woodworking is a journey
The recess grove woodshop is designed around your journey as a woodworker — from absolute beginners to experienced craftspeople, this is a supportive space for learning, practicing, and building
We offer a mix of classes and an open studio to make it accessible to everyone
about our woodshop
For many people, woodworking conjures images of industrial machinery: loud things with spinning blades. While those can be wonderful tools, they’re built primarily to aid efficiency and make woodworking faster and more replicable.
By contrast, our woodshop is built around the art of hand tools, and places the craftsperson at the center of the process. It’s not about production, it’s about tactile judgment, studied technique, and human workmanship — the maker and the tool in harmony.
Hand tools allow us to develop hand feel and technique, experiment with form and texture, master joinery, and learn the architecture of furniture and other objects. Here you can build, shape, whittle, and carve in a space that is both safe for learning and experimentation while also being supportive of mastery.
woodworking pathways
Woodworking is like a language — let’s start with the basics, then learn how to apply those skills, and finally allow practice to grow your abilities, taking your craft to new and unexpected places
1. learn skills
Get a taste or build a foundation of skills
2. projects & clinics
Make cool stuff, gain fresh ideas, and access a guided practice
3. woodshop studios
Design and build almost anything, bring your ideas to life, and hone your craft
learn woodworking skills
beginner woodshop
A friendly, approachable, hands-on introduction to hand tool woodworking. Get a taste of magic of the craft and its core tools as you saw, chisel, plane, and carve wood on our classic workbenches
woodworking foundations
Our core class for anyone looking to begin a journey of woodworking — and the gateway for new woodworkers to join our woodworking community and its project classes, clinics, and open studios.
Foundations covers the core aspects of woodworking — from the materials, to the tools, the techniques, and of course, the mindset — as we design a beautiful household object over 4-5 sessions with a small cohort of learners
beginner diy
What does it mean to ‘do it yourself’?
Our ‘Beginner DIY’ class sets you on a path to understanding the tools and skills required to get things done around the house and turn cool ideas into functional objects.
Let’s start building things together.
relief carving
Carving is the meditative process of shaping, sculpting, or adding texture, engravings, and patterns to wood. It’s a means of slowing down to connect with the material through a celebration of grain and form.
Our beginner relief carving class introduces beginners to the material and the tools, presenting a way of working with wood that allows for warmth, character, and expression in virtually any object
projects & clinics
a series of woodworking projects and instructional sessions that build on skills learned in Woodworking Foundations and Beginner DIY — let’s build things and develop skill
projects
let’s make things
diy: propagation station
Drill, sand, and assemble a wood frame to hang in your home, complete with tubes and plants to begin growing a wall garden of your own
prerequisite: Beginner DIY or Beginner Woodshop
diy: french cleats
Learn to build a totally customizable and storage system: French cleats. If you can imagine it, it can probably be designed around a French cleat. Let’s learn how they work and start designing things for your home.
prerequisite: Beginner Woodshop or Beginner DIY
more projects coming soon…
Want to build things together? We’ll be releasing more project classes in the near future — covering everything from home storage to furniture to tool-making.
Sign up for the projects waitlist — and then get started on your journey in Woodworking Foundations and Beginner DIY
clinics
let’s learn things
From joinery to finishes, materials to methods, our clinics aim to create smaller blocks of instruction to expose students to new ways of making and open up fresh possibilities in the woodshop.
Clinics are intended to build-upon or broaden a base of skills, and may require prerequisites (e.g. completion of ‘Foundations’ or ‘Beginner DIY’). Some example clinics include:
joinery: from dados to dovetails
finishes: hardwax oils, oil-based paints, ebonizing
sharpening: what is it, and how to do it efficiently (and get back to woodworking)
tool usage: hand planes, drawknives, spokeshaves, and carving tools, to name just a few
fasteners: what are the different types and what projects do they come in handy for?
general DIY: hanging things on the wall (drywall and all!), repairing furniture, improving lighting
want to join a clinic?
Start your journey with us through one of our ‘Beginner’ or ‘Foundations’ classes
wood studios
Design, and build almost anything, bring your ideas to life, and hone your craft.
For anyone looking to make something out of left field — or just a beautiful set of custom shelves. Access the space, tools, wood stock, and support you need to step up to the workbench and create something.
Got a vision? Want to play with a design concept? Want to just make cool stuff and have fun? Come work through a project, bounce ideas around, or collaborate with other woodworkers.
Foundations Studio
available exclusively for students in Woodworking Foundations
practice skills or make progress on your class project
Project Studio
available to students who have completed a project class
continue your project or design and build a new one with guidance and support
Open Studio
for students who have completed Woodworking Foundations
practice your craft in our one-of-a-kind woodshop environment alongside a community of other woodworkers
daytime, evening, and weekend hours available every week
