Welcome to the Lab

Welcome to the Design and Build Lab! To become a member of the community, you must attend an in-person Welcome to the Lab session. These sessions can be done on a walk-in basis - based on Creative and Technical Specialist (CaTS) availability - in about 10 to 20 minutes. You can always ask for a tour of the Lab at the completion of the session.

Contents

Safety

While there are relatively few ways to seriously injure yourself in the lab, it is critical to know how mitigate risk, and what to do in case of injury.

Safety protocols

Please read Safety in DaBL for the full set of safety precautions. The most important policy to remember is: if you don't know what a particular tool is, or don't know how to use a tool, don't use it; ask a Creative and Technical Specialist for help.

Safety Waiver

You will need to understand, complete, and submit the Safety Waiver before you allowed to work in the Lab.

Rules

There are only two rules to remember in DaBL:

Respect the community

Be kind to each other. We are a community of designers, builders, and experimenters; building a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere is paramount to the success of the space.

Respect the space

Wherever you end up working during your time in DaBL, make sure you leave it cleaner than how you found it. If something breaks, notify a CaTS. And to protect the equipment, there is no food or open liquids in the Lab.

Your time in DaBL

During your time working in DaBL, there are a few procedures to follow.

Badging in and out

When entering and leaving DaBL, you must badge in and badge out with your AUID. The main badging system is on the front desk, to your right as soon as you enter the space. When you are joining the Lab, a CaTS will put you into our database, which holds all your member information (including certifications). The procedure is simple.

1. When you approach the reader, its LED should be solid blue, which means it's connected to WiFi. If it is not, tell a CaTS.
2. Tap and then remove your badge from the reader. The LED will turn off.
3. Wait for a moment.
   • A blinking green means you're good to go!
   • A blinking red means you either got a new AUID, or you're not in the database. You need to talk to a CaTS.
   • A blinking yellow means the database is down. Let a CaTS know.

Shop jobs

Five minutes before you absolutely have to leave DaBL, find a CaTS and ask them for a shop job - a small task to help clean and organize the space. It may be as simple as wiping down a tabletop, or sweeping under the 3D printers, or taking hand tools back to their homes. The more all members pitch in, the more usable the Lab is, and the better experience everyone will have.

The Creative and Technical Specialists are the boss

While you're in DaBL, the Creative and Technical Specialists on shift are in charge. If they ask you to stop what you're doing, you must listen; they are in the Lab to make sure that members are working safely, as well as providing project advice.

What can I do now that I'm a member?

Generally, upon completion of this session, you are approved to use any tools in DaBL which are not at a lab station. (All desk without wheels are considered "lab stations.")

Additionally, DaBL is an educational space on top of its function as a rapid prototyping facility. If offers an expansive set of Workshops in problem-solving, design thinking, and safe equipment usage. See the List of workshops for more information.