Woodshop Comittee Meeting

Topics TLDR

1. Dust Collection Overhaul.
2. Dust Control
3. Jointer replacement
4. Bandsaw Replacement
5. Maintenance Schedule
6. Tool Audit
7. Thickness Sander

Dust Collection Overhaul Planning
(This is my main priority, full disclosure) Many of the runs are drooping and there are more leaking connections than solid ones. It’s just not working well. I wanted to make a proper effort to bring it all up to the level that it needs to be to support our growth and buying or upgrading tools.

1. Plan and rehang ducts so they are level or at whatever angle they are meant to be.
2. Screw together every connection, then tape the joints. No more leaking!
3. Large filters need to be replaced.
4. Fill level sensor for the dust bin. Buy and install an off-the-shelf solution, an ultrasonic or infrared sensor.
5. Vibrator installation on can filters with clear fine particulate bags attached to filters.
6. Automatic Dust Gates. Most of the tools need automatic gates. It’s obvious at this point that we need it. No one remembers to close them, and if more than two people are using the shop, there is no suction. It’s a large investment, but a necessary one for air quality and dust control.

General Dust Control Planning
Second air cleaner or a better negative pressure solution for the whole shop.
Plastic curtains to replace air curtains. The air curtains do an ok job, but good, thick magnetic curtains will be better and help with the noise levels in the shop. If you disagree, please come to the meeting.

Jointer Replacement VOTE
The jointer sucks so bad. It needs to be replaced; investing in a proper helical head 8" is the right choice. We can get a helical-compatible machine and invest in the head next year. No more consumer-grade machines, they don’t last with the abuse we throw at them.

Bandsaw Replacement VOTE The Mini Max can be set up as a regular bandsaw and we can get a new resaw, or we can get a new small bandsaw. Either way, the choice is being made by vote at this meeting and someone will be put in charge of ordering it. Both will be required to have a checkout regardless.

Paying for Maintenance Schedule VOTE
I know we currently have a run-time sensor running on the planer; I believe we need the same thing on the maintenance-sensitive machines. No more waiting for things to break. Pay someone (outsource or otherwise) to spend the time reading each of the manuals and making a recurring schedule. We need it and we needed to have it in place years ago, but the next best time is right now.

Tool Audit Planning
We have too many things around that we don’t use and they are just taking up space. The metal shop did this to great effect, let’s do it! We need to go through the drawers and boxes and sell or donate the stuff that has more that two inches of dust on it. We also need to make foam or plywood inserts for the tools that remain. Everything needs a home. Let’s put together a team to make this happen. It really helps putting things away when they actually have a home and it’s more obvious when they are missing.

Thinckness Sander
It’s in limbo, and we need to make some serious choices on it before we invest more time and money into it and so it stops taking up space in the main makerspace area without a real plan for its use or exit.