Work surfaces- zero tolerance cross hatch

Proposition to paint on “work surface” cross hatch on some of the table tops in the space.

work surfaces are being being left in total mess all the time. No amount of pleading or tidying helps.

The usual suspects leave their stuff with no regard for others who may want to use the space after them.

Let’s try zero tolerance marked worksurfacd areas. It’s like a yellow box junction. It’s a clearly defined area where you can’t lesvd stuff. You can’t go init unless you remove your stuff when you’re finished.

  • Metal bench
  • electronics bench
  • screen printing side wall table
  • screen printing wheelie table
  • textiles cutting table
  • laser slightly dangerous architects board / table
  • 2xwoodwork bench

If a tech comes in and anything is in the box it can be “moved” without comeback. Common sense applies.

“Moved” needs defining.

Clear rules so its not abused by techs.
Clear rules so its not abused by members.

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I think each tech area can make their own decision on this, but I was about to put this issue up for discussion at the meeting: it needs addressing after a recent spate of clutter.

Seems like a good idea – table in clean room is already a ‘clear’ table, in theory.

EDIT: not sure it needs marking – all the areas you mentioned should be kept clear anyway. If you come into the space and find a cluttered area with no one working on it it should be okay to shift that stuff. I’ve done that many times, not down to techs to do this. I put 5 minutes into putting tools away and then ‘shift’ the rest. The shifting bit needs more finessing. As you mention a ‘bin’ somewhere for members to look for left behind items is needed.

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It would just be as a visual aid de memoir and talking point, for subtle mental reinforcement :open_mouth:

A simpler solution would be the hackspace approach anything not labelled is fair game.

We could put asset tags or marks on everything Makerspace. And everything else is presumed fair game unless you have a storage label.

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These posts appear a little dated are we heading back to this place?

The problem with the “fair game” approach I feel is often the stuff not put away is either waste or non returned tools.

This post was from over 9 months ago, the solution agreed with the three week bin system as agreed in the last members meeting of 2017.

Currently it’s a three week bin being swapped every other week, but no one has taken on that responsibility. We have a members meeting tomorrow evening, I will be suggesting that if no one takes this on that we have a system like in our toilet where we put up the date it was last cleaned, or in this case the date it was last swapped, and should be next swapped.

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I acknowledge it is an old problem (that is still with us)

With this in mind I would suggest that the solution has not worked as the tables are often full of tools not put away and waste - I am quite sure the tools dont belong in the 3 week bin and it is not pleasant having to clear up others peoples scraps or waste before you can start on your project

There are may surfaces in many areas that are used as (collection points) how would a “dating” as suggested by Tom help

As much as I I dont believe the 3 week bin is solution for this I dont have any solutions I can suggest.

This is why it’s ill advised to dig up old posts, because they rarely make sense out of context months later.

Yes obviously you don’t put tools in the three week bin, and if people see our tools in there they should obviously remove them.

A vague suggestion has been made that we should brand all tools that belong to Makerspace in some fashion, but it’s never happened.

And yeah, people leave mess out and that sucks but it’s part of life in any shared community space, and we just have to accept it, and resolve to each tidy up a bit more mess than we made, and hopefully that keeps it at bay.

I don’t really understand why you’ve decided to pick an argument about a 9 month old post that went no where.

I looked to see if this problem had been raised and found a thread where this had been discussed I acknowledged this, in my first post and wanted to open a discussion (there is no argument) I also dont think the context had changed much., that said I am relying on what I am reading.

I clearly agree it sucks as you say but I dont feel its fine to let it just be or slide

I also agree that the principle of “tidy up a bit more mess than we made” is great the question is then how do we get that message out there and get people to buy into that.

@dermot is undertaking inductions for new members, and hopefully if the new members handbook gets support then it will help members to better understand what it is to be a member.

I’m just stating, not complaining, that almost every time I come in I have to tidy something or other.

And before I leave, I go round and clear any mess where I’ve been working.

Unconsciously leaving mess is easily done. Perhaps if everyone did that then we’d have much less of a problem?

I’m happy to volunteer for the 3 weeks bin swap.