Intro to Woodshop with Michael: Box Building Basics

This 4-hour workshop teaches how to use the large stationary woodworking machines in Clear Creek Makerspace all in the context of contructing a small box with a lid. We'll be using designs and techniques heavily inspired by Matt Kenney's "52 Boxes in 52 Weeks." $100 per participant ($80 for CCM members using their discount code).

We'll take a brief, 20-30 minute break while glue dries. Feel free to run out and grab a bite to eat or bring some snacks with you.

Partcipants will be introduced to each machine, provided operational overview, safety considerations, and receive hands-on experience.

At the end of this course you will receive an email to the CCM Woodshop Quiz. Passing this short quiz is part of the requirement for members to gain personal woodshop access.

No prior experience needed for this course, all supplies and materials are provided.

Please wear comfortable well-fitted clothing, close-toed shoes, put your hair up, and be prepared to get a little dirty!

This is a combined course that covers the topics in Processing Raw Lumber and Benchtop Basics. You will learn the fundamentals of how to mill raw lumber and safely use the stationary woodworking equipment through hands-on experience. We'll take raw lumber and carefully transform it into a beautiful box; box-making is a core aspect of more advanced woodworking so this is a great place to start!

Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this workshop covers essential techniques and tools for successful woodworking projects.

As part of the course, you'll learn:

• Using the miter saw for rough cross cuts
• Ripping wood to rough width on the band saw
• Jointing a face and edge
• Planing material for parallelism and proper thickness
• Rip cuts, cross cuts, and bevel cuts on the table saw
• How to create rabbets on the router table
• How to use a random orbital sander
• How to safely use a drill press

Hey everyone! I'm Michael. I've been woodworking since I can remember; I practically grew up in my grandfather's shop helping him with his projects where I was able. I'm from Bettendorf, IA, moved to Fort Collins in 2020, and then down to Arvada in 2024. During college I was a TA for a manufacturing lab so I'm quite familiar with teaching, holding office hours, providing assistance with hands-on work, and making sure everyone leaves with the same number of eyes and fingers that they came in with. I'm very excited to get to continue with that sort of work here at CCM! Other than woodworking I spend a lot of time training for and playing ultimate frisbee and love going camping with my partner and our three-legged dog Yonder (please ask me about her!). Looking forward to meeting you!