With the opening of the Hanze Makerspace upon us it is time to explain the rules and boundaries we maintain to make sure we can all work together in the makerspace responsibly, respectfully and most importantly: safely!
While we don’t impose a lot of restrictions on the kinds of projects you want to work on (as long as you’re learning, we’re all for it!), we do impose some restrictions to make sure you won’t be hurting yourself, others, or the makerspace while you work. We also want to make sure you make fair use of materials and tools without denying that same opportunity to others.
Makerspace Tools & Machinery #
Tools are there to be used by all, but be mindful that we have to keep good track of what we have and where it is, as well as make very sure that whoever uses them can responsibly do so. Most storage places like shelves and cabinets have signs that state what should be stored there and whether it can be used independently.
- Always follow all safety instructions on or near a tool or machine. If we find you without appropriate safety equipment or ignoring safety instructions, we WILL remove you from the makerspace. For your own safety and that of other people.
- If a sign says not to use independently this does not mean it is completely off-limits. What it does mean is that it contains something expensive or dangerous and the team needs to make sure you know what you’re doing first. So ask first!
- Anything you find in storage that is not a consumable item is something that belongs there and should return there! If you want to borrow a tool or piece of equipment and take it out of the makerspace, check with a team member FIRST.
- Leave every storage place as tidy as you found it. No exceptions.
You have no explicit rights to specific tools or materials (even for curriculum purposes, as that is not our function) but we will do our best to accommodate your project however we can. Just keep in mind that we do need to keep a balance between schools/programmes and their respective students/staff and that our resources are unfortunately not infinite.
Staff & Instructions #
The HMS staff members are there to help you learn and to advise and instruct you on the use of tools, machines and equipment. All student-assistants know the basics of what we have and how to get started with most areas of the makerspace, but are not experts on most things in the HMS. This is where our professional instructors can help you. Each has an area of expertise, and together they cover every inch of the Hanze Makerspace.
- When in doubt about anything within the makerspace, always ask a staff member. They are there to help you get started and can direct you to whomever you need. If they don’t know the answer, they’ll forward you to an instructor or the coordinators.
- Assistants and instructors are there to help you get started with our tools and materials. If you are unsure how to get started, ask them to help you out with the first steps. For some machines this is a requirement for safety reasons.
- If a staff member asks you to do something or instructs you to do something a certain way, we expect you to do so. You may disagree, but this is non-negotiable and we expect you to follow these instructions. If not, we WILL ask you to leave the makerspace.
- Be respectful to the team. They are there to help you but are not infallible. Work together to find answers, head their instructions and be patient if they are busy with other tasks.
Material Uses #
We try to have a sizable inventory of basic materials in stock for you to work with and use for your projects. It can be found throughout the many storage spaces and is also marked with signs indicating its type and whether it is allowed to be used independently. Most basic materials are completely free to use within reasonable limits, but we ask you to abide by a few rules:
- Be efficient when using material. Don’t use new material if you can clearly make do with scraps. Don’t use expensive materials if you don’t need to. Use material in such a way that whatever scraps are left may be used again by other people.
- Use material sensibly. We do our best to recycle and re-use what we can, but less waste starts with efficient use. For example: don’t use up a huge sheet of high quality wood as a base to paint on and don’t permanently glue an Arduino board into your project for one-time use if it can be re-used by the next maker.
- The amount of materials you may use for your project depend on your project. Cheap cardboards and filaments for printing are quite free to use, but more expensive specialty electronics, high quality plastics or
- Generally, it’s always good to check with a team member first when you want to use up anything more than some basic materials. Especially when in doubt, just ask!
Makerspace Spaces #
The makerspace is a pretty big place with a lot of rooms and corners that serve a lot of different functions. To make sure we all get to use these spaces freely we made sure to keep the makerspace an open place with no obligations to specific programmes or schools. Projects may reserve spaces or machines for a limited time to make sure they can finish a project, but by default most of the spaces are open to all. All rooms have a sign that states what equipment should be there and whether or not it should be used independently.
- Respect the purpose of each room. Do not go sawing lengths of wood in the Fabrication Lab and don’t do chemistry experiments in the sewing room.
- Likewise, don’t occupy space if you don’t need to: The HMS is not a meeting room for your weekly project group stand-up, just as it it is not a place for you to do your homework or your personal finances. There is plenty of space in the rest of the building for these things.
- Always follow all safety instructions for a space. If we find you without appropriate safety equipment or ignoring safety instructions, we WILL remove you from the makerspace. For your own safety and that of people around you.
- Anything you find in a room, physical or digital, belongs in that room and should stay in there. Do not go moving tools around from space to space without checking in with the team.
- Leave every room place as tidy as you found it. No exceptions.
Finally, all regular rules and standards of conduct apply of course. Be respectful to other makerspace visitors and staff, and always keep the purpose of the space in mind: to be creative and open to new ideas, build things together, and learn!
