Last week’s was about 4 hours
Woodworking induction 10am Sunday 26/02/17
Just giving this a final bump. Looks like two places unclaimed.
Sorry guys, I totally thought I had sent a message to state that I wouldn’t be able to make it. Only to come back and find it still here as a draft! 
I’m down with building a proper web application specifically for managing inductions to make up for that error (if we need it)!
Sorry for delayed gratitude, been rather busy since the session. But thanks very much for that @Robert_Kiggins and @lewisss learnt more than I expected and hopefully inspired to do something with it.
Yes. There was great stuff in Sunday’s induction session.
I just wanted to feedback what I took from it.
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the ‘story of safe and proper tool use’ that ran through the session was very strong
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starting with how to stand and use a handsaw and where to keep tools you’re not using, and then applying and adapting those same principles to all other tools moving up to the high powered potentially life-threatening cross-cut mitre saw is a compelling and memorable way of getting the core concepts lodged in people’s minds.
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I learned some useful tips. As you would when around people of the calibre we have running the wood shop.
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the woodshop is looking incredibly well organised.
However – and people don’t have to agree with me – I think the induction is too long. And I wonder if it’s in danger of trying to be both training and induction at the same time, putting it at risk of not serving either of those goals, or the members and inductors as fully as it could. This is a big time commitment from both members and the inductors, so we need to be sure it’s what we want and is effective use of everyone’s time.
For members experienced in tool use, then it’s essential to know the particulars of our tools and important to be aware of ‘house rules’.
For example: our chop saw – each saw you come across is different and if you’re not familiar with the Makita’s dual sliding mechanism (among other features)and how it locks then you’re at risk when using it.
It’s also important for all members to be aware of ‘house rules’: it’s intrinsic to the culture of a workshop. But putting experienced and novice users through the same induction process seems inefficient. The experienced users will want to push ahead or just zone out, the inexperienced ones will feel left behind. Putting it through the filter of ‘what’s safe, what’s acceptable risk’ might be a way to separate people into different groups?
I do understand that the mass mega-inductions are an effort to get through the backlog, but I wonder if more efficiencies can be gained by bringing in – sooner rather than later –some of the ideas mentioned by @joeatkin2, @lewisss and the @woodtechs in other threads? Such as fast track sessions that orientate the more experienced users. I can even see the training side of things developing into sessions where you get a few hours just to hone your hand tool skills: perhaps supervised Monday Night Woodwork Club like we used to have?
Anyway just putting it out there. In essence the induction was at a very high level, which will lead to safe and good working practices as the workshop comes into full use over the coming weeks/months. All I’ve written is intended to feed into the honing and ongoing improvement of this process.
Best,
Dermot
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Great feedback, observations and thoughts about moving forward, just like all good systems they need tweeking and fine tuning. Never a criticism, they’re construction made stronger 
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I agree it was training!
But training to use the tools safely which is what the inductions are for
I am not sure that we actually did any training to make anything.
If we did please be specific and we will leave it out
Thanks for your input
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We always planed for a fast track inductions, but that was taken out of our hands buy tom when he made the list in the order of priority.
It really does not feel fair to take criticismfrom a director for not doing something that we were stopped from doing buy one of the other directors.
If you want to rearrange the list that is fine but we will be over half way through buy Monday
It should also be noted that experienced members (including myself) do make stupid mestakes .
I can only think of two or three people who have not made one yet …
Sorry , low blow but it equally aply to me
I think that’s a bit unfair.
I proposed the waiting list in a PM on 10th Feb, which you saw and commented on. It went live 4 days later. That PM thread contains no mention of a seperate waiting list for experienced users. I know we’d talked about such things off-hand face-to-face, but without a concrete proposal, how was I supposed to know?
If y’all want to run such sessions, I ain’t stopping you The 3D printer waiting list is already set up like that. The woodshop waiting list is a wiki so you could just add a section like this, for example:
Fast-track
If you are already an experienced woodworker, we will also be running fast-track sessions. This will be much quicker than the regular induction, and will be mainly concerned with verifying your existing skills. If you already know your way around a wood workshop, please add your name to this list, instead of the main one.
And let people know that they can switch queues
I was and am happy to delagate . And am happy that you are helping. But a bit perplexed that now I am getting flack for it
The “flack” in this instance isn’t coming from me! I didn’t go on the induction so I can’t really comment on it (apart from how long it is, which prevents me from attending.)
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I know .
Am always happy when someone helps.
I also don’t understand the problem as all the people who are experienced at woodwork seem very happy with the induction . I would be suprised if anyone puts there names down for the quick induction.
As you know we want everyone to do it and if nesesry we will run one specifically for you and will do what is required for everyone to have an opportunity to join in
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I have come up with a way to add value to the advanced user induction, I will put a call out on discorse to generate it .
And hopefully it will be a half way house that will allow people who already know how to do the basic stuff a way through the foundation induction.
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