Woodshop Office Hours

I was talking with Woodshop chair @azalaket yesterday and a few ideas started forming during the discussion. One that seems promising is that of offering “Office Hours” in the Woodshop. Time(s), day(s), duration, and frequency TBD.

The concept, while not completely fleshed out, is relatively straightforward: offer regular opportunities to those recently completing WSB to come into Woodshop when a SME is available for questions, guidance, and general oversight.

The main goal/objective is to offer secondary help and training, rather than just letting members with the equivalent of a learner’s permit out loose on the highway. Secondary goals could include: act as an oversight presence in the Woodshop while there, and ensure that shop rules, dust and cleanliness issues, and any other safety concerns are monitored and addressed. In other words, this is a small step toward the “Shop Steward” approach I have advocated for here at different times and places. Think “Shop Steward-light”.

Twice a week (one during day, one during evening?) for 3(?) hours at a time seems reasonable to me…? More than one SME can attend/participate. Would probably need a sign-up/waiting list approach, like Laser queue, and offer chunks of time in “up to” 30 minute slots.


Some items the “Office Hour” program should not do or provide:

  1. Does NOT replace or substitute for WSB
  2. Does NOT guarantee you any specific project results
  3. Does NOT guarantee you time and attention of participating SME(s)
  4. Does NOT entitle you to time and attention of participating SME(s) outside of office hours

Who’s a SME? Like being designated an instructor, that’s probably ultimately up to the relevant committee chairperson. But as far as Woodshop goes, I think good litmus test questions would include:

  • Can you confidently answer questions like "where is this [tool | item | consumable ] located or stored for all things Woodshop related?
  • Can you confidently point members to DMS related online information resources like DMS Wiki, Talk forums, tool information & status pages, and classes/events calendar?
  • Can you confidently tune (align) a table saw?
  • Can you confidently change the sandpaper on the various powered sanding tools?
  • Can you confidently change the cutters on the planer and jointer?
  • Can you confidently take a length of greenwood log and turn it into a mountable bowl blank for the lathe?
  • Can you confidently sharpen chisels, planes, and lathe gouges
  • Can you confidently plane and joint a board square, and/or cut dovetails, and/or cut mortise-&-tenon joints by hand?

These are intended to be general guidance questions, and neither proscriptive or comprehensive. E.G. if one is not trained or comfortable on the lathes, that wouldn’t preclude one from being an SME based on other expertise.


Thoughts, pro or con?

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As a newcomer to DMS, I would love to have something like this implemented. I haven’t been able to get into a WSB class yet, but I know I am going to have questions once I start using the shop. Having someone available to ask questions and ensure I am using all the tools correctly my first few times seems like an invaluable experience.

P.S. Seeing @tapper 's recent post regarding actual, immediate action on other thread just now. The above idea is NOT a solution to our immediate problems in the Woodshop. It is PART of a solution to help maintain a safer work area and provide for a less frustrating experience in the Woodshop once we have straightened out the immediate issues and agreed on the fundamental, root causes.

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@mblatz Thank you for bringing this up. I would be willing to support this idea and sign myself up and encourage other instructors to offer this to any members needing assistance with their projects after they have completed woodshop basics.

Like you said it’s not going to solve all our problems, but it will take us one step closer to creating a safer work environment and educate our members who want to become better woodworkers.

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we have similar concerns in the machine shop. As I am fond of saying “I can teach you how to use the machine, but that doesn’t make you a machinist”. We discussed this at our last committee meeting and we universally agreed that classes that teach machining concepts (hands on, measuring and tolerances, methodology) are needed. As I see it, this proposal acts almost like a college setting of having ‘lab assistants’ to help and is a good thing.

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I like the idea of a Steward, I have been in the woodshop many times and seen wood fly! that scares the crap out of me when someone has not properly secured the wood. Also, I am new at making things from wood. I love it but, I am still learning, If I am doing something wrong please let me know. I appreciate the help in learning to do things right.

I’m not fond on the time scheduling idea. (just my input).

Thank you everyone for all you are doing to get the issue resolved.

I’d love to see an Advanced Woodshop class that teaches these exact things. Instead of a specific facet of woodworking or a project, just an advanced class on the tools we have. If an advanced class was offered once a quarter maybe, then you now have more people who can act as a SME and can also teach the woodshop basics class. I know I’d love to get to a point where I can help out teaching the class, answering other’s questions with confidence, and knowing how to change the blades, sharped the chisels etc… so a class that teaches these skills would be something I’d attend for sure.

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If you split this off to another thread than we can discuss…

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I don’t quite understand…what are you suggesting?

You’ll need a “teach the SME” class to create the horde… through a little committee revenue generating honorarium and its a win:win:win.

Done. I may be a newb but I’m not afraid to speak up, and keep speaking…