Facility Operations
Hours and access, shared spaces, upkeep and materials.
- Visiting and Access
- Shared Spaces
- Keeping the Space Running
- Cleanup Checklist and Cleaning Schedule
- Trash, Recycling and Hazardous Waste
- Building Systems
- Reporting a Building Problem
- Materials
Visiting and Access
Hours, access, layout, parking and neighbors.
Hours and Access
Where we are
Waukesha Makerspace, 2111 S West Ave, Unit 58, Waukesha, WI 53189.
The space is members only
WMI is not open to the general public. People who want to see the space can come to an open house or another public event; see waukeshamakers.com for dates and for how to join.
Hours
- Members with a paid Monthly or Annual membership have 24/7 access, except during special events or temporary closures set by the board.
- New members in their introductory period also have 24/7 access, through the mobile app.
Membership options and rates are on waukeshamakers.com.
Which door
- Members use the rear door.
- The front door is only used during public events.
How you get in
- Key fob: issued to members on a paid Monthly or Annual membership. Test your fob before you leave orientation.
- Mobile app: members in the introductory period get in with the mobile app instead of a fob. After orientation you receive an activation email and have a limited window (currently 5 days) to activate your account.
To be confirmed: whether members may still register their own compatible key fob, and which access app members install.
Keeping the building secure
- Never leave doors unlocked or propped open. Make sure the door is secure every time you enter or leave.
- Guests you bring are your responsibility; see Guests, Family Members and Pets.
- Members can find the procedure for opening and closing the shop in the Member Access book (sign-in required).
If your access stops working
Access is paused if your membership lapses, after a 7-day grace period. Check your profile at waukeshamakers.com, or email info@waukeshamakers.com for help with access.
Being considerate
The building has other business tenants. Keep music down on weekday business hours and respect quiet hours for our neighbors. See Parking, Loading and Neighbors.
Physical Layout
WMI has been at 2111 S West Ave, Unit 58, Waukesha, since November 2024. This page is a map of the space. You get a full walkthrough at orientation.
To be confirmed: a current floor plan image with each area, the exits, fire extinguishers and first aid kit marked.
Areas
The orientation tour covers these areas:
| Area | What it is for | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Conference Room | Meetings, small classes, game nights and a place to relax | Conference Room |
| Electronics Lab | Soldering, components, microscopes | Electronics Lab book |
| Print Lab | 3D printing | Digital Fabrication book |
| Fiber Arts | Sewing, textiles and leatherworking | Fiber Arts book |
| Laser and CNC shop | Laser cutting and CNC | Digital Fabrication book |
| Wood Shop | Saws, sanders, routers, dust collection | Wood Shop book |
| Metal Shop | Welding, grinding, plasma | Metal Shop book |
| Flex Space (formerly Automotive) | Vehicle and bike work, plus the paint and spray booth | Flex Space book |
| Assembly | Shared work area | |
| Storage | Lockers, pallet racking and floor storage | Storage Areas |
| Restroom |
For the equipment in each area and exactly where it sits, see Atlas.
Safety equipment
The emergency exits, fire extinguishers and first aid kit are pointed out on the orientation tour. The first aid kit is near the restroom. See Emergency Information in Shop Safety.
To be confirmed: written locations of each fire extinguisher and emergency exit for this page.
Parking, Loading and Neighbors
Noise and music
- Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM: keep the volume down. Our neighboring business tenants have told us the music carries.
- Outside those hours: play what you like, but be courteous to other members in the shop.
- Respect quiet hours for building neighbors.
To be confirmed: the building's quiet hours, if they differ from the weekday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM music limit.
Parking
To be confirmed: where members should park, and any spots or areas of the lot that are off-limits.
Loading and unloading
To be confirmed: which door to use for loading large items, and any rules about keeping the lot or fire lanes clear while loading.
Never block fire lanes, whether you are parked or loading.
Dumpster
Trash goes to the dumpster area behind the building. See Trash, Recycling and Hazardous Waste.
Shared Spaces
The conference room and storage.
Conference Room
The conference room is a shared gathering and recreational space for members: a comfortable, multi-use room for meetings, classes, game nights, group projects and other small events.
What is in the room
- A smart TV
- A large whiteboard
- Books, board games, video games and other entertainment and educational materials
What it is used for
- Member meetings and project planning
- Small classes and workshops
- Game nights and recreational activities
- Relaxing while you wait on a print, paint to dry or another project
- Social gatherings among members and their guests
Using it
Any member can use the room when it is free. A reservation is only needed for hosted events, and the room holds a maximum of 12 people. Food is allowed in the room, and everything goes back to a clean, default arrangement when you are done.
The full rules for reservations, guests, food and cleanup are in the Conference Room Policy in the Shop Rules book.
Something wrong with the room?
Report broken equipment, missing items or other problems on Discord or to a board member.
Storage Areas
This page describes the kinds of storage at WMI. The rules (who can use each, size limits, what is prohibited, labeling) are in the Storage Policy in the Shop Rules book. Current storage options and rates are on waukeshamakers.com.
Types of storage
| Type | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small and large lockers | Tools, small materials, project parts | Board approval; you may use your own padlock |
| Pallet racking | Larger items, equipment, materials | Up to a 40 in x 40 in footprint (or a standard 40 in x 48 in pallet), 40 in tall |
| Floor storage on carts | Short-term, project-specific storage | Advance approval; carts need working wheels and an inspection |
To be confirmed: where the lockers, pallet racking and floor storage area are in the building.
Tote storage
Drawings exist for shop-built tote racks sized for 15-gallon and 27-gallon totes.
To be confirmed: whether tote racks are installed, which tote sizes members should buy, and how tote spaces are assigned.
Everyday rules of thumb
- Only leave things in designated storage areas or on carts.
- Label everything with your name and contact information (and the date, for projects in progress).
- Big projects go on wheels so others can move them.
- Keep walkways and shared workspaces clear.
- Unlabeled items are treated as community property.
Nearby
The aluminum can recycling bin is near the lockers. See Scrap, Shared Materials and Recycling.
Keeping the Space Running
Cleanup, waste, building systems and reporting problems.
Cleanup Checklist and Cleaning Schedule
WMI is run entirely by volunteers. Nobody is paid to clean up, so every member cleans up after themselves. The rule is simple: leave every area as good as or better than you found it.
Before you leave: checklist
- Tools put back where they belong.
- Your work area swept or wiped down.
- Your project and materials stored in a designated area or on a cart, labeled with your name and the date.
- Walkways and shared workspaces clear.
- Any trash can you filled emptied. See Trash, Recycling and Hazardous Waste.
- All food and food trash taken out of the building with you.
- If you used the conference room: tables wiped, trash out, room reset to its default arrangement.
- Doors secure behind you.
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning supplies are kept in the utility closet and near the main work zones. Ask if you are not sure where something is.
To be confirmed: the current location of the utility closet and cleaning supplies, and how to report when supplies run low.
Area-specific cleanup
Some areas have extra steps (for example dust collection in the Wood Shop). Those are on each area's overview page and in the equipment SOPs.
Cleaning schedule and cleanup days
WMI holds spring and fall cleanups where members pitch in on the bigger jobs. They are announced on Discord and listed on waukeshamakers.com.
To be confirmed: whether there is a recurring schedule for shared cleaning tasks (floors, restroom, dust collector bins) and who covers them.
Take initiative
If you see something that needs doing, do it. Your effort keeps the space welcoming and working for everyone.
Trash, Recycling and Hazardous Waste
Trash
- If a trash can is full, empty it. Do not leave it for someone else.
- Take trash to the dumpster area behind the building. Ask if you do not know where to go.
Food waste
Take food and food trash with you when you leave. Do not leave food waste in the trash cans overnight.
Rodents chew on wires, nest in power supplies and leave droppings behind. Food left in the shop invites them in. This applies everywhere, including the conference room after an event.
Aluminum can recycling
Drop aluminum cans in the can recycling bin near the lockers. All proceeds go to the makerspace and help fund tools, materials and workshops.
To be confirmed: whether other materials (cardboard, paper, plastic, scrap metal) are recycled, and where.
Hazardous waste
Paint, solvents, finishes, oils, batteries and similar materials must never go in the regular trash or down a drain.
- Oily and solvent-soaked rags can catch fire on their own as they dry. Never leave them balled up in a trash can.
- Lithium batteries can start fires if crushed or punctured. Keep them out of the trash.
To be confirmed: where members should put used rags, leftover paint and solvents, and dead batteries at WMI, and how the shop disposes of them.
See Fire Safety and Hot Work and Chemical Safety and Safety Data Sheets in Shop Safety.
Building Systems
This page will describe the building's systems and what members need to know about them: where the electrical panels are and how breakers are labeled, how the compressed air system works, how heating and cooling are controlled, and where the water shutoff is. It will also say which of these members may touch and which are handled by the board or the landlord.
One rule already applies: never block electrical panels, sprinkler heads or fire extinguishers.
This page is being written. Until it is published, report any building system problem to a board member (see **Reporting a Building Problem**).
Reporting a Building Problem
If something is wrong with the building (a leak, a door that will not lock, lights or power out, heat or air conditioning not working, damage to the space), report it so it can be fixed.
Emergencies first
If anyone is in danger, call 911. Evacuate the building for fire, chemical spills or other hazardous conditions. See Emergency Information in Shop Safety.
How to report
- Post on Discord or message a board member in #general.
- Or email info@waukeshamakers.com.
Say what the problem is, where it is, and when you noticed it. A photo helps.
If a door will not lock or close properly, do not leave the building unsecured. Tell a board member right away.
Broken tools are different
If the problem is with a tool or machine rather than the building, see Tagging a Tool Out of Service and Reporting It in Shop Safety.
Who fixes what
Members report problems to the board. The board decides what WMI handles itself and what goes to the landlord.
To be confirmed: which building problems are the landlord's responsibility under the lease, and whether members should ever contact the landlord directly.
Materials
Consumables, scrap and shared materials.
Consumables
Some materials and supplies are shared by the shop. Others you bring yourself. This page explains which is which.
Who can use shop materials
- Members with a paid Monthly or Annual membership may use shop materials and the scrap inventory.
- Members in the introductory period must bring all their own materials and supplies. Shop scrap and inventory are off-limits during that time.
Membership options are on waukeshamakers.com.
What the shop provides
Community consumables have included things like filament, resins, paints, cleaners, hardware and wood. Availability varies.
- Use them within reasonable and respectful limits.
To be confirmed: a current list, per area, of what the shop stocks and what members must bring (for example, which filaments, sandpaper, blades, welding wire and gas).
Commercial work
Use your own materials for anything you make to sell. Shop supplies have been allowed for prototyping, jigs and other preparatory work that does not end up in a final product for sale. See Making Things to Sell.
Material safety
Not every material is safe in every machine. For example, never laser-cut PVC or vinyl: it releases chlorine gas, which harms people and destroys the machine. Check the Materials chapter of the Digital Fabrication book and each tool's SOP before you use a new material.
Donating materials
All donations of tools, equipment or materials must be approved by an area coordinator or the board before you bring them in.
Scrap, Shared Materials and Recycling
The free shelf
- Everything on the free shelf is free to anyone who wants it.
- Have something you want to pass on to a good home? Put it on the shelf.
- Anything that sits there for more than two months is moved to long-term storage or donated.
- The free shelf is not a lost and found.
Scrap
- Shop scrap is available to members with a paid Monthly or Annual membership. It is off-limits during the introductory period.
- Do not use shop scrap for products you sell. See Making Things to Sell.
To be confirmed: where the scrap bins are for each material (wood, metal, acrylic) and any size rules for what is worth keeping.
Unlabeled items
Anything left in the space without a name on it is considered community property and may be used, moved or repurposed. If you want to keep something, label it with your name and the date. See the Storage Policy.
Aluminum can recycling
Drop aluminum cans in the can recycling bin near the lockers. All proceeds benefit the makerspace and help fund tools, materials and workshops.
For trash, food waste and hazardous waste, see Trash, Recycling and Hazardous Waste.