The group met every other Tuesday for four sessions, learning the foundations of woodworking, from drafting their designs to joining, ripping, cross-cutting, planing, gluing, and finishing their charcuterie boards. They also learned the usage of the table saw, bandsaw, cross-cut saw, planer, and orbital sanders. Some even used the laser cutter to add decorative elements to their projects. While the completion of a custom cutting board was the stated goal, it was clear that gathering as colleagues, learning, and spending time together were added benefits. These faculty and staff members did an amazing job on their projects and have something unique to display for dinners or holiday parties.

For those interested in participating in future workshops:

Shadow Lightbox/Lamp Project: The next workshop project will begin in the new year, and participants will make custom shadow lightbox/lamps with decorative inlays. This workshop will have two parts:

Part 1: Participants will learn to make boxes and lamps in the woodshop

Part 2: Participants will learn Illustrator and the laser cutter to create shadow boxes or lamps with wood inlay.

Open Makerspace Tuesdays: Every other Tuesday, the 13th floor is open, and the tools are available for individual projects. Engineering faculty will be on hand to support work.