Edited 2 August 2018:
Building great furniture is the main thing I’m about at Long Grain Furniture. The most important secondary is shop sharing. I can’t do my best work alone; I’m just not that kind of artist or person. I need others around to inspire me, entertain me, and from time to time distract me. I think a lot of us are this way, and I’m doing what I can to create a community around this very idea. So far we’re five woodworkers, and there’s space for one more. We support each other, help each other, and commiserate. Together we’re better than we would be apart.
Are you thinking of striking off on your own in a woodworking business? Are you growing out of your garage? Have I got a deal for you!
For about the cost of an empty industrial space + utilities, you can come join me and a stable handful of other woodworkers in a fully equipped professional wood shop. You don’t have to work alone, and you don’t have to move stuff around in your tiny shop to use a different machine.
We help each other in lots of ways: We help each other move heavy things. We collaborate from time to time. If you have a delivery coming, maybe someone else can receive it while you’re out. If you want to talk through the construction of a joint, we’ll figure it out. Finish problem? We’ll figure that out too. Want to grab some lunch? Let’s get tacos. What’s the deal with this vendor–do they know what they’re talking about? Does the design of my new project look stupid? I hope you’ll tell me. Together we are stronger, we can do better work, and we can work smarter. One of my greatest goals is that we will inspire each other to design and build better things.
There are currently four members plus myself. It’s not like the chaos of other shared shops, where anybody can come in for a single project. Each member commits to six months at a time, and all four have completed their first six months now, and all have signed up for another. What this means is that we get to know each other. We don’t have to worry what the stranger is going to do every day. We know each other’s strengths. And we don’t have piles of stuff lying around that belong to somebody who might eventually come back for it. Each member gets space in a private or semi-private storage room with a door and a lock, so they can safely store tools and supplies. There is currently one vacancy, as of 2 August 2018.
- It’s a professional-grade shop, designed to help you build the best work you can build:
- Altendorf F-45 10-foot sliding table saw (this 7.5 hp saw will change your definition of straight and square.)
- SCMI 20″ planer
- Crescent 12″ jointer
- Oliver 36″ band saw
- Shop Fox 14″ band saw
- Dust Kop dust collection system
- 10-hp hospital-grade oil-free air compressor with 120 gal tank and 16 outlets throughout shop
- dedicated 15′ x 16′ spray-finishing room with huge exhaust system and efficient material-handling accessories.
- two or three miter saws
- router table with Incra fence and Woodpecker lift for dialing in thousandths
- good lighting
- good heat
- smooth concrete floor so the material carts and rolling work tables roll effortlessly
The monthly membership fee is currently $660 (as of August 2018). This covers 24/7 access to the shop and the closed campus the shop is contained in. It covers utilities, moderate amounts of garbage, blade sharpening, and machine maintenance (except in cases of abuse).
I’m there almost every day, so scheduling visitors is easy. Come see it!
Thanks!