The Woodworking Social Club
When I moved to Austin in 2014, like many others I was looking for a new community to be a part of. I found that one of the easiest ways to find a community is through a hobby or shared interest. For me, that was woodworking!
At that time, there were not a lot of options for woodworking groups in Austin, especially ones focusing on the social aspects around woodworking. It is quite common for individuals to focus so intently on learning new skills that they forget to take time to enjoy the hobby and share it with others. After slowly making a few woodworking friends from classes or random introductions, I decided to start the Woodworking Social Club.
The club quickly grew when word got around that there was a group of woodworkers getting and talking about woodworking while enjoying a craft beer. We have been meeting once a month ever since then!
Here are some photos of the very first meetings we had at South Austin Brewery. It was a little cold meeting in the winter above a large refrigerated keg room.
Types of Events
A Monthly Happy Hour is definitely our bread and butter. These events involve meeting at a brewery or other watering hole, having a cold beer and talking about woodworking. These can sometimes include a presentation, show-and-tell or other programming. When we aren’t hosting a Happy Hour, we do shop tours, sawmill demonstrations, lumber/tool sales and much more.
- How to purchase wood from a lumber yard at Fine Lumber and Plywood
- Festool tool demonstration at Treehouse
- Sawmill tour at Berdoll Sawmill
A Woody Future
It is my hope to bring on a couple of co-organizers to help continue and grow the club. I have lots of plans to expand the club’s offerings and event coverage. This has all started with the first large-scale annual event that was hosted for the first time in 2018 and will continue to be hosted every spring, the Woodworkers of Austin Spring Social.
