Welcome to all the nitty gritty details of being a member at Able Trade! Please read through carefully so you know what you are getting into. :)

Emergency Call Order

For non-emergency communication please use Discord but if you need to get in touch with someone right away you can call in this order or send a group text to all three of us.

1) Spencer Ratliff @spencerratliff (865) 296-0832

2) Melody Ratliff @bigmel (865) 806-3737

3) Heather @h_trees (865) 396-0280‬

Material Purchases

We like to keep a few items stocked at Able Trade for easy access to our members. Please go to our “store” page to make your purchases at the time you grab them. If you are tax exempt send Melody your tax exemption form.

Blade Sharpening

You may place any blades or bits that need sharpening in a drawer in the lobby labeled “Tool Sharpening” then every FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH they will be picked up by Misenheimer Saw and Tool to be sharpened.

If you would like any of your bits and blades sharpened please follow the following instructions: 

• Wrap everything up so no sharp edges are exposed

• Label with your name

When the blades are returned we will announce it on Discord and add the sharpening fees to your next invoice.

Shop Rules

• Inform Spencer (865) 296-0832 or  Melody (865) 806-3737‬ if you see, smell, or hear something odd in the shop immediately!  

• Everyone is a safety officer. If you see someone doing something unsafe please stop them, question them and get help if necessary to make sure everyone is operating all equipment safely. 

• The kitchen, conference room and bathrooms are shared with a lot of people so clean up after yourself and restock items when they run out. Extra toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, etc are located in the closet in the hallway next to the women's rest room. 

• Please do not overfill the dumpster or recycling dumpster. We are HEAVILY charged if the lid is lifted even an inch. We do have a camera on the bay doors so the fine could be passed along to you if you are found to be the one who overfilled the dumpster. 

• Keep all personal belongings in your own designated studio or lumber rack and clean up scraps as you go by placing them in the large dumpster or trash cans or scrap bin. All workbenches and carts must be cleared by the end of the work day. Unless Ratliffs have given approval to do otherwise. 

• Able Trade is not liable for any personal items left out in the common space. Please check the “lost & found” channel of the Discord if you are missing something. 

• All children under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

• Bring your own disposables & hand tools such as tape, paintbrushes, mixing cups, drills, sanders, sandpaper, etc. There are a few shared hand tools available but please return them when you are finished. 

• No “out loud” music. Sound travels outside your studio, so please use headphones if you want to listen to music so we don’t get clashing songs throughout the shop. 

• The Forklift is not available for anyone’s use. Special training and permission has to be given. Email Melody if interested in gaining access. 

• No operating any equipment under the influence.

• If you damage a machine or blade because of user error you are responsible for covering the cost of fixing it. 

• Clean up after yourself. Put scraps in scrap bins or trash. Sweep up any mess you made and make sure the space you were working is ready for the next person once you leave it. 

• All bay doors need to be shut and locked at sundown regardless if you are still working. 

• The gated yard needs to be locked at sundown. 

• If you are the last one to leave the shop no matter what time of day or night please complete the following checklist: 

  • Turn off dust collector

  • Turn off all lights including back of warehouse, front of warehouse, kitchen, and lobby

  • Make sure all bay doors are shut and locked (bay doors might stick but will close with force)

  • Set the Alarm (COMMAND then ALL)

  • Lock gate (Gate key is hanging in the hallway)

  • If you forget any of the above you will receive a warning first but then will receive fees for jeopardizing the safety of the shop. 

Who to go for what?

Owners: Spencer & Melody Ratliff
Spencer is available for all building & equipment related questions. You can send a message on Discord or email spencer@weareabletrade.com.
Melody handles all invoices, website, and paperwork side of things. Her email is melody@weareabletrade.com

Shop Tech: Heather

Heather is more than a shop tech. She is in charge of First Fridays, lining up classes, and shop organization. Her email is admin@weareabletrade.com

Trash, Recycling, and Restocking Items

There are trash cans located throughout the building. When they are full, please dump in the green dumpster outside the bay door at the front end of the building. Trash is picked up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. Please make sure to NOT OVERFILL! We are charged $250 every time they pick up the dumpster and the lid isn’t fully closed, we can look on the cameras and see who overfilled it and can charge you for the overage fee. There are additional trash cans and recycling cans in the alley outside the metal shop bay door that you are welcome to use if the other dumpster is full.

All pallets need to be placed outside the gated yard under the “free pallets” sign or broken down and placed in the dumpster.

We have a recycling bin in in the gated yard at the base of the stairs. This is for cardboard only and please remember to breakdown all boxes before adding them to the bin.

Extra TP, paper towels, trash bags, etc are located in the closet in the hallway next to the bathroom doors. We have a cleaner that comes twice a month but if something is out, don’t wait for someone else to refill it now that you know where to grab the restock items.

Culture Core Values

• Generosity of knowledge, kindness, and grace

• Collaboration not cut throat 

• Respect for others’ efforts, time, creativity, reputation and possessions

• Open Communication

• Promote others as much as possible

• Bring attention to positive behavior more than negative behavior. 

the way to keep a healthy culture 

• No “Well Actually” We have a lot of really brilliant people here that have a lot of knowledge about a lot of things, but the “well actually” communication cuts people off and makes others feel “less than.” Share your wisdom and opinions but try to do so in a way that doesn’t shame others.  

• We all mess up so let's not sweat the small stuff. Everyone has forgotten a dirty dish once, everyone has left their stuff out in the shared space at least once, so yes rules are important but mistakes happen and not jumping all over someone when they screw up is a valuable player in our work environment. 

• No cut throat behavior. This is something that cannot be tolerated whatsoever. If we find out that you cut your way into a job by talking bad about another one of our members or intentionally under-biding them we have cause for immediate termination of your membership. 

• Please ask for help but also be mindful of people’s time. Everyone at Able Trade is on their own clock so when you ask to take up a chunk of their day they are the one’s paying for it. Having a policy of paying one another for services and time helps keep people from feeling like they are getting taken advantage of. If you need more than a 10 minute run through of a machine we are happy to line up an instructor to give you a more detailed course but you will be expected to pay the instructor for their time.

• We expect a level of professionalism in all our members when it comes to how they communicate to one another and Able Trade leaders. Yelling, name calling, or aggressive behavior of any kind is not tolerated and cause for immediate termination of your membership if we deem fit.

• A safe, positive culture is EXTREMELY important to us and we will do our best to issue warnings, give second chances, and communicate but we also need all our members to know that if you are damaging to the culture, or make people feel unsafe we can and will terminate your membership.

metal shop Equipment Rules:

• No operating any equipment under the influence.

• Must wear long sleeves, long pants, (no synthetic material) closed toed shoes (preferably steel toed) protective eyeglasses, hair must be tied back. 

• Leather work gloves only no woven material gloves. 

• Turn off all machines and rope up all leads when finished with each machine. 

• If you do not follow these rules and damage a machine, tip, or blade you are responsible for covering the cost of fixing it. 

• No metal in trash cans use 5 gallon buckets for scraps. 

• Don’t point sparks at others 

• Always clean up after yourself including sweeping and removing all personal items and projects. Items can be left out unattended for a 2 hour period max, unless permission has been given by Melody or Spencer.

• Never wear anyone's PPE, and always bring your own leather gloves, rags, and other disposable items. 

• Do Not leave any mineral spirits out.

• Metal Shop Orientation Checklist

Wood shop Equipment Rules:

• No long sleeves, no gloves, tie up hair, no jewelry 

• No reclaimed or wet wood in any of the machines.

• Reset all machines back to neutral settings when you are finished using them.

• If using jigs, make sure no screws poke out (no metal on metal)

• Wood Shop Orientation Checklist

FAQ

• Can I take scrap wood?

  • Yes please! There is a bin in the shop specific for scrap wood and a rack near the kitchen door for scrap sheet goods. Anyone is welcome to add to it and take from it but please only add usable pieces and throw away scraps that are too small. Once you claim something it has to be stored in your designated studio or lumber rack.

  • There are firewood bins located under certain machines. NO PLYWOOD scraps should be placed in these bins. Anyone is welcome to take a firewood bin home empty it out and bring it back.

  • If you take someone else’s lumber you will be charged for it! 😵‍💫

• What do I do if the dust collector bin is full?

  • This happens at random so it could happen on your watch and will need to be emptied before you can continue working. Please just dump all sawdust in the designated trailer located in the gated yard. There is a red censor light that will blink when bin is full. If you are not trained on the forklift, please find someone who is to empty the dust bin before you continue working.

  • If someone is in the process of emptying the dust bin, DON’T TURN IT ON!

• Can I put reclaimed lumber through the machines?

  • No. Never

• Can I receive deliveries here?

  • Yes, FedEx, UPS, and other lumber distributors are familiar with our space and know how to get to the shop. Deliveries can be dropped off through the gated area and loading dock or the front door but you are responsible for receiving your deliveries or making arrangements with someone to receive them. Do not assume whoever is at the shop will help out without you first communicating.

• Can I bring in extra help?

  • You are welcome to bring in an employee or extra hand when you need BUT…they need to sign a liability waiver, you need to be present the entire time they are in the shop and they CANNOT use any equipment.

• What happens when equipment goes down?

  • Unfortunately it’s going to happen. Things break, people make mistakes, and sharing tools increases this risk, but we will do our best to get things up and running again as soon as possible. If you notice that something isn’t working properly please put a message on one of the discord equipment repairs channels. Discord is where we will post updates on down equipment, repair timelines & and any other helpful info.

• If a tool breaks does that mean a discount to my membership dues?

  • Sorry no, we handle the repairs as quick as possible because we know businesses rely on it (including our own) but there are lots of variables when it comes to repairs and sometimes it takes longer than we want but that is why we have multiples of most of the main tools.