by Tom York
(Second is a series on Super Volunteers)
Here’s a trivia question.
Who helped design and build those nifty electronic blast gates now linking several machine tools to the dust control system at the Member Shop?
Don’t know? Here’s the answer.
Super volunteer and digital tool expert Paul Schankin. Paul’s the guy who serves as the tool lead for dust collection.
Amazing, no? Of course, his duties don’t stop with those nifty automated blast gates above the table saw and planers.
He provides support for the two new lasers upstairs, as well as the two CNC machines and 3D printer.
And Paul helps out with the network used to support the closed-circuit TV monitoring system in the shop, and you can see him behind the monitor at the monthly meetings making sure we’ve got picture and sound.
That’s still not the extent. He's one of the shop’s critical shift supervisors, who oversee safe practices when members are using the shop.
Finally, he was recently again tapped as a TA for an upcoming CNC class. He’s been helping teach CNC from almost from the beginning of the program. It's fair to say we couldn't have held half the classes we have without his faithful collaboration.
“Paul is one of those guys who is always around,”’ says long-time member and club historian Jeff Bratt. “Every time I go to the Shop, Paul is there. He is a shift supervisor and takes care of the laser machine maintenance.”
“He is also a key member of the A/V team – he’s run the Zoom meetings through the COVID era. He also helps with the video at general meetings and for shop demonstrations. And probably even more stuff that I don't know about.”
Obviously, Paul’s love for woodworking leans toward the digital tool. He might be described as a geek’s geek, and he enjoys putting that knowledge to work as a volunteer for the association.
“I have always had an interest in the geeky end of things,” explains Paul, who began volunteering in tech support for the shop. “It’s the best of both worlds, the geek world and woodworking at the same time.”
He’s been contributing his time and energy for the past four years, emerging as a “Super Volunteer,” members who go above what’s asked to help keep things running smoothly.
Until recently, he was on the support team for Gary Anderson’s Friday holiday gift sale builds. He was able take rough sketches of gift ideas from Gary and then program the CNCs to make products for the sale.
And he’s been a fixture as the shop as expanded over the past five years, most recently active in the Shop 3.0 expansion.
More than 215 shop members now qualify to use the lasers, a big uptick in recent years. And, 140-plus have qualified to use the CNC machines and more are expected when two new CNC machines go online, probably in October.
“Paul's help has been invaluable as the popularity of these machines have grown with the membership,” says Travis Good, former club President and current board member.
Paul traces his connection to his friendship with Good. Both have been involved in San Diego’s maker community.
Paul says he first learned about the association from Travis, and even attended his first meeting in 2012, right before moving to Washington state for a time.
Downsizing at the time, he donated wood to the club. “The association took it, no questions asked,” he says.
Moving back to San Diego two years later, the now-retired self-described geek decided “to give himself a Christmas present” –a membership to the Association. “That’s what started it all and led to me getting so involved.”
“Because of his maker DNA, it was a natural for him to help with the equipment,” says Travis. “He’s even taken on maintaining the 3D printer. And with the friendships that he, Pat and I developed, it made sense to assist Pat with the CNC machines, which he’s now helped maintain them for years.”
During his career Paul was a systems integrator for an audio-visual company, a project manager for a Los Angeles company “that built TV stations from the ground up” and a company that built recording studios for community colleges in the region. For a brief time, he worked at Petco Park helping with the audiovisual systems.
He is a Navy veteran, having served at Miramar when it was Navy facility.
After joining the association, he took most, if not all, of the classes offered by the Member Shop, including classes in operating the CNC and Laser machines and lathe turning classes.
Because of his background in construction, he first volunteered to be the tool lead on the dust collection system. He’s also the tool lead for the two lasers and two CNC machines.
Recently he’s experimented with the blast gate microcontrollers, which do more than control sawdust.
“They log usage of machines connected to dust collection, which helps determine when machines need maintenance,” he says. “We don’t have to wait until a machine breaks” for repairs.
Like many SDFWA members, he took woodworking classes in middle school and high school, and still relies on that foundation to ensure safe operating methods in the shop.
Paul admits that he hasn’t been using his shop membership, a situation that will change shortly as he prepares to make holiday gifts for family and friends. “Here it is August, and I am going to have to throttle back a bit to make presents. I am like the proverbial shoemaker and his kids needing shoes.”
Paul estimates he spends eight to 20 hours weekly as a volunteer but observes his weekly contributions pale in comparison to others who keep the shop running.
There are people spending way more time,” he says. “I am 10th, 11th or 12th down the line. It’s a lot of work, and requires dedication, But it’s also a lot of fun.”
“The man will be there when you need him, he’ll take on an inordinate number of roles,” says Travis Good, adding, “and he does it all with a giving attitude.”
“We live and die the number of volunteers we can attract,” Paul says. “The Challenge is to find people who can step forward to take ownership of the tasks needed to keep the place running.”
Written by Tom York
Author of our “Super Volunteers” series.
Daily newspaper reporter and editor for years and years.