I’ve been a member for a few months now, and waiting patiently for wood shop inductions, but there seems to be nothing happening. Granted, I do not visit the space (as there is no purpose in doing so without being inducted on the tools I want to use), so I admit I may be missing out on news that is being shared verbally.
I understand the space isn’t a service, and the people doing inductions are volunteers, but as it stands I’m paying money and getting nothing for it.
Is there any information or plan on when the next inductions might happen?
I really like the idea of this space and would love to start making and being more involved, but the space’s very rules are prohibiting this from happening while demanding that I continue to pay membership dues in the hopes that I will be able to do so some day in the future.
I’m also keen to get involved in the wood shop but kind of thought holiday season so probably the reason for the lack of inductions. Fortunately the project I’m working on at the moment involves quite a bit of sewing so while I’m waiting to got into wood shop I can be getting on with the sewing part of my project.
There was an effort to blitz through the woodwork induction list a while ago. My calendar is chocca til early August, but I’d be happy to run another session then. Alternatively, if @woodtechs will okay it, we could try and run through the session in smaller groups one quieter weekday evenings (provided this doesn’t interfere with the usual operation of the space).
Hi we chatted about this in the space this afternoon and Mark suggested maybe we should say there will be a wood shop induction on the first Sunday of every month from now on, to pick up new members.
I’m sure one of the @woodtechs will jump on here soon to suggest a date.
FYI - We’ve also started working on moving most of the induction content to video, so once that’s done members will watch content online, and only attend a much shorter hands-on and Q&A format induction session at the space.
I’m waiting to get inducted into the woodshop, and then the wood lathe after that.
I don’t mind the waiting all that much, my life is busy enough. I ask to gain visibility on what’s going on so I can plan with that in mind. If the wait is 6 months, then so be it. Knowing that in advance is that part I’m missing.
My thinking here is that that since I don’t attend the space (for lack of ability to use it at the moment) I might be missing out on some of the more tribal knowledge that gets shared in a face to face setting but doesn’t make it’s way to the message board.
Hope this doesn’t seem like complaining, as that’s not it at all. I just don’t have any visibility on how things are working except to read things here, so I wanted to ask after it.
The devil is in the detail. And the nub is in the price.
We’re a community workshop.
And that means we’re different from a workshop where you pay a fee and walk in and use things.
The space was built on people contributing their own time and energy making it what it is today. Every last detail. From the toilet paper to the website to the ventilation.
People come down, make friends, help out, learn skills, share projects, become part of the community. Or they don’t.
So hopefully there’s a lot more to the space than just using the tools. Wood workshops can charge £20 per hour and not have the range of tools we have.
All members, especially frustrated ones, are encouraged to get involved and help out in any way they can to help the community.
I do not deny that there is more to the space than the ability to use the tools. But at the moment, I am unable to use the tools needed for my project.
Given that I am already paying a membership fee, I am contributing in a small manner and taking nothing in return. Once I have been inducted into the areas I am interested in, and have more personal investment, then it makes perfect sense to get more involved and give more back.
However I do not have the time or interest in paying the space to be able to do work on improving a space I am currently unable to use (and have only the assurances that i will have that ability one day in the future). I am happy to wait my turn, I simply have no visibility on if that is 1 week or 6 months away.
I feel that this is being taken in a far more negative tone than I intended, so I’m sorry for that. I wanted to ask about when the next inductions might be and explain that since I do not attend the space I might have missed this information if it was only being shared verbally.
I think it’s just different understandings, I think it’s great that you’ve spoken up, I don’t think this has a negative tone at all, so please don’t worry!
What we are all discovering here is the different in situation now to when many of us got involved in Makerspace. For most of us we paid and built the space towards a shared vision of what it could be, with no usable kit.
Now we have stuff, members are joining to use the space but want something back before they give to the community.
I’m not sure if either is right or wrong, but it’s just a difference in how we’ve come to understand Makerspace.
Personally I feel that giving back to the space is less of a chore and more of a way to get involved and meet the folks here, after-all Makerspace is more community than it is anything else.
I hope you’ll bear with folks while they sort out inductions for you, and recognise no one is really in charge and things happen in a unusually natural if chaotic at times way.
Hi James, I can try and answer you question in relation to the lathe.
The inductions have been running slowly, mainly because I have been the only inductor and I have to juggle running inductions with my other commitments. I have been asking for help with inductions. Some other people did come forward to help me but they unfortunately didn’t have the time to spare in the end. A backlog has built up. However the good news is that now @Esther_Gladstone has agreed to help so we have a second inductor which in theory means we can work our way down the waiting list at twice the speed.
The other factor at play is that unlike the wood workshop or laser cutter inductions we can only take small numbers, 3 people on each induction. Because there is quite a lot to practise and only one person can use the lathe at a time, it would be unsafe, I would feel uncomfortable and inductions would go well over 2 1/2 hours if we took more people.
Looking at the list I would say you should think about a 3 to 4 month wait but it could be sooner if people infront of you can’t make the sessions.
Do you have a particular turning project in mind? Do you have experience turning?
Based on my experience with the laser list, I’d say his chances are pretty good! There were people from the bottom 1/3rd of the list at the last session. Not everyone can make the advertised time, and not everyone pays attention to the discourse notifcations/emails. Be vigilant and flexible
Thank you for the information about the Lathe. I understand how demanding the lathe can be and agree with your approach to keeping the inductions small. Better safe than sorry.
I’ve turned in the past, but in the very distant past when I was still in high school. So for all intents and purposes I am coming at it as a beginner once again.
One of the small starter projects I wanted to begin with was a set of Christmas ornaments to send back home to my family in time for the holidays. Not terribly original, but a satisfying little project to get back up to skill with.
I will keep my eyes peeled for coming induction notifications on the woodshop first, then on to the lathe once that is completed.
