Having your wood, metal, and plastic labs organized and ready for your students is essential to having a great learning experience for them and less stress and extra work for you. The following steps apply to middle school and high school technology education labs.
Instructions
Preparing your lab for the first day of school.
1. Position six large work tables so that two students can sit on opposite sides of the table. These will be your working groups. Color code each work table so that you have 6 different colors to represent each working group. Use metal framed stools at each work table that are high enough to allow students to work comfortabley.
2. Over each work station, you will need to install the spring loaded extension cord spools and power outlets (at least two outlets per table).
3. Your instructor desk should be located in front of the lab facing the student work stations. One the wall behind the instructor desk, install a white board for you to use as power point projector screen and note board.
4. Locate the six tool cabinets on either side of the white board and color code them for each working group (colors should match those assigned to each work table). All tools in the cabinets should be marked with the same color as the cabinet they are stored in. These steps will complete your design and finishing floor.
5. Install the air compressor in an accessible storage room that is near an outside wall. The compressor will need a hard line going through the wall to the outside so that moisture can be drained regularly. Compressed air plug ends should be located so that they are accessible to the work tables and the fabrication end of the lab.
6. Position the rectangle work table so that it is 6ft from the your design and finishing floor. Bolt the scroll saws to the front of the works table. Electrical outlets should be installed so they are accessible to the scroll saw electric cords. A red line should be painted around the scroll saw table so that they are far enough away from the table to allow one student to use the scroll saw at a time. Color code each scroll saw for each working group.
7. Install the drill presses so that they run at a right angle from the scroll saw table. Make sure the electrical outlets for the scroll saws are accessible to the drill presses. Anchor the drill presses with concrete bolts so they remain in position. Paint a red line around the drill presses that allows room for one student to operate the drill press at a time. Color code the drill presses for each working group
8. Position the remaining work table opposite the drill presses. Install your paint booth opposite the work table against an outside wall and install the exhaust pipe through the wall to the outside. Paint a yellow line around the front and sides of the paint booth to keep more than one student from using the booth at a time.
9. Install the band saws along the same outside wall as the paint booth. Place them so that they are facing away from the outside wall and towards the inside of the fabrication floror. Band saws should be anchored to the floor with concrete bolts. A red line should be painted around the bands saws so that only one student can use them at a time. Color code the band saws for each working group.
10. Position the table saw in the center of the fabrication floor. Paint a red line around the table saw so that only one student can operate the saw and one students can catch the wood piece from the opposite side.
11. Position the table mounted radial arm saw against the back wall of the fabrication floor. Paint a red line in front of the saw and on both sides so that only one student can operate the saw at a time.
Tags: drill presses, work table, each working, each working group, table that, working group, Color code
