New Member Guide

About Artisans Asylum

Welcome to membership at Artisans Asylum! Founded in 2010, this community’s purpose is to provide the tools and the inspiration makers need. Since the beginning, we’ve been a member-run organization that places strong value on inclusion and transparency. As a not-for-profit, at any one time we only maintain a small staff, none of whom, as it turns out, is a janitor. For more, see Our History .

Members keep Artisans Asylum running. We staff the front desk, service the machines, hold the free workshops, build the workbenches, vote in the board and bylaw elections, and march under the banner in parades. Your responsibility: joyfully participate! Start by keeping the shops, social area, multipurpose rooms, and kitchenette cleaner than you found them.

About this Guide

This guide is meant to help you get acclimated to our space and our community. Members made this guide to help you find the resources and information you need to make the most of the opportunities in our community. It is not a rulebook or policy document, nor does it cover everything. For example, there are still specific shop safety rules you must learn before working in the community shops, and situations you may find yourself in not covered by this guide. We hope that reading this will be the first of many steps that help you to participate as fully as possible at Artisans Asylum.

This guide is an additional resource that pairs best with the Main Page and an in-person New Member Orientation session. Sign up for the next one.

Why is this guide on the wiki? What is the wiki?

The public wiki serves as a supplement to our website. The Wiki is being used primarily for shop rules, how the space is maintained, detailed tool listings and documentation, troubleshooting procedures, and other varied dynamic documents (e.g. project outlines). To find other sources of information check What Information Goes Where. The Wiki is constantly updated to reflect our growing and changing organization. Anyone can read this wiki, but to edit a page you need to create an account.

Access and Security

For Monthly Members:

• A huge part of both safety and security here at the Asylum is knowing who is in the building. For this reason, please badge in every time you walk in.
• When Artisans Asylum is locked your RFID fob will let you in the front door
• Never let in anyone whose RFID fob does not open the front door.

Visitors and Guests

Non-member guests are permitted in the Asylum so long as they do not use Asylum equipment or shared areas or interfere with other members. Guests and their actions are the sole responsibility of the host member. - From the Policies and Procedures in the Membership Agreement

• You’ll need to arrange to meet your visitors at the front desk. They must be accompanied by their member host at all times.
• Guests cannot be in any of the shop areas, cannot use any equipment including hand tools, or Asylum computers
• A day pass or membership for your guest must be purchased if they want to help you in the shops (on tools for which they must be trained and tested)
• If you have a food delivery coming, be available to receive it

Working in the Shops

Respect the Equipment

• A lot is at stake in the shops. Wake up! Use methodical care around tools
• Use only tools you are trained and tested on
• If you don’t remember how to do something, ask someone!
• Return tools to their starting position when done

A must read is our Shop Safety and Etiquette page before working in the shops.

General Safety

• If there is an emergency call 911
• Be familiar with the Floor plan. Know where the the nearest exits, first aid kits, eyewash stations are at all times.
• Be familiar with the locations of fire extinguishers and fire alarm pull stations; there is a fire alarm pull station at every fire exit and nearby fire extinguisher
• In the event of a fire/smoke emergency do not hesitate to sound the alarm and exit the building immediately.

Flammables Storage and Disposal

No liquid fuel is permitted in the building. If you have solvents, paints or other volatile liquids you need to store safely.

Artisan’s provides several flammables cabinets for members to safely store flammables. Take advantage of this resource and save space in your studio. If you do need to store flammables in your studio make sure they are in facilities approved containers.

There are red bins in the Antwerp Finishing room that can be used for disposal of rags and other flammable materials.

Shared Space Stuff

Respect the Shared Spaces

• Make sure our shared space stays fire code and ADA compliant, clean and safe.
• Plan your storage needs in advance. If you need storage space, see if there is storage space you can rent.
• Put your trash in the dumpster.
• Only put leftover material in the scrap bin if you know it to be truly useful
• Whether you’re finished for the day or just finished for now, clean up completely. Then clean up 10% more!

The Kitchenette

• Tea, coffee and related beverages and accessories are stocked in the kitchens of each building.
• Anything you leave out in the kitchen area will be considered common, including your dishes.
• Treat this space like a shared kitchen with lots of roommates: it is expected that you clean your dishes immediately.

Fridge Etiquette

We have refrigerators in the kitchens. It is up to you to put your name and the date on your food (including frozen food)

• Unlabeled, super old or stinky food will be thrown away without abandon or possibly turned into artwork.
• If it’s unlabeled and looks delicious it might be considered fair game

Trash and Recycling

• We generate a lot of waste. In order for the system to work, all members need to be involved!
• The Waste_disposal page has detailed information

Janitorial Items

• Need soap, paper goods, trash liners, cleaning supplies, a mop? Find this in XXX
• Pro-tip: Try Inmates friend - mix of Borax, sawdust and water. Already mixed in a bin - great for sweeping up the concrete floors! Really shines them up. Please re-fill when empty.

Cruft and Scrap Bins

We have a Cruft area in each building, a spot designated for people to leave items for free they no longer want but still may have a value to someone else. Here are some basic guidelines for the use of these areas:

1. Be selective about what you contribute to cruft, and if something seems old, find a way to get rid of it safely.
2. Do not to leave large, or hazardous materials in the cruft areas.
3. Check back in a week or two and get rid of whatever you are responsible for that does not get claimed.
4. In Holton, label the items you drop off with a name and date.

Our wood and metal scrap bins are prolific for scrap material to work on.