Policies for the Woodshop

WOODSHOP STUDIO ASSESSMENT

Before reserving or using studio equipment independently, all members must pass a two-part assessment to ensure they can safely use our equipment and understand the Studio policies. The two-part assessment includes both an online and in-person component.

SAFETY AND PROTOCOL

Before operating any tool in the Woodshop, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Do I know how to use this tool?
2. Is this the right tool for the job?
3. Am I being safe?

Safety Rules:

Closed-toe shoes must be worn at all times in the shop.
Approved eye protection must be worn when anyone is using a tool.
Machine Operators must secure loose clothing, long hair, and remove jewelry before working.
Unplug the machine before making any adjustments.
Do not disturb others when they are operating machinery.
Do not use materials that emit fumes inside the shop, such as spray paint. Instead take them outside.
Dispose of any paper or rags containing oil or solvents in the red flammables bin.
Wear a respirator when working with aerosols or other inhalation hazards, such as sawdust.

Woodshop Studio Protocol:

You must be a member of the Innovation Hub with a current signed waiver to work in the woodshop.
Be sure to reserve equipment before you enter the shop.
There are no drugs, alcohol, or pets allowed in the woodshop at any time.
You may not work in the woodshop if you are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Members must be approved to work with individual tools in the woodshop.
Broken or damaged tools or machines should be reported to a staff member immediately.
Wear a respirator mask anytime you are sanding, working with MDF, or spraying aerosols.
Aerosols should only be sprayed outside, never inside the woodshop.
Check with staff before using questionable materials or machines.
Any tool or machine marked with caution tape or an out of order sign is off limits to everyone.
Put paper under your project before gluing or painting work on tables and work surfaces. Wipe away glue dots left behind.
Found or recycled lumber is prohibited in the woodshop!!!!! Recycled lumber has the potential risk for broken screws or nails below the surface, lead paint, and/or formaldehyde.
In the studio, you should allow 15 minutes at the end of your project to clean up. Also, clean up as you go, and put away tools after using them.
Failure to adhere to shop policies or code of conduct could result in verbal warning, written warning, and suspension of shop privileges or loss of membership.

DISPOSAL

It is dangerous to leave paper and rags containing oil or solvents unattended or to throw it in the trash because they can naturally combust, and are a fire hazard. Dispose of any paper or rags containing oil or solvents in the red flammables bin.

STORAGE

Materials must be stored properly in a bin in the storage closet.
Members can also store materials in the scrap bin as long as items are labeled with the member's name and date.
Any materials or project left unattended without permission from the Shop Foreman run the risk of being thrown away.

MACHINE USE AND SPECIFIC SAFETY GUIDELINES

*Members must be approved on each machine prior to using it, but members do not have to be approved on EVERY machine before entering the workshop. This approval process consists of 1) passing the online safety assessment and 2) demonstrating safe practices on individual equipment during an in-person assessment with a woodshop technician.

*Jointer:

A jointer is a woodworking machine used to flatten, smooth, and square lumber edges. It also corrects material defects, like warping or cupping, and prepares board edges for gluing and fastening in cabinetry or furniture projects.

Wood is the only material allowed in the jointer; no manmade wood such as plywood or MDF is allowed.
Always push the wood away from your body
Make sure that your fingers do not hang over the edges of your wood. Keep all fingers on the top facing surface of your wood.
Use paddles to push wood over blades
Never cut cross grain, always move in the direction of the grain of the wood.

*Planer:

A thickness planer is a tool that reshapes the thickness and smoothness of wood by shaving off its top layer. A planer is a tool that can adjust the thickness of a board, while a jointer can flatten and square one side of a board.

Wood is the only material allowed in the planer.
Insert wood slowly.
Make sure that the blade will be moving with the grain.
Lower the plane no more than 1/8 of an inch at a time. 1/4 crank on the wheel.
Make sure that wood is free from metal, plastic, or any other non-wood materials.

*Table Saw:

The table saw is often considered the heartbeat of a woodshop. It’s versatile and accurate and makes cutting repetitive lengths quick and easy. The table saw can safely and easily make both rip cuts and cross cuts.

Always position your body to the left of the saw to avoid being hit should kickback occur.
The table saw blade should be 1/8 inch above the surface of the wood that’s being cut, the top of the material should in the middle of the gullet of the blade.
Any wood less than 1/8 inch thick is too small to be cut on the table saw.
When doing cross cuts, use the sled or miter gauge. Never use the fence when making a cross cut.
When making rip cuts, use a push stick and press the wood firmly to the fence.
A push stick is required when cutting any wood smaller than 5 inches.
Always use either a sled or the fence (but never both) when making a cut.
Move at a mindful pace when cutting and always push your material completely past the blade or kick back can occur.
Never do a freehand cut on the table saw. This could result in kickback!
Lower the blade below the table when you are finished cutting.
Members should not ever change the blade on the table saw without talking to the shop foreman first.
The dust collection system must be on while operating the table saw.

*Band Saw:

This machine is used to make curved cuts. A bandsaw utilizes a continuous band of toothed metal stretched between two wheels to cut the material.

The bandsaw blade runs down relative to the machine bed.
Blade guard must be set at 1/4 of an inch above the wood.
Use a push stick to help you cut smaller pieces.
Anything smaller than the throat plate is too small to be cut on the band saw.
Never back out of a cut unless you are using a sled (it could pull the blade off the track).
If you back out of a cut or turn your wood too much when the band saw is running, you can bend, break, or force the blade off the track.
Never place hands closer to the blade than the throat plate while the blade is moving.
When cross cutting rounded objects such as dowels or for more accurate cross cuts, use the sled or miter gauge.
Wait until the blade has completely stopped moving before stepping away from the saw, removing scrap, or moving wood with the blade embedded in it.

*Miter Saw (Chop Saw):

A miter saw is essentially a hinge-mounted circular saw blade that can be swung down into the material to be cut. Because the hinge is fixed in place, the blade always drops down in a controlled motion, creating clean, consistent cuts.

Only cross cuts are made on the miter saw
The board must be longer than 6 inches to use the miter saw
When cutting, move at a mindful pace and release the trigger at the bottom while holding the wood firmly against the fence.
Wait until the blade has completely stopped spinning before allowing it to rise.
Be careful when cutting wood that is warped. Cut so that the bow is either facing up like a smile or with the flat side towards the fence. Otherwise, the wood will pinch the blade and cause kick back.
Do not cut metal on this saw!

Circular Saw and Jig Saw:

Circular saws are useful for many woodworking projects. These saws are powerful and portable which makes them a great tool, but they don’t make the most precise cuts. Unlike the table saw where one pushes the wood through the saw, a circular saw is handheld so that the operator pushes the saw through the wood. A jigsaw is a portable power tool that can be used to make straight or curved cuts. This tool has a small body
with a handle for good grip and an electric motor that drives a blade via the transmission of an up-and-down arm.

Always cut away from yourself and others
Be sure to clamp your wood to a surface in order to keep it steady while you cut.
Always leave room between the edge of the table and saw line to prevent nicking the table.
Make sure the saw has stopped spinning before setting it down.
Never drop saw towards your body after you finish cutting.

Drill Press:

The drill press is a stationary or benchtop power tool designed to bore precise holes in wood or metal. Unlike handheld drills which rely on arm strength and the steadiness of the operator to drill an accurate, clean hole, drill presses are precise by design. A rotating handle controls the descent of a spinning mechanism called the spindle (the bit is held in by a chuck on the end of this spindle), which can only move vertically.

You must secure your work with clamps before operating the drill press! If a workpiece is not clamped securely, it can spin, kick back, or shift during drilling, posing a significant risk to the operator and others in the shop.
Be sure to tighten the bit into place using the chuck key.
Make sure you remove the chuck key before operating the drill press.

Router Table:

A router table is a table with a router installed under the table, with the bit protruding from the surface. A fence is included to facilitate guiding the workpiece through the bit. This allows you to make joints, custom molding, rabbits, grooves, dados, and decorative edges to the workpiece, etc.

Be sure to hold the wood firmly against the fence when cutting.
Never allow fingers to hang over the edge of your wood.
Feed the wood in the proper direction; Pay attention to the grain direction.
Don’t take too deep a cut; make multiple passes instead.
Choose the appropriate speed to push your wood through for the size bit you are using.
Use sharp bits.
Use paddles so that if you do get kickback, your fingers are safe.

Hand Router:

A hand router is a small woodworking tool. You can use this tool to cut grooves, designs, and patterns across multiple pieces of wood. Besides beveling an edge, this tool is helpful to create all types of edge profiles.

Clamp your wood to a surface or otherwise secure it before use.
Ensure that the blade has stopped moving after your cut is complete.
Unplug the router to change bits to prevent turning it on accidentally.
Always move the router against the rotation of the bit (generally from right to left, but not always).
When cutting deeper or larger sections of material with the router, take small bites and use multiples passes.

Nail Gun:

A nail gun is a kind of power tool that we use for shooting nails into our targeted material. You won’t have to do the hard work of swinging a hammer for shooting each nail in your project.

Never point the nail gun towards yourself or another person.
When nailing, be sure that the area behind the direction you are nailing is free of people.
Be sure to keep both hands at least six inches away from the gun, or behind the gun.
Never wrap your fingers around or place hands on the opposite side of the wood you are nailing.
Check that the gun is loaded with the proper nail/staple

Sanding Machines: Disk and Belt Sanders:

Sanding preps the topmost layers of wood so you can have a consistent, elegant finish. Usually, sanding occurs before painting or staining to make sure the pigments go on evenly. Sanding can also buff out scratches and other irregularities from wood. The disc is great for precise edge work, while the belt allows you to flatten faces and edges, and shape contours.

Do not use on metal! It is a fire hazard!
Keep fingers at least one inch away from the disk or belt
Hold wood firmly against the support platform while using the sander.
Relative to the support plate, the disk sander rotates clockwise. For this reason, you only use the right side of the disk sander. Be careful not to go past the center.
After use, always vacuum the sanding machines. Never sweep or blow them off.

Sanding Machines: Orbital and Sheet Sander

Orbital and sheet sanders are handheld sanding machines that help smooth and prep the surface of your wood for finishing. Orbital sanders use a random orbital motion that prevents distinct scratch patterns. Orbital sanders are great for smoothing flat or contoured surfaces. Sheet sanders utilize a straight back and forth motion for an even scratch pattern which makes a sheet sander excellent for preparing flat surfaces for
finishing.

Be sure to put sand paper on the sander before you begin using it.
Ensure that the ventilation holes are unobstructed when placing the sand paper
Grab the sander from behind, never touch the sanding head while it is in motion.
Wait until the sander has stopped moving before setting it down or touching the sanding head.
Do not use on metal! It is a fire hazard!
Wear a respirator or mask when sanding.

Glossary of Woodworking Terms

Bit – a device (usually metal or carbide) designed to cut while spinning.
Blade Guard – A protective barrier that covers the blade of a machine.
Bow – a board defect that causes the wood to bend from end to end along its intended flat plane.
Chuck – the portion of a drill or other spinning device that tightens to house the bit.
Chuck-key – the tool used to tighten a chuck.
Clamp – a device used to hold wood in place during a glue up or while other fasteners are placed.
Cross Cut – a cut that runs across the grain of the wood.
Dado Blade – a specialized blade for the table saw that involves stacking blades to create a wider cut.
Dado – a rectangular groove cut across the grain, generally used in joinery.
End Grain – the grain of the wood seen when a board is cut across the grain.
Fasteners – hardware devices that mechanically join two pieces of wood. Examples include bolts, screws, and nails.
Fence – a fixture attached to a stationary machine that guides the wood in a straight line against the blade or provides support that allows the operator to hold the wood in place to make a cut.
Grain – the pattern in wood that is a result of the tree’s growth rings. Imagine grain as tubes of fiber adhered to each other along their longest axis.
Green Wood –freshly cut timber and has not been dried. This wood is often softer than it will be in its dried state but also is subject to warpage.
Infeed – the side of a stationary machine which the wood is fed into the blade or blades.
Jig – a device that allows the operator to guide their workpiece through a tool (or a tool through the workpiece) or allows the operator to make repetitive and consistent cuts without measuring between cuts.
Joinery – the process of joining two pieces of wood together without the use of metal fasteners. Traditional joinery uses only wood elements to combine pieces of wood while modern joinery uses glue to help hold pieces in place.
Joint – the point at which two pieces of wood come together in a permanent or semipermanent bond.
Kerf – a term used to describe the width of the blade. This helps determine how much material will be lost in a cut.
Kickback – a highly dangerous incident that results from the workpiece hitting or pinching the spinning blade causing it to be thrown back toward the operator at a high velocity or causing the blade to jump toward the operator.
Laminate (verb) – to combine multiple pieces of wood along the grain using glue.
Machine Bed – the stationary portion of a machine that the operator rests the workpiece in order to cut or sand it or that supports the workpiece as it moves through the blade or sander.
Miter – a general term used to describe an angled crosscut.
Miter Gauge – a jig that holds the workpiece at an angle in relation to the blade.
Outfeed – the stationary side of the machine that the workpiece is fed on to after being cut.
Push Stick – an auxiliary device that allows the operator to move the wood through the blade while keeping hands at a safe distance.
Relief Cut – for our purposes, a relief cut is used when cutting tight corners or curves on a band or scroll saw. This relieves pressure on the blade by removing wood in strategic places and prevents binding of the blade.
Rip Cut – a cut along the grain of the wood.
Riving Knife – a thin piece of metal that sits behind the blade and prevents the wood from coming in contact with the rear of the blade. This device helps prevent kickback.
Sled – a jig for accurate cross cuts. The sled supports the wood and keeps it square as it moves through the blade.
Throat Plate – the portion of the machine that houses the blade is referred to as the “throat”. The throat plate covers this area while leaving room for the blade to move freely.
Warp – a defect in a piece of wood that causes it to bow in a certain direction.

REQUEST YOUR WOODSHOP STUDIO ASSESSMENT!

Once you're familiar with the studio’s policies and feel ready to be assessed on the woodshop studio equipment, you are ready to take the online assessment! Request an assessment by clicking THIS LINK.