Woodshop Committee Meeting 20160517

This is the meeting agenda for the Woodshop Committee for May 17, 2016.

Add stuff, please!

Time and Location

7:00pm, 17 May 2016, Purple Classroom

Prior Minutes

We don't have any. Do we even need to bother with keeping minutes? (--mblatz (talk) 10:45, 7 May 2016 (CDT): If we don't keep and post minutes, how will anyone that wasn't at meeting know what was discussed and/or agreed? Similarly, how will anyone that was there, or is new to Woodshop, be able to go back and review previous discussions and decisions if they were so inclined? Putting it another way, why WOULDN'T we keep and publish minutes?)

Financial Statement / Budget

We're broke.

(Woodshop has over 3,000 dollars as reflected in quickbooks as of May 11th, woodshop funds have increased by $1,250 from May 1st to May 11th, with $700 monthly allocation and $550 in honorariums)

Agenda Items for Discussion and Decision-making

Woodshop Suspensions and Bans The Woodshop has recently become a steady-state mess. We need to implement a system for revoking people's authorization to use the Woodshop if they leave the shop in a dirty, unsafe state. This item should not be tabled and needs to be decided as soon as possible. This system should be a part of the official, adopted rules.

Tree/Green Wood Acquisition Team We have 6 lathes now, and with beginning, intermediate, and advance lathe classes being regularly held and bowl turning becoming a significant activity in the woodshop, we will need to consider how best to keep a supply of green wood for people to use. So I suggest we create a couple of quick response teams comprised of truly dedicated and committed volunteers that are ready, willing, and able to get to a fallen tree or supply of green wood on short notice when it is brought to our attention. Teams would need to include someone with a heavy duty truck and/or trailer and someone with a heavy duty chainsaw. A third (or fourth) person for general lifting/carrying/etc., or that can also bring extra transportation or chainsaw, would be helpful as well. We should try to have enough teams so that we are able to have decent coverage of a large area centered on DMS (e.g. 25 mile radius or whatever).

Woodshop Rules We need an official set of rules to post on the wall in the shop. Proposed rules:

• Safety glasses are required at all times. (--mblatz (talk) 10:36, 7 May 2016 (CDT): We need to be careful with this type of rule. What about ear protection? Lung protection, i.e. dust masks? Foot protection, i.e. sturdy, closed toe shoes? What about people just passing through the woodshop - does it apply to them? My glasses are poly-carbonate; the gun range I go to considers them adequate eye protection; should they be considered adequate here? See the issue? I suggest we apply a basic rubric to quickly evaluate any proposed rules: a rule should tend to support or engender 1) safety of others, i.e. people shouldn't be allowed to do something that effects health and safety of OTHERS; 2) safety/working status of the tools, i.e. people shouldn't be allowed to do anything to make a tool less usable than it was when they started using it; and 3) safety/quality of others projects, i.e. people shouldn't be allowed to do anything that might tend to harm or ruin other peoples projects, e.g. leave a puddle of glue on a worktable where someone else might unknowingly set something down.)
• --mblatz (talk) 10:36, 7 May 2016 (CDT): Additionally, just making up a passel of rules will not be effective, really. Necessary, yes, but not sufficient. Similarly, covering/discussing said rules at Woodshop Basics and posting ain woodshop is necessary, but also not sufficient. Think speed limit laws and speed limit signs...people still speed, right? What's missing in this picture?
• --mblatz (talk) 10:36, 7 May 2016 (CDT): Trying to be too specific or micro will cause enforcement issues; we can discuss or give specific examples at Woodshop Basics class, but posted rules should be high level enough that they can apply in a wide, general sense.
• --mblatz (talk) 10:36, 7 May 2016 (CDT): Proposing the following basic set of rules for discussion and then posting (they will likely need some modification and word-smithing):

   1) You must have taken Woodshop Basics/Woodshop 101 -- and be able to prove it -- to use the tools in this wood shop.
   2) Do not work or operate any of the tools in an unsafe manner; If you don't know or aren't sure, ASK!
   3) For tools where available, Dust Collection system must be in use if tool is on; Close gate when finished and turn off D/C system if you are last one using.
   4) Leave the tools and the work space the same way, or better, than you found it.  That includes cleaning, sharpening, and replacing.
   5) Submit a ticket or report accidents, inoperable tools, unsafe activities or other issues to a senior woodshop member if they happen to be present.

• put in some rules people!

"Tool Champions" program, aka "Adopt-a-Tool"

Proposing some sort of Woodshop "Tool Champions" program. Think "adopt-a-highway", except for our major woodshop tools. As envisioned, these would be people from Woodshop membership that volunteer to clean and maintain their adopted tool on a regular basis beyond the normal quick dusting off and vacuuming everyone should generally be doing after each use. For instance, with table saw, maybe 2-3 volunteers would volunteer and coordinate together to inspect and deep clean the Delta table saw (or SawStop, or both) on a weekly basis, and tune-up (check blade & fence with dial indicator, wax top, clean trunion threads and lubricate, etc.) on a monthly basis. Others would adopt the Jointer, and Thickness Planer, and Drill Press, and various Sanders, and so on. Most people would need training by resident experts so as to not make things worse (e.g. improperly lubricate or improperly adjust Shelix cutters). And we could have rotating volunteers so duties did not fall on a single person in perpetuity. That way others could become knowledgeable about tool care and maintenance. And best part is the more people that get involved in this, the more overall "ownership" with respect to care and maintenance of WoodShop people will start to feel in general.