So classy

I started off this weekend with my first ever actual woodworking class over at Techshop Portland. They’ve just started splitting the drum sander into its own class  – apparently people weren’t cleaning up after themselves and were blowing through sandpaper strips like nobody’s business, and occasionally setting their projects on fire!

I’ve been wanting to learn how to use more of the power tools and woodworking equipment over at Techshop anyway, and I’ve just started playing a bit with using the laser cutter to do veneer inlays – a process that stood to be seriously sped up by the ability to do a quick and accurate finish sanding after gluing in the inlay. So when the drum sander class showed up in a time that fit my schedule, I jumped!

The class was great – not only did I get to learn the drum sander, but as the person teaching me had seen the sorts of things I do on the laser cutter, he also showed me how to use the band saw and planer to make nicely finished thin wood stock, like I use for my jewelry, out of larger pieces of lumber – awesomeness!

Now I just have to decide which class is next on my own personal agenda… more woodworking? The vinyl cutter? Maybe metal casting… hmmm.