ARCHIVE~Inductions to the wood workshop

This page is intended to give you an overview of access to the machinery in the wood workshop at the London Hackspace. Specifically, the table saw, planer and band saw require an induction before access is granted through the ACNode card reader system.

Introduction

As of May 2015, the wood workshop is equipped with some very nice equipment including the

• Axminster Planer
• Wadkins Table Saw
• Band Saw

Unlike much of the other machinery we've had in the wood workshop in the past, this machinery is now the subject of dedicated and continuing maintenance from a team of Hackspace members. Over £500 has been raised through pledges to support the commissioning of the machines and provide some initial funding for the upkeep of the machines. And a lot of time and effort has been put into laying the new electricity cables, constructing the ACNode access system, refurbishing the machinery, writing wiki pages and managing pledges.

In a break from the traditional "use your common sense" approach which until now has worked (reasonably) well in the workshop, the planer and table saw will require a thorough induction before a member is given access. Member access will be controlled through the ACNode card-reader system which is also deployed on the laser-cutter and metal lathe.

There are two reasons for this access control:

• these machines can seriously injure you if used improperly
• these machines are expensive to repair/mend is abused

So while this will potentially slow down your access to the machinery, the aim is to ensure maximum "up-time" of the machinery in the long-term. This policy will be reviewed from time-to-time, and we're keen to hear the opinions of fellow members as we roll this out.

Who are we?

The following Hackspace members have led the refurbishment of the wood shop and have taken on responsibility to keep the machinery in working order:

• Dean - has loaned the Wadkins table saw to the space, and contributed to the electrics - is a inductor for table saw
• Matthew - helped refurbished the table saw, owns the planer - inductor for planer, table saw
• Tom H. - helped refurbish the table saw, electrics - inductor for table saw
• Phil - inductor for table saw
• Will - manager of pledges and writer of wiki-pages

The induction process

There are separate inductions for the planer, table saw and band saw. However, these follow a similar pattern.

1. Ensure that you meet the pre-requisites
2. Sign up by placing your name at the bottom of the waiting list
3. Wait to be contacted with the next available date
4. Attend the induction on the time and date specified

Planer

Chief inductor: Matthew Gill Maintainer: Matthew Gill

Inductors: Felix Ackermann

Add yourself to the waiting list for the Planer Induction.

Pre Requisites

1. Watch the following videos on planer best practice
2. Read the HSE safety document
3. You are encouraged to bring safety goggles, ear plugs and a dust mask
4. It is essential that you bring some wood with you to the space e.g. part of a project on which you are actively working. Without this you will be turned away from the induction.

Rules for Materials

• Only solid wood
• Seasoned wood only
• No reclaimed wood, and especially no palette wood
• Nothing that has been glued, or contains glue may be put through the planer e.g. block-board or IKEA worktop
• Nothing containing even the possibility of nails, staples, or any other metal - dangerous and will immediately knacker the blades

Table Saw

Chief inductor: Dean Forbes Inductors: Tom Hodgkins, Phil

Add yourself to the waiting list for the Wadkins Table Saw.

Pre Requisites

1. Watch the following videos on table saw best practice
2. That you have experience on the small table saw and have a project to hand to demonstrate this
3. Read the HSE safety document
4. You are encouraged to bring safety goggles, ear plugs and a dust mask
5. It is essential that you bring some wood with you to the space e.g. part of a project on which you are actively working. Without this you will be turned away from the induction.

Rules Conduct

• Do NOT put the brand new mitre fence on the floor
• Do NOT adjust any safety equipment or settings
• Do NOT use the machine if you feel that there is anything that you are not comfortable with
• Do NOT use the machine if you are not fully focused on what you are doing
• DO report any faults to a maintainer
• DO ensure that a second person be in the general workshop space
• Do NOT use the mitre fence and rip fence at the same time
• DO check that the rip fence is perfectly square or you will have an accident
• DO electrically isolate the table saw whenever you are making adjustments, checking the blade etc.
• DO NOT use the saw if the blade is blunt - put the saw out of service on ACNode and notify the mailing list so that the blade can be changed and resharpened

Rules Material

• No reclaimed wood, and especially no palette wood
• Nothing containing even the possibility of nails, staples, or any other metal - dangerous and will immediately knacker the blades

FAQ

Do you like my floppy scarf?

Any loose clothing or accessories can be extremely dangerous in a workshop environment (image of being dragged by the neck towards a spinning table saw blade...). Please ensure that you wear sensible clothing, tie long-hair back and wear sturdy and grippy shoes.

How do I become an inductor? I want to train people to use the table saw more effectively. I'm going to start on Monday?

We'd love members to get more involved and share their expertise. However, please don't go it alone. We've worked hard to put together a system which works. Also, we don't use the word "training" on purpose. "Training" implies responsibility to the "student". We are not set up to run training courses in how to use dangerous machinery correctly. Please get in touch if you are keen to get involved with inductions.

What's AC Node? AC stands for *A*ccess *C*ontrol. This is the home-brewed, highly effective system hacked up by some particularly inventive Hackspace members. It works in a similar way to the door entry system. Once granted access by an inductor (who is has admin rights to the AC node system), members can use their registered RFID card to use a machine which is protected with an ACNode.

I'm coming to the Hackspace tonight. I want an induction as I have a project to finish by Friday.

I'm sorry, but unless you are very lucky, as fellow members of the Hackspace and volunteer inductors, we cannot work to your schedule. Regular inductions will be announced on the main mailing list. You can edit this wikipage to add your name to the waiting list. We will contact you when your name nears the top of the list. While the regularity of induction does depend on demand, as volunteers, we have limited time to commit (we have deadlines too).

If you have an urgent deadline, you are better going to one of the other workshops around London, such as the Blackhorse Workshop, who have full time technicians to support your needs.

I'm a professional carpenter/joiner/fine-cabinet maker/expert/wood genius. I don't need an induction.

That's great. We welcome experienced members to the workshop. However, you still need to do an induction and get to know the team. There are a number of special 'features' of both the planer and table saw that you may not be aware of. Inductions are mandatory. We want to meet you face-to-face, point out the safety features and potential gotchas and explain how the AC Node system works and understand who you are.

I've lent my card to "me mate Dave" so he can use the table saw over the weekend.

Please don't. Sharing your card will result in an instant ban.

Why so strict? This is the London Hackspace.

We don't want anyone to hurt themselves. You use the machinery at your own risk, and as fellow members, we have a duty of care to ensure that you are informed as to the best practice. The inductions give you a chance to ask the inductor questions and identify aspects of the machines about which you should be particularly aware. We also need to ensure that use of the machinery is traceable in the unlikely (and unfortunate) case that the machinery is abused. Intentional disregard of these guidelines is likely to result in a ban. You have been warned.