Maker Hub Rules:

By signing into the Maker Hub, you are agreeing to comply with these rules.

Obey the instruction of Maker Hub staff and volunteers at all times
Follow all posted safety instructions and guides
Always sign in to the Maker Hub
Dress like a maker
- Wear close-toed shoes
- Pull back long hair
- Avoid wearing baggy clothing or loose jewelry that could get caught in machinery
No food allowed. Beverages are allowed in covered containers
Respect the space and equipment
- Clean up after yourself
- Let staff or volunteers know if something is missing or broken
Use common sense! If something doesn't feel right, stop!
Do not remove tools or materials from the Maker Hub
When in doubt, ASK!

Maker Hub Policies:

Cleaning Up and Putting Tools Away

As they say, “Your mother doesn’t work here,” so you are responsible for cleaning up after yourself, and putting tools away when done.

If you’re not sure where a tool goes, ask a Volunteer or staff person wearing an apron.
HOT Tools should be allowed to cool before returning them to storage
Use paper towels and hand sanitizer to clean any surface mess.
Use the broom and dustpan or a shop-vac to clean the floor.

Emergencies and First Aid

Report all emergencies or injuries to Maker Hub staff and Volunteers immediately!

In case of emergencies, call 74343, NOT 911
- From your cell phone, that’s 202-687-4343
A fire extinguisher is located in the Electronics section next to the light switch
A first aid kit is located on top of the black filing cabinet in between the textiles and vinyl cutting stations
For serious injuries, immediately call 74343

Project Boxes

Project boxes are a way to store your project in the Maker Hub, and also a way to avoid paying for electronics until you are sure you need them.

Project boxes are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Project boxes come in many sizes; please pick the smallest size suitable for your project.
Project Boxes MUST be labeled with
- Individual's Name
- Individual's NetID (the part before the @ in your email)
- The current semester
Project boxes labeled incorrectly, or not updated with the current term WILL BE EMPTIED and contents thrown away or put into the Maker Hub general supply.
Visitors are allowed to keep Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, and other electronics consumables in their project boxes. They will not be charged for these items as long as they keep them in the project boxes and don’t remove them from the Maker hub.

Taking Tools out of the Maker Hub

No tools, lumber, markers, pens, paper, batteries, books or other materials of any kind are to be removed from the Maker Hub without express approval of the Maker Hub Manager or Operations Coordinator. Such approval is usually not given, as we are not an equipment loaning operation.

Visitor projects, completed or incomplete, that use only free consumables (wood, 3d prints, laser cut materials, etc) may be taken out of the Maker Hub without permission.
Visitor projects, completed or incomplete, that use non-free consumables (eg Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, motors, sensors, legos, etc) may NOT be taken out of the Maker Hub until costs for those materials have been recovered. This is usually accomplished by ordering replacement supplies and having them shipped to the Maker Hub. Visitors are free to store these items in their project boxes.
The Maker Hub may allow tools to leave the space for planned workshops and activities with campus partners. Contact makerhub@georgetown.edu to discuss these arrangements.

Protection of Minors Policy

If a minor wishes to visit the Maker Hub, the minor must provide a Maker Hub Participant Assumption of Risk and Release Form signed by their parent or legal guardian. While in the Maker Hub, the minor must comply with all Maker Hub rules posted on this page.

The Maker Hub is not typically a child-friendly space, and as such minors require close supervision around our tools. If you would like to plan an activity involving Minors in the Maker Hub, contact makerhub@georgetown.edu so we can make arrangements.

Organizing your own Event in the Maker Hub

We encourage staff, volunteers, and even our visitors to create their own events to share their skills, form project groups to tackle design challenges, or create mini-communities of interest.

Some random ideas for events:

Knitting Circle
Design challenge response
One-off or recurring skill shares
Show and tell
Bringing in outside experts to talk about business models
Group problem solving sessions

To create your event, contact makerhub@georgetown.edu to discuss your idea and get help planning it.

Bringing your class to the Maker Hub

Maker Skills and Maker Culture are increasingly relevant in the fields of medicine, international affairs, business, the arts, writing, rhetoric, graphic design, global human development, and more. Contact makerhub@georgetown.edu to plan and schedule a visit by your class, which may include a presentation or activity custom-tailored for your curriculum.

Making Items for Profit in the Maker Hub

The Maker Hub supports and encourages entrepreneurial thinking. Feel free to make items in the Maker Hub that you plan to sell.

If you are making items to sell, do not use the Maker Hub’s free consumables. Purchase your own materials, or arrange for reimbursement with the Maker Hub Manager.
Do not monopolize the tools.
If your business does well, consider a donation of funds or equipment to the Maker Hub

Maker Hub and IP

Please be aware of Georgetown University’s Intellectual Property Policy. Do not use the Maker Hub tools to violate copyright, patents, or trademarks.

Noise in the Maker Hub

Out of respect for our office neighbors, we try to limit noise before 5pm on weekdays. This means, that before 5pm:

No music
No loud power tools (table saw, miter saw, CNC Router, jigsaw, etc.)

Computers in the Maker Hub

Computers in the Maker Hub are for maker projects only. Please don’t tie up a Maker Hub computer for routine emails and facebooking.

Digital Design iMacs - the digital design iMacs run a variety of 3D modeling softwares, Adobe Creative Suite, and also control the vinyl cutters.
Laser Cutter Computer - the Laser Cutter computer is a windows computer that is used for controlling the laser cutter. It has Adobe Creative Suite, and should only be used for running laser cut jobs, and last-minute tweaks and corrections of laser cut jobs in Adobe Illustrator.
CNC Router Computer - the CNC router computer controls the Handibot CNC router and runs VCarve, the software for creating jobs for the Handibot. It should be used only for VCarve and running the Handibot.
3D Printer Computer - the 3D printer computer is an iMac that runs the “Slicer” softwares for each of the 3D printers. It should only be used for setting up 3D printing jobs.

Use of Consumable Supplies

“Consumables” are things in the Maker Hub that we run out of as people use them. Examples include wood, screws, 3D printing filament and resin, paper, etc. The Maker Hub strives to be a space where visitors can try out ideas, experiment, and innovate without worrying about up-front costs. Therefore, most of our consumables are free for normal use.

The following guidelines are approximations of "normal use", however this policy is applied case-by-case. For more information on your specific project, contact makerhub@georgetown.edu

“Normal Use” for consumables:

Laser Cutter: up to 5 sheets of 18x24” MDF
3D filament: one spool of PLA filament (1 spool = 1kg)

For beyond “Normal Use”, we recommend you purchase your own consumables, or make arrangement to reimburse the Maker Hub for the consumables used.

If you are making items to sell (past the first prototype), we ask that you purchase your own consumables, or make arrangement to reimburse the Maker Hub for the consumables used.

Expensive Consumables.

Some consumables are expensive, and you must either replace them or reimburse the Maker Hub for their use. Items we charge for are:

Raspberry Pis ~ $50.00
Arduinos ~ $25.00
Buttons < 100 ~ Free
Buttons > 100 ~ $25
MDF < 5 sheets ~ Free
MDF > 5 sheets ~ $25

The Maker Hub reserves to right to limit use of consumables if supplies are running low. In addition, though we don’t often police visitor projects, we reserve the right to disallow projects that are egregious wastes of consumables, or to suggest other approaches that use less consumables. Classes or clubs that use large amounts of 3D filament or other consumables may also be charged on a case-by-case basis.

How to reimburse for consumables. Here are some options:

Visitors are encouraged to simply order replacement supplies and have them shipped to the Maker Hub. Once the order is placed, visitors may pick from our existing supplies. Our shipping address is:

Maker Hub, Lauinger Library
Georgetown University
3700 O Street NW
Washington DC 20057

Sometimes alternative purchases can be made to pay for items instead of replacing them. See Maker Hub Manager to make arrangements.

Policies and Procedures