How did you get into woodworking?

The majority of people I meet have made a choice to pursue woodworking. I frequently find woodworking origin stories are not simple; nor is mine. If your choice to delve into the trade, the craft, or the tools provided any challenges along the way, you might be interested in giving back to the community you are a part of. There is one woodworking community I adore because it specifically celebrates woodworkers that might not feel safe in popular woodworking spaces.

The Chairmaker’s Toolbox (CMT) transforms tradition. It celebrates educating new generations of craftspeople that have felt pushed away or unwelcome. It provides education in both classroom form and through tools themselves. You can donate money or tools in kind and each will be used to support a growing community of makers. Maybe you have a collection of tools sitting in the dark that could be helpful to someone looking to start.

I am overjoyed by the prospect of celebrating new generations of woodworkers. Let’s face it: woodworking can be expensive and hard to access. My experience in woodworking sadly includes forcing my way into spaces that were not exactly welcoming. As ugly as the stories may be, the mentality behind them still informs many seasoned woodworkers today. The Chairmaker’s Toolbox avoids heartache stories for other beginners interested in learning woodworking. CMT offers funding to woodworkers that have been historically underrepresented. Rather than pushing people away, the Chairmaker’s Toolbox welcomes them in.

How can you lend a hand?

To donate to the CMT mission, visit the page here:
https://www.thechairmakerstoolbox.com/donate

To learn about the tools or apply for tools, check out the CMT project here: https://www.thechairmakerstoolbox.com/the-tools

	When a woodworker buys a forest Furniture maker Tak Yoshino pays homage to the forest his new woodworking school was built from.
	Correcting the record Dr. Tiffany Momon and Jerome Bias describe the creative ways in which enslaved craftspeople made their own reality despite their hardships. This is where their true power lies.
	Book review: Joinery, Joists and Gender: A History of Woodworking for the 21st Century Part history and part survey of contemporary craft, Deirdre Visser’s book weaves the stories of historic and contemporary makers into the first collective history of women and non-binary makers in the field of wood.