Last week it was a surprise to see how much interest (and trepidation)
there was regarding operating Ed's table saw that is located at the
HIVE for member use. We all want these tools to get more use. This
will happen as more folks get comfortable with using them safely and
productively.
OK, so this post is a short-notice announcement for a first trial
class called "Table Saw 101". It will be held this Tuesday, Sept. 6,
starting at 8:00pm. It will last for one hour, immediately after the
regular business meeting.
The class will be very informal, but somewhat structured. It will
start with safety and general familiarization points, then introduce
typical cuts and setups. Registered students will receive a printed
handout with illustrations, and a kit of wood stock to use to cut and
build a simple pre-engineered assembly. The students will be
supervised to make the assorted setups and table saw cuts for
dimensioned piece-parts to then be clamped and glued into a finished
assembly.
Registration will be limited to 4 (or maybe 6) students to facilitate
the supervised hands-on experience and the one-hour class length.
We'll see how it goes, and might decide to run late. Unfinished work
can be completed with the same friendly supervision during "Open Shop
Wednesday" the following night; or left to YOYO (You're-On-Your-Own")
independent study, if a student is comfortable with that.
There is a $5.00 charge to register for the class. This covers the
cost for the wood project materials and makes a nominal contribution
to the HIVE's shop tool consumables fund. Instruction and supervision
is provided free-of-charge as a member time donation.
Our goal is to use this first class as a trial-run. Feedback and
tuneups will go towards a template that will become a packaged,
ongoing offering for the table saw and other tools that can be offered
on a scheduled, or on-demand, repeating basis going forward.
But this instructor needs some training too. Our posted wiki
instructions "How to Host a Class" advise to use http://eventbrite.com,
but don't provide enough details for this newbie to wade through the
process. Can some other yoda volunteer to put this class on the HIVE
calendar and setup the eventbrite registration? Consider to reply
inside this thread and document the steps so that this and other
future instructors have better standardized guidelines to follow.
It's all good,
Jim