The shop is buzzing this month, and there’s an open seat with your name on it. Turn your first pen on the lathe, carve a spoon at a free community night, or dive into a 10-meeting build and walk out with a liquor cabinet you made yourself. Whether you’re picking up a tool for the first time or chasing your next big project, this is a good month to come in with an idea and leave with something real.

Free & Open to Everyone

Community Spoon Carving

Friday, Sept. 4, 5 – 8 PM: Grab a hook knife and turn a block of wood into a spoon you’ll actually use in your own kitchen. No experience necessary, just bring your curiosity and we’ll supply the rest. It’s the easiest, lowest-pressure way to try woodworking for the first time.

Woodworking Tool and Wood Sale

Sunday, Sept. 20, 10 AM – 12 PM: Stock up on gently used tools, offcuts, and full boards at swap-meet prices from fellow woodworkers clearing out their shops. It’s a great chance to fill gaps in your own kit before your next build.

Classes That Need You

Introduction to Pen Turning

Thursday, Sept. 17, 12 – 3 PM: Turn a pen from a raw wood blank to a polished, gift-ready finish in a single afternoon on the lathe. It’s one of the fastest ways to see a finished project come off the tool, and no lathe experience is required.

Craft a Liquor Cabinet/Wine Rack

10 meetings, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30, 6 – 9 PM: Build a freestanding liquor cabinet or wine rack from the ground up, with an instructor guiding you through design, joinery, and finish work at every stage. You’ll walk away with a piece of furniture worth showing off.

The Art of French Polishing

Thursday, Oct. 8, 12 – 3 PM: Learn the traditional shellac finishing technique that gives fine furniture its deep, glass-like shine. French polishing is a hand skill passed down for generations, and you can pick up the basics in one focused afternoon.

Demystifying Cabinet Door Hardware

Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 AM – 12 PM: Learn to choose, fit, and install hinges, catches, and pulls so your cabinet doors hang true and close quietly every time.

Demystifying Cabinet Drawer Hardware

Sunday, Oct. 11, 9 AM – 12 PM: Get the slides, glides, and joinery details right so your drawers open smoothly for years to come.

Signature Build

Make a Modern End Table

6 meetings, beginning Friday, Oct. 16, 3 – 6 PM: Design and build a modern end table from solid wood, working through joinery, assembly, and a hand-rubbed finish.

Quick Picks

Sharpening Chisels and Plane Blades – 2 meetings, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 2, 6 – 9 PM

Intro to Craft a Liquor Cabinet/Wine Rack – Friday, Sept. 11, 7 – 8 PM

Machine-Made Joinery – 3 meetings, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6 – 9 PM

Introduction to Woodturning – 3 meetings, beginning Monday, Sept. 14, 3 – 6 PM

Frame-and-Panel Doors – 2 meetings, beginning Monday, Oct. 5, 2 – 5 PM

Handmade Mortise and Tenon Joints – 4 meetings, beginning Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 AM – Noon

Intermediate Pen Turning – 2 meetings, beginning Thursday, Oct. 15 , Noon – 3 PM

Ukulele Build Kickoff – Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 – 3 PM

Create Professional Dovetails with a Router Jig – Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 – 9 PM

New to the shop? Orientation to the Woodworking Studio and Tool Safety Checkout 1 and 2 run several times a month.