Woodshop Basics demand way higher than supply

Nobody has asked, but I don’t really do reservations. It’s pretty much just the first one there waiting gets it.

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Thanks for the reply, hopefully I can be the first one waiting.

Anita

Instead of a individual class standby perhaps we can take a page from hostess stations and have a master wait list? If someone is able to pop in they can be taken off but folks who have been waiting for a while would get an advance notice email the class was about to appear so they can register? A google form would make mass email pretty simple.

I’ve been bird dogging the calendar for three months trying to get mine done…but I’m also not super bothered and will play with the toys elsewhere lol

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Would it make sense to schedule a series of training classes that would have stations, with a known amount of time for speaking, and then at an agreed upon time, the dust collectors come on and the hands on portion starts for some time.

For example, to elaborate a bit on @AlexRhodes I could see several stations with the spoken portion going on at once. Then if you’re finished with the spoken portion before the time is up, that station waits until it’s time to “go loud” with the machines on. Obviously, we would have to figure out timing, and make sure the teachers can be heard.

Fictional Class time starts at 11a. I don’t know the exact timing for demonstration or the spoken portion, but it should be able to get a general schedule.

11:00a-11:30a - Safety/Basics
Instructor 1 - Table Saws
Instructor 2 - Jointer/Planer

11:31a - 12:00p - Demonstration and student hands-on (machines and dust collector on)

Break for 15 minutes to allow water, bathrooms, and the one off cuts that people want to do. Any one on one that needs to happen can be done here.

12:15p-12:45p - Safety/Basics (Back to quiet time)
Instructor 1 - Band Saw/Sanders
Instructor 2 - Wood/Miter Saw

12:46p-1:15p - Demonstration and student hands-on
1:15p-1:30p Questions/Answers/Follow-Up

The pros to this, allows more students to be taught during a single training session. I think this is too optimistic, but if we had 4 instructors, we could possibly have 20 people get through woodshop basics in 3 hours.

The instructor is still instructing the student while they have the machine running, as well as trying to keep an eye on them and the group to make sure safety precautions are followed. I still don’t think this kind of round-robin setup is feasible just from noise, safety, and crowding standpoints alone.

I would agree that the instructor would still need to be standing next to the student and giving them pointers, etc. That’s why I put table saws and jointer/planer together. They’re on opposite ends of the shop. This keeps people from stepping on each other. The noise is generally the same amount of noise that’s going to happen when the dust collectors and machines are running. I admit there’s “more” noise, but it shouldn’t be so much more that safety would be compromised.

I realize it would take a couple sessions to figure things out as to whether there’s not enough/too much time for safety/basics or the hands-on.

With two instructors, we double the amount of people and we can have a fairly well thought out standby policy. If things are timed, we know to a certain degree how many people can be in a class.

Don’t forget Honorarium. Would this count as 1 class with 20 people or 4 classes of 5 people? That is a $300 change in value to the teachers and committee. It sounds like it would be 1 large class by the structure. I know Wood shop relies on honorarium to keep things funded in the committee, so this isn’t a small question.

My gut reaction would be that it would be 2 classes, with 8-12 people. 2 instructors, 2 classes, 2 honorariums. The class attendance would be taken from the starting station. As pointed out by @Xerakon it would be difficult to maneuver 20 people through the cattle call at the same time.

Here is my idea,

Move some of it into a regular classroom , go over basic
safety, Ruled for each tool the dust collection system, maybe
have a short videos showing changing the bag

the instructor would not have to try to talk over the sounds of the shop,
and I would think that the students would get more from it, Less noise and
distraction. This would be an into to the woodshop, If I understand, no training
is required for soem tools , now, like the drill press, the bandsaw and the scroll saw,

This class would be required for those, then the hands on for the saws and the other tools,

This should shorten tine hands on part and save the instructors voices some, It would also promote
more safety since everyone using a toop would need to have it,

Honorarium was meant to spur instruction, not stifle it. If money is an issue for the committee and the instructors then charge more for the class.

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This is pretty much what I was envisioning. Like a high school science class where the’s a lecture and then a lab, the lecture being about safety and overall wood shop operations, and the lab being the hands on part with people supervising at each station. I think we can do it safely but I’m not going to argue with people about it. The committee can pursue it or not.

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Howdy,

My name is Matthew Lee and I’m new to Makerspace and cant wait to get started. I’m seeing that the class availability is an issue and I’m hoping to get involved if people are planning on scheduling more. I am watching the classes but as mentioned they fill up immediately. Thanks all and look forward to working with you all.

Matt