to run the miter saw station for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (because that’s all I’ve gotten comfortable with in there). We could have stations for the rest of the tools covered in the class plus a station outside the wood shop for an overview and safety. Each student could get a worksheet documenting where they’ve been thus far. At the end of everything they turn in that sheet. Is anyone else interested in pursuing this? What do you think, @Azalaket?

5 Likes
#13

I would see it as 4 stations.
1.) Safety/basics of wood/mitre saw.
2.) Jointer/planer
3.) Table saws
4.) Band saws/sanders

I’m willing to take a station as long as my schedule permits.

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#14

I have no woodshop experience, but I’d volunteer to assist in facilitating (forms, pointing people where to go, etc) if that would be helpful

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#15

Hey everyone, I really appreciate the suggestions and would be happy to discuss this further with the woodshop committee. I will put a meeting on calendar and we can figure out the details to figure out a solution.

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#16

I like this idea, but the problem I see (having recently been through the basics course) is that it is really difficult to hear your instructor when people are coming in and cutting one-offs or doing any work - and they were few and far between on a slow, rainy Sunday morning. Our instructor had to use a headset and portable amp box and we were constantly turning the dust collectors on and off to listen to his explanations and do the practical portion. I can’t imagine what it would be with 4-5 groups of this going on in a busy workshop - each with students unable to hear the instructor because of woodworking noise, dust collectors, or (God forbid) 4 amplified voices booming out randomly - or all at once.

The rest of the idea is pretty economical and sound as long as safety is minded, but I’d be worried about being able to hear what I’m being taught!

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#17

@Xerakon, that is a great point. I’ve also seen how one person using the table saw interrupted the wood shop basics class to the point that they just waited for the person to finish. 5 stations going at the same time would be the sound equivalent to the shop running at maximum capacity.

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#18

This is one of the reasons we haven’t pursued this - trying to run more than one class in the shop just isn’t doable due to noise levels.

Second reason, is that we require training of all instructors, and I doubt this will be changed ever. All instructors are required to teach WSB from the syllabus, and that’s important, since it gives us at least some assurance that they’ve been exposed to the program fully. Piecemealing it up, is unlikely to improve instruction.

Lastly, this is a cyclical problem we’ve dealt with many times. Periodically our instructors get a little busy, and the schedule thins out, then get back at it, and schedule gets fat, etc. Never the less,our current system has trained an enormous number of people, and continues to do so. So getting exited during a lull and rushing in with a wholesale change to fix something that isn’t broken, isn’t really helpful.

Moreover, we still have a severe problem with no-shows tying up the available slots, and that’s a more serious and difficult issue to deal with. It’s common to have 2 or 3 people out of a 5 person registration show up, even with the $5 class fee we charge.

We’ve had 2 or 3 new instructors volunteer to teach, and they are at varying points in their training, so the schedule will be back to normal shortly (actually, it already is), so I don’t think any additional action is needed or helpful at this point, unless it addresses the no-shows.

1 Like
#19

Maybe it is time to say in the official listing that standby students are accepted.

You want a guaranteed seat? Pay your $5. Otherwise, just show up and take your chances.

What bothers me the most is that there are open slots going unused.

6 Likes
#20

Hello BKnapp do you have any stand by openings for the class on July 18?

Thank you,
Anita