This should help to explain some of our rules, policies, and where stuff goes.
Be Excellent To Each Other
Short and to the point. Be decent, share graciously, disagree respectfully, and keep others in mind whenever you are doing (or considering doing) things in the shop. Be a model for others and always be excellent to each other.
If you forget any other rule, remember the First Rule. Pretty much every other rule flows from this one.
The physical, emotional, and mental safety of our members is of the utmost importance at Twin Cities Maker. It is important to follow all proper safety procedures for any tool you are using in the shop and you can check out the Shop Departments Pages for information as well as speak to shop leadership.
Outside of tool safety we also take the general well-being and emotional safety of our members very seriously. We do not accept harassment of any form (Anti-harassment policy) and will act on violations of our community standards.
Regardless of incident type, be it someone refusing to wear safety equipment while working on a tool that requires it, two people having an altercation, or someone harassing you, you can report incidents by going to go.tcmaker.org/IncidentReport or by following the instructions here.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Questions are amazing. “Where do we keep the glue?”, “What are you working on? That looks amazing.”, “How do I safely make this cut?”. Our goals as an organization are to foster making, sharing, and learning, questions are and important part of that. If you are not sure of something, ask. Other members are happy to help. Though, obviously, respect people's boundaries.
On the other side of this, readily offer help. Someone looking confused? Has that person been mumbling about looking for a tool and rifling around through drawers for 10 minutes? Is someone doing something unsafe? Offer help and guidance. Offer to show them where that tool is, offer them with their problem, offer advice on how to make that cut on the table saw in a safe way. Sharing and learning depend on asking and answering questions, and that's two thirds of why TCMaker exists.
We are a completely volunteer run organization. It is the responsibility of every member to pitch in where they can and help keep the shop clean, tools working, people trained, and so on.
Whenever you use an area, leave it a bit cleaner than you found it. Things being kept clean and tools kept in their homes helps everyone work more efficiently in the shop and working together to keep the shop clean and in order makes the work easier on all of us. Do what you can to keep the shop clean (bonus XP for people who clean the bathroom).
If it's going to be in the shop when you aren't, put a label on it. You'll find green Parking Permits in various locations around the shop. Fill it out – please print neatly – and attach the permit firmly to the stuff you're leaving behind.
If it takes up a lot of space make sure it is out of the way of others trying to work.
If it is large, bulky, and going to need to be stored for a while make sure your talk to the member storage manager to make arrangements.
Shop tools are shop tools and need to stay at the makerspace. Members are not allowed to take tools home with them without explicit permission from a department's manager. The tools at the makerspace are for the use of all members and taking tools out of the space can cause a lot of problems for other members coming in expecting a tool that was there a few days ago is still going to be there.
We are a volunteer run non-profit. Machines can break and there is only so much volunteer time to keep things running. If you come in and the machine you wanted to use is broken and you have the knowledge or willingness to learn how to fix it please reach out to the area manager and see if there is a way you can help to get it back up and running.
Whether that's due to medication, alcohol, or being tired. Yes, we allow you to bring adult beverages to the shop. Use the tools first, and then when you're done, celebrate your victories with a nice beverage.
Due to federal regulations, you can't work on firearms in the shop. That would make TCMaker a firearms manufacturer, and that's a lot of work and legal hassle we don't want. For more information see the page about the firearms policy.
Details on member storage including rules can be found here.