College of Architecture and Planning 5

General Shop Policies

In all areas:

  • Safety must be your first priority in the shop, therefore there is absolutely no running or horseplay in any shop areas.
  • For your safety, you may only work in the Wood Shop or Fab Lab if there is a lab attendant or faculty member present.
  • Follow all  safety guidelines .  They are in place to protect you, your fellow students and the equipment.
  • Always clean up after yourself in every area in which you work as soon as you finish. It is not acceptable to leave a mess “for just a minute.” Brooms, dustpans, trash cans and scrap bins are located throughout the shop for this purpose.
  • Put away all materials you use. Again, it is incumbent upon you to put materials and tools away as soon as you finish with them.
  • As stated before, if you don’t know how to use a machine, ask a staff member for assistance.
  • No machines may be left running unattended. Ever. You must stay with your work at all times.
  • CAP will not be responsible for any materials, personal tools, projects or other belongings left in the shop by students or faculty.
  • Staff, faculty and lab attendants have the final say in the shop. Please be courteous and respectful to them and to your fellow students, so that you may continue to use this facility. Incorrigible rude or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated and will be dealt with on an individual basis.

In the Wood Shop:

  • Use appropriate materials with the various machines in the shop. For example, do not use the metalcutting band saw to cut wood.
  • You are responsible for supplying all of your own materials. Wood found in the scrap bins is available for use, but do not plan your project assuming you will find everything you need in the scrap bins.
  • Only new materials may be used in the shop. Pallets, skids, packing crates and any stock which may contain nails, staples or other fasteners will not be considered “new.”
  • In addition to supplying your own wood and other building materials, you are also responsible for supplying your own:
    • Fasteners
    • Hardware
    • Glue and adhesives (We make an effort to provide some wood glue, but do not count on availability of any glue or adhesives for large projects)
    • Paint and brushes
  • All glued items must dry overnight before being used on any of the machines.
  • Always make certain the dust collector is turned on any time you are using power equipment.
  • There is no storage in the shop. Unless given specific permission by the shop attendant, nothing may be left on the workbenches overnight. There is simply not enough room to store projects and still be fair to all students using the facility.
  • Again, follow all safety guidelines.

Use of Shop Tools:

  • The Wood Shop includes a Tool Room, which contains an array of hand tools, power tools, clamps and other equipment, most of which are available for your use.
  • An assortment of hand tools hangs on the outside of the Tool Room door. If you need to use any of these items inside the shop, please feel free to take what you need, take it to your work station, and return it when you are finished.
  • If you wish to use a tool in the Tool Room, ask a shop attendant to get it for you. Please, do not go into the Tool Room by yourself.
  • As stated before, you are responsible for returning all tools you use. Please remember that if you leave a tool sitting on the workbench when you are done with it instead of putting it away, you not only make life hard for the staff, but you may be depriving another student of the chance to use that same item.
  • If you need to use any tool outside of the shop, you must sign it out on the tool check-out sheet located immediately outside the Tool Room. The attendant will help you fill out the sheet. Tool check-out is for no more than 24 hours. If you have special circumstances and need to check out a tool for longer than 24 hours, you must get permission from the shop attendant on duty, and we will write a special due on the sheet for you. If you do not do this, the tool will be considered late after 24 hours.
  • When filling out the equipment check‐out sheet, please be sure to legibly write your name, e-mail address, a full description of the tool(s) being checked out, and make certain to have a member of the shop staff date and initial your entry. Likewise, when returning equipment, make sure to have a staff member date and initial . This is the only way we have of making certain your items came home, so it is vitally important that you remember to get an initial for anything you are taking or brining back.
  • If an entry does not have an initial showing that the item(s) have been returned, the patron in question will receive “Overdue Tool Notice” e-mails from the shop until the matter is cleared up. If we do not hear from you to get the matter cleared up, we will eventually turn the matter over to bursar’s office.

In the Fab Lab:

  • It is CAP policy that first‐year students do not have access to Laser Cutter or CNC router.
  • Use of the lab: you may use the Laser Cutter and CNC router only after you have been instructed in their use by a shop attendant, faculty member, graduate assistant or other qualified person.
  • As in the Wood Shop, never leave a project unattended. While your file is cutting on the Laser or CNC router, you must remain in the room, ensuring that your project cuts safely. If you leave your project, it will be shut down.

Laser and Router Sign‐up Policy:

  • There is a sign‐up sheet on the computer at the front desk in the Fab Lab. While walk‐in time is sometimes available, it is recommended that you sign up for a time to use either machine. Please refer to the Fab Lab Laser and Router sign‐up policies for details.

In the Metal Shop:

  • You must supply your own materials for use in the metal shop. This includes all metal, welding rods, and any expendables.
  • You may only use the Metal Shop if you have been trained in the safe operation of that equipment.
  • You may only use the Metal Shop under supervision of a qualified staff or faculty, or with the express approval of the shop supervisor.

The Paint Room:

  • It is against university regulations to spray aerosol paint anywhere inside the building except for Room 028, the Paint Room. The Paint Room is down the hall from us, next to Chris Helms’ office, at the end of the alcove where the water fountain and the men’s room are. It has a timer wall switch which turns on both the lights and the vent fans. Any painting should be done in that room.