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First, there are approximately 8 open workbenches surrounded by tall drafting chairs that are open for general use. Each of these has a permanent home that is marked on the floor. Each workbench has power outlets on each leg, which can be powered by plugging the workbench's power plug into the yellow power outlets that come down from the ceiling. The yellow power outlets have been positioned so that that they hang down directly next to the workbench. These workbenches have locking casters and can be moved. However, when you have finished with the workbench, please reset the space. Ensure that the workbench is placed back inside of the special marks on the floor, and place the drafting chairs (usually 4 of them) around the workbench. When you RESET THE SPACE, it makes it nice for those following behind you. And we want to be nice ... don’t we? Yes is the answer to that question. If you need to leave your project out on a workbench for an extended period, you must mark it as "in use" with a note including your name, date, contact info, and when the project will be moved/cleaned up. There should be a good reason for this because we don't want to lock down a workbench for days. If there are special circumstances, please speak with your project advisor and/or a Maker Hub employee.
 
First, there are approximately 8 open workbenches surrounded by tall drafting chairs that are open for general use. Each of these has a permanent home that is marked on the floor. Each workbench has power outlets on each leg, which can be powered by plugging the workbench's power plug into the yellow power outlets that come down from the ceiling. The yellow power outlets have been positioned so that that they hang down directly next to the workbench. These workbenches have locking casters and can be moved. However, when you have finished with the workbench, please reset the space. Ensure that the workbench is placed back inside of the special marks on the floor, and place the drafting chairs (usually 4 of them) around the workbench. When you RESET THE SPACE, it makes it nice for those following behind you. And we want to be nice ... don’t we? Yes is the answer to that question. If you need to leave your project out on a workbench for an extended period, you must mark it as "in use" with a note including your name, date, contact info, and when the project will be moved/cleaned up. There should be a good reason for this because we don't want to lock down a workbench for days. If there are special circumstances, please speak with your project advisor and/or a Maker Hub employee.
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Project storage is at a premium in the Maker Hub. We do not have a lot of space to store projects. The blue rolling carts that live in the hub are designed for project transportation, not permanent project storage. When you are finished using these carts, please clear them off and return them where you found them. If, for some special reason, you need to use the cart continuously for a short time, mark the cart as "in use" with a note per the description above. This is useful if you want to run overnight tests or you are in the middle of an assembly. However, this is for short term use. Remember, BE PROFESSIONAL. Release the materials for others to use. There are project storage racks in the senior design hallway. If you want to store your project there, label your shelf/materials with your name, the date, and contact info. Do not swipe other people's labeled materials for your own project. Keep in mind that these storage racks are periodically cleaned out each summer, so please take your projects with you at the end of the spring semester or notify a Maker Hub employee if you want your project to stay over the summer.
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Project storage is at a premium in the Maker Hub. Visit our [[Project Storage]] page to see what storage spaces are available. We do not have a lot of space to store projects. The blue rolling carts that live in the hub are designed for project transportation, not permanent project storage. When you are finished using these carts, please clear them off and return them where you found them. If, for some special reason, you need to use the cart continuously for a short time, mark the cart as "in use" with a note per the description above. This is useful if you want to run overnight tests or you are in the middle of an assembly. However, this is for short term use. Remember, BE PROFESSIONAL. Release the materials for others to use. There are project storage racks in the senior design hallway. If you want to store your project there, label your shelf/materials with your name, the date, and contact info. Do not swipe other people's labeled materials for your own project. Keep in mind that these storage racks are periodically cleaned out each summer, so please take your projects with you at the end of the spring semester or notify a Maker Hub employee if you want your project to stay over the summer.
    
There are 8 computers on wheels that live up against the wall facing the quad or between the meeting rooms on the south side of the hub. They are all the same as the Computer Lab machines with the exception of number 8. Computer 8 has the Adobe Creative Suite in addition to all the rest of the software. Side note: the other computer in the Maker Hub with the Adobe Creative Suite is the computer connected to the vinyl cutters and the sublimation printer. All of the computers on wheels have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that allows you to unplug the machine and move it around the Maker Hub without powering it down. You allegedly have about 15 minutes of power available from the UPS (if anyone actually times it, let us know). Feel free to roll these computers to wherever you want to use them; however, when you are finished, RESET THE SPACE! The computers, when not in use, should always be sitting at their permanent locations plugged into a wall outlet.
 
There are 8 computers on wheels that live up against the wall facing the quad or between the meeting rooms on the south side of the hub. They are all the same as the Computer Lab machines with the exception of number 8. Computer 8 has the Adobe Creative Suite in addition to all the rest of the software. Side note: the other computer in the Maker Hub with the Adobe Creative Suite is the computer connected to the vinyl cutters and the sublimation printer. All of the computers on wheels have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that allows you to unplug the machine and move it around the Maker Hub without powering it down. You allegedly have about 15 minutes of power available from the UPS (if anyone actually times it, let us know). Feel free to roll these computers to wherever you want to use them; however, when you are finished, RESET THE SPACE! The computers, when not in use, should always be sitting at their permanent locations plugged into a wall outlet.
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==Material Policy==
 
==Material Policy==
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The Maker Hub gladly provides materials and consumable items to its users—free of charge. We want to remove as many monetary barriers as possible as users work on projects. There are two main exceptions where the Maker Hub requests that the user cover material costs.
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The Maker Hub gladly provides a limited assortment of low-cost materials and consumable items to its users—free of charge. This is true for both academic and personal projects. We want to remove as many monetary barriers as possible as users work on projects. There are two noteworthy areas where the Maker Hub expects that the user cover material costs.
    
The first scenario is for projects that require a large quantity of materials. A “large quantity” is an intentionally subjective term that will be decided by the Maker Hub staff on a case-by-case basis. The term "large quantity" also applies to expensive materials such as a full sheet of plywood, which can cost well over $100 depending on the quality. Sure, some projects legitimately need a large quantity of materials. Just ask the Maker Hub staff about it first. Maybe we'll give you the green light; maybe we'll ask you to cover the cost. We monitor our inventory carefully and want there to be enough materials available for everyone to enjoy, so please don't abuse this privilege.
 
The first scenario is for projects that require a large quantity of materials. A “large quantity” is an intentionally subjective term that will be decided by the Maker Hub staff on a case-by-case basis. The term "large quantity" also applies to expensive materials such as a full sheet of plywood, which can cost well over $100 depending on the quality. Sure, some projects legitimately need a large quantity of materials. Just ask the Maker Hub staff about it first. Maybe we'll give you the green light; maybe we'll ask you to cover the cost. We monitor our inventory carefully and want there to be enough materials available for everyone to enjoy, so please don't abuse this privilege.
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The second scenario is for specialized materials that the Maker Hub does not keep in stock. In this case, we can direct the user to a list of local business and online stores to purchase materials. If you are unfamiliar with the materials you to plan to use for your project or what materials you "should" use, talk with the Maker Hub staff before purchasing. We might be able to save you a big headache.
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The second scenario is for specialized materials that the Maker Hub does not keep in stock. In this case, we can direct the user to a [[Places to Buy Materials|list of local business and online stores]] to purchase materials. If you are unfamiliar with the materials you to plan to use for your project or what materials you "should" use, talk with the Maker Hub staff before purchasing. We might be able to save you a big headache.
    
==Production Runs==
 
==Production Runs==
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Production runs are not allowed in the Maker Hub. Let's define what this means from the Maker Hub's perspective...
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The primary factor that qualifies a project as a production run is attempting to produce a large quantity of items, but this factor is also weighed in conjunction with the time, effort, and cost needed to complete the project. Again, we are using a “large quantity of items” as an intentionally subjective term. If you ask yourself questions like... ''how many things am I trying to make? how much time will it take? what amount of effort is involved? how much will it cost?'' and the answer to all of them is <strong>a LOT</strong>, then you are definitely attempting a production run. The Maker Hub staff reserves the right to determine whether a project qualifies as a production run on a case-by-case basis.
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Why does the Maker Hub care about production runs? The Maker Hub is primarily an educational space; it is not a mass-production facility. Educating, training, and equipping will always be among our top priorities. Production runs tend to lock down a particular space, tool, or piece of equipment for an extended period of time as the user conducts repetitive tasks to produce his or her items. Whether it’s a production run or not, locking down the Maker Hub’s resources for an extended period of time without express permission from the Maker Hub staff comes in conflict with the third commandment: Be Professional! With education as a top priority, high production volumes can begin to compete with that priority by tying up Maker Hub resources for long periods of time. Secondly, the Maker Hub is not the place to fire up your business's assembly line and start cranking out hundreds of widgets for profit. If indeed you have the skills to make something in the Maker Hub that someone else would actually buy with real money, do it! Make something amazing and sell it. However, the Maker Hub will not support any form of "profit making" that includes assembly line production or qualifies as a production run.
    
==How The Training System Works==
 
==How The Training System Works==
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What if there is no student ace listed? Try going to the facility page of where the equipment is located to see if there is an ace or a shop supervisor listed. What if there still is no student ace or shop supervisor listed there? Well, today might be your lucky day to offer to be a student ace for that particular equipment. No one in the Maker Hub is required to be an ace for anything, but the "ace" system is critically important to the operation of the Maker Hub and the culture we continue to develop. We focus our efforts into developing a culture in the Maker Hub that is collaborative, where people are eager to be helpful and share best practices. Our culture empowers students to take ownership of the Maker Hub through various roles and responsibilities. We are very grateful for anyone willing to be a student ace and assist others.
 
What if there is no student ace listed? Try going to the facility page of where the equipment is located to see if there is an ace or a shop supervisor listed. What if there still is no student ace or shop supervisor listed there? Well, today might be your lucky day to offer to be a student ace for that particular equipment. No one in the Maker Hub is required to be an ace for anything, but the "ace" system is critically important to the operation of the Maker Hub and the culture we continue to develop. We focus our efforts into developing a culture in the Maker Hub that is collaborative, where people are eager to be helpful and share best practices. Our culture empowers students to take ownership of the Maker Hub through various roles and responsibilities. We are very grateful for anyone willing to be a student ace and assist others.
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If there are no student aces available, just send your email to <span style="color:blue">makerhub@georgefox.edu</span> and someone will schedule a training and demonstration with you. The demonstration is usually a set task where the trainee will create a specific object or complete several functions to demonstrate basic proficiency on the equipment. Each piece of equipment has a unique demonstration, and the instructions are listed on the equipment's wiki page. Once the training and demonstration are complete, you are certified on the equipment. This means that you are free to use the equipment (adhering to the buddy system as applicable) whenever the facility is open. Each facility has posted hours on its respective wiki page and/or on the door of the facility. What does certification not mean? Certification does not mean that you know everything about the machine - neither does it mean that you're on your own to figure out how to use the machine if you forgot something from the training. Again, consider certifications as a "license to learn" more about the equipment. Ask questions and seek help from the Maker Hub staff and your peers.
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If there are no student aces available, just send your email to <span style="color:blue">makerhub@georgefox.edu</span> and someone will schedule a training and demonstration with you. The demonstration is usually a set task where the trainee will create a specific object or complete several functions to demonstrate basic proficiency on the equipment. Each piece of equipment has a unique demonstration, and the instructions are listed on the equipment's wiki page. Once the training and demonstration are complete, you are certified on the equipment. This means that you are free to use the equipment (adhering to the buddy system as applicable) whenever the facility is open. Each facility has posted hours on its respective wiki page and/or on the door of the facility. What does certification NOT mean? Certification does not mean that you know everything about the machine - neither does it mean that you're on your own to figure out how to use the machine if you forgot something from the training. Again, consider certifications as a "license to learn" more about the equipment. Ask questions and seek help from the Maker Hub staff and your peers.
    
Having just described the training process in excruciating detail, I promise it's a lot easier than it sounds. And it becomes much faster and more familiar once you've gone through it a few times.
 
Having just described the training process in excruciating detail, I promise it's a lot easier than it sounds. And it becomes much faster and more familiar once you've gone through it a few times.

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