Training and Certification

• How Certification Works
• Check-off Requirements by Area
• Becoming a Trainer or Check-off Volunteer
• Pre-Use Inspection

How Certification Works

What needs a check-off

• All corded tools require training before use. That covers every power tool and machine in the shop.
• Even experienced makers must be trained. Our equipment is often modified from its factory state, and training is where you get the inside scoop on how our tool differs from the one you already know.
• Guests may not use any equipment, trained or not. Only active members who have completed the proper training may operate tools and machines.

How to get checked off

1. Find out what the tool needs. Start with the area's book (for example Wood Shop or Digital Fabrication) and see Training and Certification: Check-off Requirements by Area.
2. Read the tool's SOP page if there is one. Reading an SOP does not replace training, but it makes the check-off faster.
3. Ask for training. Ask a board member or an experienced member, or post in #general on Discord saying which tool you want to learn. Some tools are also taught in classes; see the events listed at https://waukeshamakers.com.
4. Get checked off by someone who is already certified on that tool. Once they are satisfied you can use it safely, they record your certification in Journeyman.

To be confirmed: whether any tools are formally "self-serve" (no individual check-off), and which tools are only taught through classes.

How Journeyman records certifications

Certifications are recorded in Journeyman at https://journeyman.waukeshamakers.com. Sign in with your WMI account to see your own certifications and who is certified on a given tool.

• Certification is per machine, not per type of tool. Being certified on one saw does not certify you on the saw next to it. Each certification is tied to a specific piece of equipment in Atlas (https://atlas.waukeshamakers.com).
• Certifications are vouched for by people. A certification is granted by someone who is already certified on that same tool. Board members and designated certifiers can also grant certifications, which is how the first certification on a new machine gets started.
• The record is permanent. Every certification keeps a history of who vouched for whom and when. Nothing is edited after the fact.
• The board can suspend or revoke a certification when there is a safety reason to.

Before every use

Being certified does not end your responsibility. Inspect the tool every time. See Training and Certification: Pre-Use Inspection.

Check-off Requirements by Area

The rule of thumb is simple: if it plugs in, you need training before you use it. This page points you to the right place for each area.

To see which tools exist and whether a tool is marked as needing training, look it up in Atlas at https://atlas.waukeshamakers.com. To see whether you, or someone who could train you, are certified on it, check Journeyman at https://journeyman.waukeshamakers.com.

To be confirmed: the list of tools in each area that need a check-off, and any tools that are self-serve. Area Champions are asked to fill in their area below.

Wood Shop

Saws, sanders, routers and dust collection. Every corded tool needs a check-off. See the Wood Shop book; the Wood Shop: Radial Arm Saw SOP is a good example of what a check-off covers.

Metal Shop

Welders, grinders and plasma cutting. PPE is required. See the Metal Shop book and Shop Safety: Fire Safety and Hot Work.

Digital Fabrication

3D printers, the laser cutter and CNC. 3D printing and laser cutting are self-serve once you have been trained. See the Digital Fabrication book, including Digital Fabrication: Laser Cutter and Digital Fabrication: Laser-Safe and Prohibited Materials.

Electronics Lab

Soldering, components and microscopes. See the Electronics Lab book.

Fiber Arts

Sewing and leatherworking machines and hand tools. See the Fiber Arts book.

Flex Space

Vehicle and bike work, plus the paint and spray booth. See the Flex Space book.

Becoming a Trainer or Check-off Volunteer

The makerspace is run entirely by volunteers, and that includes training. We need members to lead trainings and check-offs, and teaching a tool is one of the best ways to give back and meet people.

Who can check someone off

In Journeyman, a certification on a tool is granted by someone who is already certified on that same tool. So once you are certified on a tool and confident on it, you can help others get certified on it too. Board members and designated certifiers can grant certifications on any tool.

When you check someone off, you are vouching for them. Your name is recorded with the certification. Only sign off on someone when you are satisfied they can use the tool safely on their own.

To be confirmed: whether there are higher-risk tools where only specific trainers may check people off, and any minimum experience before a member trains others.

How to get involved

• Ask in #general on Discord or talk to a board member about which tools need trainers.
• Talk to the Area Champion for the area you know well. See Volunteer Runbooks: Area Champions.
• If you already know an area well, let the board know. New members who are familiar with an area can sometimes be signed off at orientation.
• If you would rather teach a group, see Classes and Instructors: Teaching at the Makerspace.

What a good check-off covers

Use the tool's SOP page as your checklist when there is one: certification requirements, pre-use checks, the procedure, consumables and known quirks. Walk through the pre-use inspection together (see Training and Certification: Pre-Use Inspection), and make sure the person knows how this particular machine differs from similar tools.

Pre-Use Inspection

Why every tool gets checked before use

We are hackers at heart. Equipment at the makerspace may have been modified beyond its factory state, adjusted by the last person who used it, or worn in ways that are not obvious. So the rule is:

Always assume the equipment has been altered, and inspect it thoroughly before you use it.

This applies every time, even on a tool you used yesterday and even if you are certified on it.

A quick general checklist

Tool SOP pages list specific checks. For any tool:

• Guards and safety features are in place and working (blade guards, keys, emergency stops).
• Cords and plugs are undamaged, and the tool is plugged in properly (see Shop Safety: Electrical Safety and Lockout/Tagout).
• Blades, bits and consumables are the right ones, sharp, undamaged and installed correctly, including direction of rotation.
• Adjustments and locks are where you expect. The last user's settings are not yours. Check fences, angles, depths and locks.
• The work area is clear of scraps, tools and debris, and nothing is touching the blade or bit before you start.
• Dust collection or ventilation is connected and on, where the tool needs it.
• Out-of-service tags. If a tool is tagged, do not use it.

If something is wrong

Do not use the tool. Take it out of service and report it. See Shop Safety: Tagging a Tool Out of Service and Reporting It.