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Student Projects Machine Shops Information:

The Shops are open to ALL SKILLS, ABILITIES and ALL MAJORS!

Spring 2012 Hours

Day	Location	Hours
Monday	Mustang '60	10-5
Tuesday	Hangar	12-7
Wednesday	Mustang '60	10-5
Thursday	Hangar	12-7
Friday	Mustang '60	10-5
Saturday	Hangar	9-5
Sunday	Closed	Closed

Spring 2012 Safety Tests

Day	Red Tag	Yellow Tag
Monday	-	-
Tuesday	12:00 PM	5:00 PM
Wednesday	-	-
Thursday	5:00 PM	12:00 PM
Friday	-	-
Saturday	3:00 PM	8:00 AM
Sunday	-	-

See below for more information regarding tours and tests.

Critical Dates:

The Mustang '60 Shop Opens:

*Monday, April 2nd, 2012

Last Mustang '60 Shop Day:

*Friday, June 1st, 2012

The Hangar Shop Opens:

*Tuesday April 3rd, 2012

Last Hangar Shop Day:

*Thursday, May 31st, 2012

The Shops are Closed on the following Holidays:

*Monday May 28th (Memorial Day)

Last Tour and Test Day (Tests are Only at the Hangar)-to allow you access to the Shops:

(Check below for specific Tour and Test times)

*Sunday May 19th, 2012

Mandatory Hours of Clean-Up must be done before working after this date:

*Sunday May 19th, 2012

Our shop is open to all, regardless of skills, abilities or majors.

Feel like you don't know anything about tools, but want to learn by making a school project? We'll be happy to help! We emphasize a Safe, serious, but fun environment. Check us out, we're in building 04, Research Development ("The Hangar") and the Mustang '60 shop in the Bonderson Projects Center. We welcome visitors! Check our schedule below for days and hours that we're open and drop by! We'll gladly show you around!

First year students! We encourage you to sign up early in your career here—You will find many class projects that can be enhanced by using the tools available in our facility! Plus you'll learn some new skills!

Our Student Technicians ("Techs") can provide help and guidance in the manufacture of your project. You will build it yourself and learn new skills, techniques and "tricks" through Cal Poly's famous "Learn by Doing" philosophy.

Design your project to match your skill level! We DO NOT build it for you, we provide friendly guidance.

Computer-controlled (CNC) machinery is RESTRICTED to skilled machinists, you should be able to do Basic Machining and BOTH CAD and CAM programs without a lot of assistance before using our CNC machines.

Acceptable Types of School Projects:

A school project is defined as:

All Senior Projects
All Class Projects
Approved Club projects with the consent of the advisor and the Shop Managing Technician.

A school project IS NOT:

Fixing your car or bike in order to get to school.
Building a bookshelf to hold your books.
Building something for your fraternity or sorority – (Exception; making a “Bent” for Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society.)
Building something to help finance your way through school.

If you have a Personal project that isn’t acceptable in our facility, we suggest you check with the ASI Craft Center—Personal projects are allowed there!

How to Get Access to the Student Projects Shops

To access the Shops, all you need to do is be a student and take the Red Tag Tour and Test and pass-(see the link below).

*To use the Shops, you must pass the Tour and Test you have taken with a 90% (55 correct out of 60) or better score by (See the date above).

You must take the Safety Tour and pass the Safety Test in the Hangar Shop at the times listed below to use the Shop facilities. See the Tour and Test schedule below.

How to Get Access to the 24-hour Computer Labs:

Note: The Computer labs are open to Mechanical Engineering majors only.

The 24 hour Computer Labs are also used as classrooms, therefore they are available only by the instructor's permission while the class is in session.

Use your Cal Poly Card to access the Computer labs. Watch for informational e-mails about the computer labs from Larry Coolidge. If you have questions, see Larry Coolidge in room 13-103.

The Hour Clean-Up: Your "payment" if you use our facilities.

Shops:

In order to get access to the shop, you must provide a minimum of ONE HOUR of Shop Clean-Up per quarter, ONLY IF YOU COME IN AND WORK IN THE SHOPS during that quarter.

If you don't sign-in and work in the Shops, you didn't get them dirty, so you don't have to do an Hour Shop Clean-Up that quarter.
If you have been using the shops and FAIL to do your hour of clean up, the NEXT TIME you go to use the Shops, we will require you to do TWO (2) Hours of clean-up BEFORE we let you use the Shops at all!
When you have accumulated 10 hours of time in each of the shops each quarter, you will be asked to schedule or do your hour clean-up in that shop at that time. Be prepared!
*Beginning (See the date above), you cannot work in the Shops unless you have completed your Hour Clean-Up duty!

(Do your clean-ups early in the quarter-we save the really grundgy jobs for the end!)

Note: If you sign-in and work in the Shop, you must provide one hour of clean-up in the Shop by either dropping in to the Shop sometime during the first 5 weeks of that same quarter or by signing up for a Scheduled Hour Clean Up during that quarter.

So, if you work in both of the Shops, (Hangar and Mustang '60) and , you must provide one hour of clean-up in each shop for a total of 2 hours of clean-up.

Computer Labs:

You must also do a 1 hour clean-up by signing up in room 13-103 if you plan to use the Computer Labs. See Larry Coolidge in 13-103 for more information.

General Day-to-Day Cleanliness:

All students are required to properly clean up any area or machine they have used BEFORE proceeding to another area or machine. This includes ALL machines and work areas of the shop. A brush-up and sweep doesn't take long!
All machine locks that were UN-locked must be RE-locked when you are finished.
Persons using machine tools or tools that produce lots of dust and debris are required to begin clean-up 30 minutes before the shop closes.
All other students must stop 15 minutes before the shop closes.
The Tech's have the authority to have you begin your clean-up earlier if you have made us stay late or left your work area dirty in the past or have made a big mess.
All known materials that are spilled must be immediately reported to a Tech, then cleaned up.
All Unknown material spills must not be touched and immediately reported to a Tech. who will handle the problem. If you don't know EXACTLY what it is, DON'T EVER TOUCH IT!

Shop Procedures and Safety Tests:

The Red Tag Tour and Test is the REQUIRED standard introduction to the Hangar Shop and has no prerequisites. This Tour and Test introduces you to many stationary and hand tools that allow you to fabricate a wide variety of materials in many ways. It DOES NOT include machining or welding tools.

In order to take a Red Tag Tour and Test in the Hangar Shop to use our shops you must:

You MUST read the Red Tag Tour and Test Manual prior to your tour and safety test. You will most likely fail the test if you do not take the time to read the Red Tag Tour and Test Manual.
Wear appropriate clothing for the Tour. If you wear shorts, open-toed shoes or excessively loose clothing or loose jewelry, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to take the Tour and Test for safety reasons. It also shows us that you haven't read this page!
The Shop Safety Tour and Test takes approximately one and a half hours and is limited to the first TEN (10) people who arrive promptly. See the times listed below:
YOU MUST READ the following documents prior to arriving for a tour:
Shop Rules and Regulations AND Red Tag Tour and Test Manual

Red Tag Safety Reminders

Wear appropriate clothing. If you wear shorts, open-toed shoes or excessively loose clothing or loose jewelry, you WILL NOT be allowed to use the shop or take the Tour and Test for safety reasons.
You must have your set-ups checked by a technician before beginning an operation.
You may need tool-specific instructions.
You are expected to ask questions if in doubt about safety or operations or when you are unfamiliar with a tool.
*To use the shop, you must pass the test for the tour you have taken with a 55 correct out of 60 or better score by (See the date above.)

To use Welders or Machine Tools: A Yellow Tag is required.

You must have the Yellow Tag Certification-You will be qualified to take the Yellow Tag Tour and Test after you have been logged in for 10+ hours in the shop as a Red Tag holder:

The Yellow Tag Tour and Test allows you to expand your fabrication skills into machining and welding. You MUST read the Yellow Tag Tour and Test Manual prior to your tour and safety test. You will most likely fail the test if you do not take the time to read the Yellow Tag Tour and Test Manual.

Red Tag qualified students who have demonstrated competence on hand and stationary power tools using in the shop may take the Yellow Tag Tour and Test. Yellow Tags allow students to use any machine in the shop if they are properly supervised.

Yellow Tag Safety Reminders:

Wear appropriate clothing. If you wear shorts, open-toed shoes or excessively loose clothing or loose jewelry, you WILL NOT be allowed to use the shop or take the Tour and Test for safety reasons.
You must have your set-ups checked by a technician before beginning an operation.
You may need tool-specific instructions.
You are expected to ask questions if in doubt about safety or operations or when you are unfamiliar with a tool.
*To use the shop, you must pass the test for the tour you have taken with a 55 correct out of 60 or better score by (See the date above.)
You are only allowed to use the tools that you have taken tours and tests for. To advance from one color tag to the next, you must show us evidence of competence with the tools you are already qualified to use.

Shop Safety Tour and Test Schedule in the Hangar Shop:

Contact us if youhave time conflicts and we'll arrange a specific time.
The Shop Safety Tours and Tests take approximately one and a half hours and are limited to the FIRST TEN (10) people per Technician who arrive promptly at the posted times:
Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for the Tour. If you wear shorts (even baggy ones), sandals, flip-flops or excessively loose clothing or loose jewelry, you WILL NOT be allowed to take the Tour for safety reasons. We will also know you didn't read this.

Red Tag Test (Introductory)

Yellow Tag Test (Advanced)

After you Pass the Red Tag Test:

Fill out and sign the Two-Sided "General Laboratory Safe Practice Procedures" and "Machine Shop Waiver and Agreement" form and the "Shop Information Data" green card accurately. These forms are available from the Hangar Technicians.
Practice and abide by the Shop Rules and Regulations.
You must Always Ask if you don't know.
Maintain a "Safety First" attitude.
Report all injuries, no matter how minor.
Report all incidents and tool breakage.
Clean Up after yourself.
Sign in whenever you are in the shop.

How to Sign In and use tools:

Give us your Name, we will log you into the shop computer and give you an appropriately colored badge, which comes with 5 "coins" with your badge number on them.
Trade the "coins" for tools that you use. We put the "coin" in the spot from where we have removed the tool inside the tool crib. Only Shop Technicians are allowed inside the tool crib.

Machine Shop Procedures:

When you return the tool clean and in good condition, we give you your “coin” back.
When you check out, you return the badge and all 5 “coins”, and we log you out.
If you check out a large machine (Lathe, Mill, etc.) we put your “coin” on a Machine Board and exchange it with an Oval Machine Tag that you place on the machine you are using.
When you are done with the machine and return the Oval Machine Tag, we physically inspect the machine and it’s area for cleanliness before giving you your “coin” back.
If you damage or break a tool, you must report it immediately. We will not yell at you, but will discuss how the incident happened and how to prevent it from happening again. You may be required to fill out an Incident Report Form.
We could charge you for the tool (see the “Cal Poly State University Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop Waiver and Agreement”) but if you learn from the incident and implement the safe procedures that we have discussed, we will waive the replacement costs.
If you do not report a broken or damaged tool or hide it, you’ll compromise someone else’s or your own safety. This will be taken very seriously! We will report it to the College Administration and the Dean's Office and kick you out of the shop for at least one quarter.
If you have never used a machine, or have doubts, you are expected to ask us to show you how. We will inspect your set-up before we unlock the machine to make sure you are operating it safely!

NOTICE: Limited Access to CNC Machines :

Design your project to match your skill level! We DO NOT build it for you, we provide guidance.
CNC machinery is restricted to skilled machinists, you should be able to do BASIC MACHINING PROCESSES and BOTH CAD and CAM programs without a lot of assistance before using CNC machines.
Start on your project as early in the quarter as you can!
Submit your project design as a CAD file for review and consideration at least 2 weeks in advance of your need, NOT your due date.
We will take your CAD file or an accurate drawing into consideration, depending on your experience in OUR shop, the complexity of the process, Tech availability, time considerations for other CNC projects and other factors.
All decisions are FINAL, there is no appeals process.
Have a contingency plan in place to manufacture your project using available manual machines and tools. Start on your project as early in the quarter as you can.
Your CNC project must be approved by the Staff ShopTechnicians, George Leone or Eric Pulse.

Helpful Tips: So You Can Finish Your Project On Time :

Begin your project well in advance, as tool and machine time can be limited.
Feel free to discuss with us how you plan to build your project, most likely we may know a “trick” or tool that would save you lots of time.
Design your project for tools that you know how to use. It's O.K. to learn to use 1 or 2 new tools in your project, but don't design the majority of the project to be built by processes or machines that you don't know how to use. We don't build stuff for you!
We want you to succeed. We will help you, but we won’t “bail you out”. As they say, “Bad Planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an Emergency on our part.”
As a rule of thumb, if you’ve never done a process before, it will take 4 TIMES as long as you think! If you have done it before it will take only 3 TIMES as long as you think! This is not an attempt at humor, this is a reality! We see it every quarter when people fail to finish.
Work on your project as early in the quarter as you can, it gets harder to check out the tools that you need as the shop gets busier near the end of the quarter.

M. E. Department Staff:

George Leone (ME Technician, Hangar) 756-6350
Eric Pulse (ME Technician, Mustang '60) 756-5634

Shop Tech Jobs:

Notice: Limited jobs are available due to budget cuts, but you can apply for future openings.

ALL MAJORS ARE WELCOME TO APPLY.

Contact George Leone about possible job openings at the Student Projects lab. To be considered for a Student Technician job, you must be a sophomore, have a Yellow tag in good standing, at least two (2) quarters experience in our shop, safe work habits and an attitude of quality and professionalism. You should preferably have 2-4 years left in your career at Cal Poly. You will be asked to submit a resume and have a valid Social Security Card. Foreign nationals may have different requirements, please ask. ALL MAJORS ARE WELCOME TO APPLY.

Contact Information

For Information Regarding shop authorization, or with any questions call the Student Projects lab office at (805) 756-2266 during shop hours.Or contact George Leone.