Table of Contents

Membership Induction

Hi, welcome to 57North Hacklab! We're glad you've come to say hi.

We are a membership driven organisation, and we'd like it if you considered joining us! Members have a say on how the space runs, a key to get access to the hackerspace at any point in time, they can bring guests to the space as they please and they have the ability to leave things in boxes in the space.

To learn more about joining, please see Membership Application Process.

Here's a dump of information about the basics of how the space should work.

Knowing when the space is open

The space status is tracked via SpaceAPI and updated on numerous sources. You can find out if the space is open a number of ways. You can either:

  1. Look in the members area of the website (hackhub - you can also update the status here)
  2. Visit the 57north twitter feed https://twitter.com/57NorthHacklab
  3. Visit the 57north feed aggravator http://hackerspaces.shiftout.com/wiki/57North+Hacklab; or
  4. Install the MyHackerspace mobile App.

Note: when visiting 57north.co on a mobile device, a 'status' menu link to the feed aggravator replaces the on-screen notice

How to open the space

Before you come in, think about telling the mailing list so you can have friends come & be social with you!

The main entrance

The main street entrance is located downstairs, you probably came through it. There's also a back door. Members are issued a key to open the doors to allow themselves in at any point in time.

Opening the downstairs door

To open the door downstairs, login on to hackhub at http://57north.org.uk/hub with your assigned hackhub username and password. This should have been assigned to you when you first registered with the hacklab.

Once logged in, you will be able to use the 'Unlock Door' link from the top nav links. This will display the door code!

Please note: you can only use the unlock door feature of hackhub if you are up-to-date with your membership fee.

Switching the main room lights

The space is equipped with ceiling lights that have magic motion sensitive sensors.

Setting the space status

Once in the space, members are encouraged to let others know the space is open. This can be done automatically by hitting green on the status button on the wooden table.

Alternatively, you can manually set the space status using the 'Space Status' found on hackhub. Set the status using the dropdown and add a short description of the reason for opening the space. The status and message will be shared to spaceAPI http://spaceapi.net/ and displayed on our Twitter feed https://twitter.com/57NorthHacklab. Please use appropriate language for your description.

Playing Music

Check out the PiMPD page to learn how the music system works. Consider adding your own taste to it!

How to close the Space

If you have hosted guests in the hackerspace, please remember it is your responsibility to ensure workspaces are cleared up after them.

Smash that space status button to red. The MPD RasPi should be paused. Visit the pimpd page to learn how to do this.

Workshop space

  1. Ensure Both solder/electronic workstations are powered down
  2. Check laser cutter is powered down
  3. Check 3d Printers are both off, and laptop is off
  4. Table with drills and Dremels is off
  5. Ensure floor is tidy and tools are returned to the toolbox

Social space

  1. Close space using status button
  2. Leave brown, oval wooden table is powered up for switch & space status
  3. Ensure larger (black) table is powered down
  4. Ensure the light wooden table is powered down
  5. Ensure your working area and others are tidy
  6. If possible, use surface wipes to clean table. If there are no wipes/cleaning materials, notify the lists.
  7. Check if bins require emptying. If they do, ask for help or notify the lists.

Printer & Vinyl Cutter Space

  1. Please ensure all consumables are cleared away safely
    1. This includes IPA, tools, filament and excess/dead prints
  2. Please ensure printers are switched off
  3. Please ensure printer laptop is turned off

Sofa space

  1. Ensure neon strip lights are powered off
  2. Ensure TV & Games Consoles are powered off
  3. Make sure any rubbish & waste is tidied away.

Free Workspaces

  1. Ensure labelled free workspaces are clear of mess for others to use

Kitchenette

  1. Please make sure your mug is clean!
  2. Please ensure the sink is clear and all items are clean and on the drying rack

Setting the space status to closed

Members are expected to set the closed status if they are the last to leave. Follow the status change procedure above, either by hitting the red button or setting the Hackhub status to closed with any additional commentary.

When using the status knob, the HASS server it talks to will also kill any MQTT-controlled lighting and pause any music playing via PiMPD. Hibby will fix this eventually

Space facilities

Tools

The Space has a number of tools for use by members. These can mostly be found in the various drawers, desks and sills within the space. We're documenting them at Tools, please help by contributing an edit!

These include:

Consumable hardware

Used along side tools, the following consumable are available for space members.

PLEASE NOTE stock is presently maintained by kind donations from members. Please avoid wasting items and do not take large numbers away from the space. Use them respectably.

Electronic components

Mostly stored in boxes in the workshop:

Materials

Mostly stored in the wood store under the stairs:

The kitchen areas

The space has access a small number kitchen items:

In the social area, there is:

In the Kitchenette there is:

  1. Mugs
  2. Cleaning Fluids

Cooler box/Microwave

Our microwave heats food by bombarding it with electromagnetic radiation in the microwave spectrum causing polarized molecules in the food to rotate and build up thermal energy. This is perfect for heating Chicago Town Microwave Deep Dish Pizza, and other things (we suppose.).

The space also houses a fridge, however it is usually not turned on to save power. Therefore it is more of a passive cooler box than an actual fridge.

Tea and Coffee

The space maintains a filter coffee machine for use with donated filters and selection of ground coffee. The kettle also available for use with a selection of tea stored in the space.

Mugs/Tupperware

Mugs should ideally be stowed individually within members boxes. Metal cutlery and disposable plastic utensils may be available from the kitchen area.

Bringing your stuff into to the space

Your personal storage space (Boxes)

As a reward for their memberships, members are permitted storage of a box to contain their projects and materials. These boxes should be labelled with your nick and contact details.

Storing/using things in the communal area

We ask space members and visitors to be tidy whilst they use the space. Any items left of the tables should have a good reason for being there and be wrapped or made as compact as possible. E.g. Items such soldering stations, in-use cables and active networking kit should be stowed at the wall edge of the outer tables and not left on the centre table, where possible.

'Do not hack' stickers

Items that are not intended to be opened up and/or hacked must have 'Do not hack' stickers added to them in an obvious place. These are usually found hanging near the far window sill. You should also add your name on the relevant area of the sticker to identify the item's owner.

Where communal things are stored

Please review the storage page for details on storge of items outside the context of member boxes.

Tools and instruments should be stored in the rear of the workshop area whilst smaller components should be placed into the component drawers at the workshop entrance. Large items can be stored in the rear shelving at the back of the workshop but should be justified.

Doing project work

We have a selection of stations that are suited to difference types of project work.

The main social room table is good for coding and light breadboard electronics. it is equipped with a centrally-placed power strip.

The workshop area is suited to soldering, wood and metal working. Around it are power strips, heating tools, communal materials, drills, saws and a vacuum cleaner. There are a number of soldering irons, close proximity to the precision tools and a selection of soldering consumables.

The sitting desks around the outside of the social room have spare hardware such as screens and power suitable to teardown work, large projects under-construction and general spill-over from the main social room table.

House keeping

Members and visitors should routinely collect and dispose any obvious rubbish from their workspace and consider taking the bin out upon exit. Members or visitors are invited to sweep the floor or wash-up whilst waiting for projects to compile, execute, cool, signal or set. :)

Behaviour when in the space (Code of conduct)

Expected Behaviour

Members and visitors are expected to follow the code of conduct in the space:

  1. Do not be on fire
  2. Doing beats talking
  3. Don't be a contemptible individual
  4. If you don't know: ask
  5. No dumping
  6. No sleeping

Members should also have read and understood our statement_on_equality_and_diversity.

Unexpected Behaviour

A member spontaneously turning into a bowl of petunias will be considered unexpected behaviour, at an improbability factor of 8,767,128 to 1 against.