In prior posts I had expressed misgivings about these organisations based largely upon my experiences with a local charity whom I volunteer with, and am now posting this because I visited a local one last week where I was pleasantly surprised and perhaps realise I was a little unjust toward them.
I visited the shed at Cressing Temple Barns in Essex and I was immediately impressed by the people, the equipment and the environment they have, it comprises two large vaulted rooms one containing a large communal table for those just wishing to chat but also containing an array of fretsaws workbenches and smaller bandsaws and pillar drill. The adjacent and larger room contains a large table saw, bandsaws, multiple wood lathes and a P/T and dedicated thicknesser amongst a large array of power and hand tools. Some of the tools have been generously donated by local businesses and they have support from numerous timber yards too so that provides plenty of material for their projects and reduces the running costs of the shed.
The staff and members were very welcoming - I think they have ~40 members in total and open regularly every Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:30-3:30.
Needless to say I joined and am currently helping out where I am able, for me it is a new experience working alongside others and I find myself frequently just watching others doing their own projects and seeing different approaches to woodworking and picking up new techniques .
I am largely self-taught and I consider myself as being reasonably skilled, however I am always fascinated to watch and pick up new or alternate approaches to performing tasks and this environment provides ample opportunity to do that and learn from the experience of others.
Needless to say, I thoroughly recommend it, it opens up the possibility for me to work on larger projects such as doors and window frames where the constraints of my own workshop make such projects largely logistics exercises when for example the planer must be manoeuvred into the centre of my shop to allow a clear infeed/outfeed!
Had I known of it earlier I certainly would have joined up then, the facilities the have will allow me to downsize my own shop and free up much needed space. Just having the availability of a large planer/thicknesser will allow me to dispose of mine and just keep my jointer for finishing stuff so I see it as a win-win for me!
I visited the shed at Cressing Temple Barns in Essex and I was immediately impressed by the people, the equipment and the environment they have, it comprises two large vaulted rooms one containing a large communal table for those just wishing to chat but also containing an array of fretsaws workbenches and smaller bandsaws and pillar drill. The adjacent and larger room contains a large table saw, bandsaws, multiple wood lathes and a P/T and dedicated thicknesser amongst a large array of power and hand tools. Some of the tools have been generously donated by local businesses and they have support from numerous timber yards too so that provides plenty of material for their projects and reduces the running costs of the shed.
The staff and members were very welcoming - I think they have ~40 members in total and open regularly every Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:30-3:30.
Needless to say I joined and am currently helping out where I am able, for me it is a new experience working alongside others and I find myself frequently just watching others doing their own projects and seeing different approaches to woodworking and picking up new techniques .
I am largely self-taught and I consider myself as being reasonably skilled, however I am always fascinated to watch and pick up new or alternate approaches to performing tasks and this environment provides ample opportunity to do that and learn from the experience of others.
Needless to say, I thoroughly recommend it, it opens up the possibility for me to work on larger projects such as doors and window frames where the constraints of my own workshop make such projects largely logistics exercises when for example the planer must be manoeuvred into the centre of my shop to allow a clear infeed/outfeed!
Had I known of it earlier I certainly would have joined up then, the facilities the have will allow me to downsize my own shop and free up much needed space. Just having the availability of a large planer/thicknesser will allow me to dispose of mine and just keep my jointer for finishing stuff so I see it as a win-win for me!
