The sign

Shop rules

1. 1 · Leave it better than you found it. Machines, spaces, people. Return what you borrow on time, clean, and working, and say thanks. Chronic late returns get flagged: lending only works if borrowing is boring.
2. 2 · A vouch is a promise. When you invite someone, you're telling the shop they can be trusted with our tools and our homes. If someone you vouched for gets banned, your own membership is on the line too. Vouch accordingly.
3. 3 · Safety is the owner's call. Whoever owns the machine sets the rules for it: walkthroughs, supervision, closed-toe shoes, whatever they say. No walkthrough, no power tools.
4. 4 · Ask loudly, offer quietly. Post your hiccups on the help board without shame, and answer other people's without showing off. Half of every craft is asking at the right moment.
5. 5 · Teach one thing. Everyone here can teach something. If you've taken a class, think about giving one. The shop runs on it.
6. 6 · No clout in the shop. No follower counts, no metrics, no feeds. Your circle is a rolodex, not an audience. What you make matters; how many people watched doesn't.
7. 7 · Builds belong to their crews. A build's journal is the crew's memory, not content. Show off up to three builds on your profile; the rest stays in the family.
8. 8 · Money stays outside. No fees, no ads, no marketplace. Chip in for materials, split group buys at cost, buy your teacher a coffee.
9. 9 · Addresses travel person to person. The shop shows neighborhoods, never addresses. Where someone's garage is gets shared directly, with their say-so.
10. 10 · Contribute, don't just consume. Teach a thing, answer a help post, share your offcuts. Intention and passion are what matter here, not what goes viral.
11. 11 · Problems go to a human. If someone breaks these, tell the person who vouched for them, or report them to the mods. Small shop, human process.

Posted by the door · The Virtual Makerspace · est. 2026, everywhere in the Bay