Guide for Instructors 

Hello instructors! If you intend for your students to make use of the Art & Architecture Shop, please refer to this guide to familiarize yourself with some key Shop policies and guidelines. 

Shop Staff

Woodshop Manager: Ken Kalchik (kalchik@umich.edu)

Woodshop Technician: Carly Lowe (carlyl@umich.edu)

Shop Overview

The Art & Architecture Shop serves the students, staff, and faculty from Stamps and Taubman for work on class projects and research. The Shop is primarily a wood shop, but also has equipment for working with plastics and sheet metal. You can find full information about the Shop on the website here. 

Scheduling Time in the Shop

If you plan to bring your students to the woodshop for a demo or work time, please communicate with Shop staff to schedule the date and time. Classes booked in the Shop get priority, but not exclusive access. Up to 25 people may occupy the Shop at a time, so a few additional users may also be in the space. Please avoid using the Shop for critiques or presentations that do not require the facilities. 

Please also note that the Shop is a shared workspace, not a classroom, so courses cannot use the space as their primary/only meeting location. 

The Shop is closed to users during Orientations and Proficiency Trainings, but otherwise anyone can come in and work during open hours. Training, demos, and class work periods are noted on the public calendar here, so you can check when it is likely to be busy.

Training Required for Access

To get access to the Shop, two training sessions are required for all users: Proficiency Training (1.5 hours) and Shop Orientation (1 hour). We can arrange dedicated sessions for your students, or they can register for open sessions* via the Shop’s website here. 

• Proficiency Training covers safety and operation, including hands-on use, for five machines. This session is 1.5 hours for a maximum of 10 attendees. 

• Orientation covers basic information about the Shop (hours, policies, storage, equipment, etc.) as well as an overview of safety rules and concepts to help users navigate the space safely and effectively. This session is 1 hour for a group of any size.

To track completion, please share your class roster (Excel file or Google Sheet preferred, including students’ names, Campus IDs, and ID numbers). Shop staff check the roster against the training record, and alert the instructor of any students who have not completed training.

Instructors who have not completed training for the woodshop are welcome to attend along with their students, sign up for open sessions via the Shop's website here, or get in touch to arrange one-on-one training, especially over summer or other academic breaks. 

*Training is offered for a limited period at the beginning of each semester, after which Shop staff shift their focus to providing as many open hours and as much user assistance as possible. The cutoff is shared via email and Canvas announcements. Be aware of this deadline and complete access training before this date!

Machines Covered in Training

All qualified users in the Shop have access to the miter saw, band saws, drill presses, power sanders, and scroll saw, as well as an array of hand-held power tools (drills, sanders, etc.) and hand tools. See the Equipment page on the Shop's website for full details. 

If you would like to have your class trained on other equipment, such as the vacuum former or wood lathe, please contact aashopinfo@umich.edu to arrange it. 

Projects

We always appreciate it when instructors share details about woodshop projects with us! We are happy to help brainstorm about processes, materials, and ways to help streamline. We can often help avoid bottlenecks that would otherwise eat up a lot of class time. 

We also invite instructors to build a test version of the project in the Shop (with us or on your own) to work out any hiccups and finalize details. 

Ordering Class Materials 

Please contact Ken to order woodshop-related class materials.

Processing Class Materials

If your project requires materials to be cut or milled ahead of time, please communicate with us as early as possible. This may include cutting plywood sheets down to distribute to students, milling rough lumber to dimension, squaring off 2x4s, etc. 

Storage

Bulk class material is typically stored in the shed or in the loft. Once it is handed off to students, they are responsible for storing materials and projects elsewhere. Please make arrangements for storage space for your students. Carts are available to borrow to bring large pieces into and out of the Shop. 

Leftover Class Materials

Per University policy, any leftover materials purchased using course fees must be offered to the students first. Any remainder will become scrap, available to all users. The Shop cannot store class materials from one semester to the next. 

Consumables–Provided vs. BYO

The Shop supplies consumables like sandpaper (60, 80, and 120 grit) and wood putty. See full details on the website here. 

Guest Artists/Instructors in the Shop

If a guest artist/instructor will be using or instructing on the woodshop equipment, they are required to comply with Shop and EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) safety policies. Shop staff will discuss how the visiting artist and host instructor intend to use studio resources, and then provide an appropriate orientation on any equipment use and safety practices that would apply, and document it in the Shop’s training records.

We look forward to working with you! As always, please feel free to reach out to the Shop Staff with any questions you have about access, policies or procedures.