Click Here for Membership Application
Hours of Operation:
NOTE: In order to best serve our members, Community Woodworking is open by appointment. Anyone interested in touring the shop, or members looking to reserve bench time can call the shop director between 9am & 9pm, 7 days a week. 303-598-4102
There are several clubs along the Front Range, why should I join Community Woodworking?
This is really a two-part answer:
First, you should ask yourself, “Why should I ALSO join Community Woodworking?” Woodworking is a very broad topic, with a critical set of generalized skills, as well as various specialized disciplines, such as carving, turning, furniture making, and building musical instruments, to name just a few. The skills required for each commonly overlap, therefore you might become a better wood turner by learning the techniques of hand carving, or you may learn more about guitar design by studying “book-matching” techniques commonly used in making furniture. We encourage involvement in multiple general and specialized clubs to strengthen your knowledge and to enable you become a better all-around woodworker.
Secondly, what differentiates Community Woodworking from the other great clubs along the front range is that we provide our members access to a furnished workshop ON THEIR SCHEDULE. Through our involvement in the local woodworking community, we have found it to be true with most woodworkers that their enthusiasm usually outweighs their resources, and we are dedicated to helping make those resources more widely available to both aspiring and accomplished woodworkers in our community.
As a member you have the following benefits:
• Ability to reserve bench time.
• Club discounts at local woodworking stores, such as Woodcraft Supply, Rockler Woodworking & Hardware, Austin Hardwoods, Hardwood Emporium, and Tool King.
• Bulk pricing on materials and supplies by way of group orders
• Community resources: Do you have extra stock from a cabinet or flooring project? Leftover wood from a downed tree? Have leftover varnish or stain? Bring it in!
• Access to media library & media checkout.
• Excellent Family Rates (Only $2 extra hourly!)
• Real-time input and feedback on every aspect of Community Woodworking and how it will evolve!
• Access to community bulletin boards; For Sale/Wanted, Events, Professional Services, etc.
• NO patches, NO stickers, NO special gifts for joining. They’re a waste of your dues!
• The opportunity to contribute to a community that shares your interest in woodworking, and is looking to share that knowledge and education with each other.
More important than your membership dollar is the opportunity for all of us to strengthen our community, both local and extended, in the joy and skill of woodworking and related interests. We are looking for members who are willing to be that contribution by freely sharing any of the following:
• Professional knowledge and instruction. (Most important! Please call us if you are interested in being an instructional resource!) We have a growing list of professional woodworkers that are interested in leading the occasional demonstration or shop project, and we are always looking to add more. If you have professional woodworking experience, and/or teaching experience in ANY discipline of woodworking, and would be open to a conversation about becoming an instructional resource, please contact the shop office and speak to the shop director.
• Time: Check in as a “Shop Hand”; Assisting a fellow member to complete their projects faster and with an extra eye, or helping to improve the shop by assisting with the construction of new fixtures, shelving, periodic maintenance, etc. All of these examples are free, non-bench time activities, which still allow you to gain experience and skills in the shop, but don’t cost you anything!
• Spare materials and supplies; CA glue, sandpaper, sanding disks, clean shop rags, hardware, stain, finish, safety equipment, etc.
• Spare tools that you hardly ever use. (Remember, they will still always be available for use in the shop! Not to mention we’ll recondition them and give them a good home!)
• Woodworking & Carpentry videos or DVDs.
• Back-issues of woodworking magazines.
• Wood: Spare, exotic, common, green, etc, as long as it’s in workable condition.
• Artwork: Inspiring woodworking projects and finished pieces for display in our office, common room, or workshop! Donate, loan, or put up for sale!
Ok, the club itself sounds great, but I have ZERO experience in woodworking. Would I enjoy it?
If you were to ask an accomplished woodworker what they get out of woodworking, you would get a variety of answers. Some people enjoy woodworking as a study of form and design. Some enjoy it as a physical interaction with a work piece, much like a dance. Others feel an energetic connection with wood as a natural medium, and will often describe their woodworking time as a sort of meditation. All are extremely satisfying. The feeling of satisfaction YOU get out of woodworking is very personal and specific to you, but with all the various woodworking topics out there, there is at least one that you would be likely to connect with. Woodworking is very much like music… I challenge you to find a single human being who doesn't connect with at least one style.
If you would prefer a more straightforward answer, consider the following questions:
ARE YOU…
Addicted to home remodeling shows?
Tired of waiting for your spouse to fix that broken chair?
A novice interested in learning the basics?
An intermediate looking to polish some skills?
Tired of paying through the nose for other people to fix your stuff?
A parent looking to pass some existing skills to a child?
A child looking to pass some existing skills to a parent?
Interested in making your own spice rack?
Looking to take up a new hobby?
Without a workspace of your own?
Interested in woodworking, but unable to justify buying your own tools?
Interested in becoming Mr. Fix-It?
Interested in becoming Ms. Fix-It?
Just looking to try it out and see if it’s for you?
Then you’re perfect. If you have any level of skill or interest in woodworking, and you’re interested in gaining more, you will make an ideal member.
Would I be working in a safe environment?
Absolutely! Every member of Community Woodworking, is required to complete a GSO (General Safety Orientation.), which covers the topic of behaving safely in a workshop environment. Additionally, we will cover such topics as wearing proper workshop attire, safely working around others, and what happens when you don’t!
All maintenance and safety practices & instruction have been designed with the assistance of professional woodworkers, and a staff member is ALWAYS on hand, to answer any questions and assist in the safe operation of equipment.
NOTHING is more important to us than the safety of our members, and our staff members are trained, and certified in Emergency First Aid & CPR by the American Red Cross.
What about insurance?
In the event of an accident, we are insured, however, on the back of each membership agreement is a liability waiver, stating that you are responsible for your personal safety and for the safety of those around you, much like the Skier Responsibility Code. Woodworking is an "At-Your-Own-Risk" activity, especially when working with powertools. You will be working with tools that have the potential to cause serious injury if they are used carelessly. Community Woodworking is not liable for any injury incurred or caused by any member due to negligence or improper use of equipment. Before being allowed access to the shop, it is each member’s responsibility to complete the GSO (General Safety Orientation). Additionally it is each member’s responsibility to complete the TQs (Tool Qualifications) for each tool they intend to use before using it. The GSO is held weekly, and each member schedules their own TQs, so there is no reason to be out of compliance. All safety training is included with your membership, and you are encouraged to review it periodically.
That all sounds great! What do I need to do to become a member?
1) Complete and sign the membership agreement.
2) Settle the balance on your chosen membership. (Cash or Check only.)
3) Schedule your “General Safety Orientation” (GSO).
4) Schedule your desired Tool Qualifications (TQs). These will train you in the basic safety procedures necessary for each tool.
5) That’s it! Now schedule your first shop time, and enjoy! Keep in mind that our common room and media center is ALWAYS available to members and never counts against your shop time if you’re just stopping in to check out a book, review some plans, or watch a video. Keep an eye on the schedule for seminars and special events, check something out from the library, or get to work on your project straight away! Welcome to Community Woodworking!
RESERVING BENCH TIME: Reservations must be made 12 Hours in advance. When you reserve time in the shop, you are assigned a numbered work bench to use as your “base of operations”. To make a reservation, simply call the office at 303-598-4102, request a date and time, and inquire as to the availability of the stationary tools you anticipate using. Some of the larger tools, such as the Table Saw or Lathe, may have a limited availability since they see more continual use, as opposed to a drill press or chop saw, which are often used intermittently.
Types of Membership: Note that each membership amount here does NOT include the hourly charge for workshop use.
• Lifetime: $2200. (Must be paid in full prior to activation)
• Adult (18+): $60/three months. (This is our standard membership. To keep things affordable, and to keep people from feeling "locked in" by long contracts, the Adult Membership is good for 90 days at a time, as it suits your needs. Discounts are available for purchasing blocks of hourly time. See below.)
PREPAY FOR WORKSHOP USE AND RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE!
5 hours = $40 ($8/hr.)
10 hours = $70 ($7/hr.)
20 hours = $100 ($5/hr.)
Family Rate**: Each immediate family member (Children under 18 or Spouse) is an additional $2/hr shop use when attending with an Adult member. All guest family members are required to complete the GSO and the appropriate TQs before joining you in the workshop.
**Please note, that for safety reasons, children 12 and under are not authorized to use any stationary power tools; Table Saw, Joiner, Planer, Drill Press or Vertical Band Saw. Children 13-17 must complete TQs and have authorized adult supervision to use any stationary tools.
We also offer discounts to Seniors (55+), Active Military, and Students (Woodworking, Industrial Design, or similar programs only). Please inquire at shop office.
Why the added hourly charge?
Your base membership costs cover only the business overhead, such as Insurance, Rent and Utilities.
The hourly charge provides the funding for the club to grow. It pays for regular maintenance of tools, and supplies that receive the heaviest use, as well as funding for guest instructors and shop improvements.
Is Community Woodworking a Not-for-profit?
Yes it is. Community Woodworking, from its inception, was envisioned and intended as a resource for education & cultivation of woodworking and related trade skills, as well as a social network and an available workspace for aspiring woodworkers without a functional space of their own. We are structured as a 501(c)(7) Social Club.
