WhateverLab/Guide: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

== WhateverLab & HeavyMachinery Guide ==

The [[WhateverLab|Whateverlab (WEL)]] and the [[HeavyMachinery|Heavy Machinery (HM)]] primarily provide space, material and equipment for DIY projects and hardware hacking. As such it is a vital part of the Metalab being a hackspace. There is a variety of things you can do in the workshop areas – among them are electronics hacking (including SMD electronics and PCB edging), micro controller applications, laser cutting, vinyl cutting (t-shirt and stickers), ham radio hacking, CNC milling, wood working, metal working, welding and more. This guide is serving as an introduction on how to make those areas a nice experience for everyone. '''Read it carefully because most violations won't be taken lightly and the least that will happen is that you lose respect of the community.'''

=== Etiquette ===

The workshop areas of the Metalab are places to work and hack. As such there is a set of guide lines to consider to make it a nice and productive experience for all of us. Etiquette isn't a luxury, it is a necessity.

* '''Keep it tidy''': When people come to the Metalab to use the workshop areas, they expect to find the workbenches clean and the tools in their designated locations/drawers/cupboards. Please always '''plan ahead for cleanup''' so you don't end up being too tired or not having enough time. Messy workbenches are one of the major reasons to get very frustrated about the Metalab. No one wants to spend hours cleaning up and looking for tools before they can get to work.

* '''Curiosity is a virtue but peace and quiet is bliss''': The WEL and HM are undoubtedly the places where most of the interesting hacks are happening. People are working on their projects and it's only natural to be curious about what they are doing. But please '''give people their peace and space''' to work. And if you do decide to show interest for their projects please ask kindly if it is OK to interrupt to ask some questions or watch what they are doing. Under no circumstances lurk behind people and shoulder surf unannounced.

* '''You gotta do what you gotta do but not at the expense of others''': Often it is necessary to engage in activity that might disturb others. Noise, smell, dust and other disturbances sometimes are necessary, but please try to think of ways to improve or even avoid such situations (for example: going outside or not doing it a prime time). Additionally there are situations that might cause major disturbance like triggering the AC circuit breaker. Please '''inform the people around you''' before starting to plug in devices you suspect they will trigger the circuit breaker.

Smart users aren't users who know everything (or think/pretend to do so). They are smart by using the space and equipment in a fashion that benefits all. That includes '''knowing when to ask questions''' or consult the internet which makes you appear a responsible person that knows his/her limits and therefore earns the respect of the community. The following guide lines are designed to give you some tolerance in applying them, but please always consider the value of the equipment you are using – the more it costs the more conservative you have to apply the guide lines.

* '''Mishaps''':Even if you consider all of the following guide lines and apply them stringently, something might go wrong and break. It is very important that if something breaks that you do report it on the [[Mailinglisten|mailing list]] or if you don't have access, report it to someone who does. That rule is most importantly designed to prevent frustration among fellow hackers. So please '''report broken equipment''', so we can either fix or replace it. Don't worry to much about the cost – though of course you should pay for broken equipment, no one is going to sue or condemn you if you can't.

* '''The unknown''':The workshop areas are full of all kinds of materials and equipment – it is only natural that you most certainly you don't know all of them or don't know exactly how to use them. So when you encounter a tool/a piece of equipment that you haven't used before '''please ask other members what it is''' and how exactly it is supposed to be used – even if you think that you have a pretty good idea of how to – the big mistake is in the detail, for example: there are a lot of different types of screw drivers. Using the wrong one (or even the wrong size) will damage the driver and the screw.

* '''How to successfully re-purpose''': We are hackers, that also means that we like to re-purpose technology and equipment for fun and profit. But that practice comes with the risk of breaking things – especially if you don't know how to do it properly.

# '''''The first rule of re-purposing''''' is: Don't do it if it isn't absolutely necessary! A lot of times there is a specialized tool for what you want to achieve that will do a much better job and also won't break – again, smart users know when to ask people or the internet.

Classic examples of tools being re-purposed unsuccessfully (aka. breaking them) are: Using wire cutters to cut anything else then wires, using screw drivers as drill/spatula/crowbar and using the wrong drill for the wrong material (rendering them dull).

Examples include:  

'''Please, if you are not 100% sure you know exactly how a tool is handled and maintained, ask'''!