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Wood Shop

NOTE - The Wood Shop wiki is currently being updated.  You may find any manner of problems including but not limited to: broken links, missing photos, incoherent sentences, etc.  When this notice is gone, it is done.

Safety First

Each piece of equipment has it own unique safety rules. Reading and understanding all safety documents is a must. Everyone should be taking personal responsibility for his or her own personal safety in the wood shop. With so many new woodworkers joining it is important to reinforce the things that may seem like common sense to an experienced woodworker. Even experienced woodworkers can always use a refresher on these key safety attitudes:
  1. FOCUS – A good safety attitude means that you focus on the task. How well are you concentrating on the job? If you have other things on your mind, you may be distracted.
  2. STRENGTH – No, this does not mean muscle strength. What it means is the strength to do the right thing, even when you are under time or other pressure to take shortcuts. A good safety attitude means you have the strength to follow the safety procedure.
  3. TIME – A good safety attitude means taking the time to do things correctly and using the right guard or personal protective equipment. Is saving a few minutes worth a lifelong injury?
  4. RESPONSIBILITY – If you care about yourself and others, YOU will have to take responsibility, follow the safety procedures, and not take short cuts.
  5. RISK – We all take risks. A good safety attitude means being smart and avoid taking unnecessary risks. A one in a thousand risk is not worth the possible cost. Do not play the odds, always follow the safety procedures.
Additional safety guidelines can be found here. 

General Rules

Anyone wishing to use the Wood Shop needs to be a member in good standing and must complete the MakeIt Labs Wood Shop Orientation Class.  This is conducted on an on-demand basis by either Thomas Goll or Mathew Marulla.  Contact either on Slack or email (links below) to arrange a time.  Note that the Lathes require a separate class which is scheduled through the MakeItLabs Class Schedule - Lathe operation is not covered in the orientation.


Before leaving the Shop, it must be returned to as-found or better condition. This includes, but is not limited to, sweeping the floor, vacuuming dust from tools, putting hand and power tools back in their proper homes, emptying the scrap bin when full, etc.

Any work on reclaimed material will not be done without prior approval of the Wood Shop Resource Manager.  In determining if the work can be done on MakeItLab's equipment, the Wood Shop Resource Manager's may consider:
  • Removal of any prior finish
  • Visual inspection of boards to assess foreign objects
  • Use of a Metal Detector to confirm whether nails, screws, or other metal objects are present.
Shop users agree to follow Wood Shop Resource Manager's directives, including leaving the shop if not following the shop rules.  Repeated violation of these rules is cause for losing shop privileges and other membership privileges pending Board of Directors decision.  The user will be responsible for any equipment or shop damage due to negligence.

Available Equipment

Exact equipment can change faster than this wiki, but this list should be pretty close.

Delta 3hp Unisaw with Unifence








DeWalt 12" Miter Saw









Craftsman 14" Bandsaw









Ryobi 16" Scroll Saw









Delta 12" Thickness Planer









Reliant 15" Thickness Planer

(Note: Manual is for a Grizzly Planer, but is virtually identical to this unit.)







Delta 6" Jointer









Ryobi Benchtop Drill Press









Porter Cable Belt/Wheel Sander









Rikon 1" Belt Sander









Craftsman Spindle Sander









Incra Router Table w/Makita Router Core









Craftsman Lathe









Nova DVR 3000 Lathe









Handheld Power Tools

Includes several each of the following:
Drills, Routers, Belt Sanders,
Finish and Detail Sanders,
Circular Saws, Sawzall
Biscuit Cutter, Tool Sharpener,
Jigsaws, etc.





Consumables

Certain items are not provided by MakeItLabs - You need to bring your own.  Here are the sizes and guidelines.
  • Belt Sanders - We have two belt sanders and both take 3" x 18" Belts.  Buy:  Home Depot  Lowes  Amazon
  • Finish Sander - The random orbit finish sander takes 5", Hook & Loop, 8-Hole Discs.  Make sure to get 8-hole discs, not 5-hole or "universal".  Only the true 8-hole discs allow dust collection to work properly.  Currently, the proper 8-Hole disc are available at Lowe's under the "Gator" brand.  Home Depot only has the Universal type.  Buy:  Lowes  Amazon
        
  • Detail Sander - The detail sander takes 3-7/8" x 5-1/2", Hook & Loop, Shaped Sheets. Buy: Home Depot  Lowes  Amazon

  • Finish Nailer - The pneumatic finish nailer takes 18-gauge Finish Brads, from 1/2" to 2" length.  Buy:  Home Depot  Lowes  Amazon