Metal + Wood Scrapyard Table

Our upcoming Metal + Wood: Scrapyard Table workshop is a match made in making.

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Beginning February 4, you will have the opportunity to combine your woodworking, metalworking, and creative problem-solving skills by designing and making a one-of-a-kind reclaimed table. The workshop is the brainchild of Joyce Lin, woodshop manager, and Lou Stainback, welding shop manager, who have combined unique aspects of their specialties for next month’s makerspace fusion.

“Since most of our other workshops are fairly procedural and people end up with more or less the same product, we wanted to try something different and place more emphasis on personal design and decision-making,” says Lin.

“The hope is that students open their minds to working with different shapes and materials and possible uses for everyday objects in their environment - designing within constraints is often a catalyst for creativity.”

Students will pick the pieces they want and decide how to arrange them, while Lin and Stainback lend their expert guidance along the way. The workshop spans two work days and is split between the woodshop and metal shop; with an optional third day to finish.

The schedule includes:

Day 1: (4 hours) Metalshop: Table base Woodshop: Mill & glue table top

Day 2: (4 hours) Metalshop: Finish table base, Woodshop: Finish table top

Day 3: (3 hours) Optional finishing time during studio hours

Stainback says that the "reclaimed" aspect of this work was inspired by working with David Marsh, a local carpenter who makes unique reclaimed furniture.

“Making these tables was definitely inspired by collaborating on metal and wood projects with him during that time I was working for him,” says Stainback. “Just want to shout him out!”  

While reclaimed wood & metal will be provided, you are welcome to bring your own scrap wood/metal (pending instructor inspection and approval). Additionally, all students must take both Woodworking I and MIG I as prerequisites for the workshop.

Contact joyce.lin@txrxlabs.org or lou@txrxlabs.org for more info, or visit our classes page to register today.