How to do woodworking when you live in an apartment?
August 7, 2010 4:46 PM   Subscribe

Is there anywhere you can rent space to do woodworking in Los Angeles?

I live in a very small apartment in Mount Washington. I'd like to get back into carpentry/woodworking, but I have no space to set up tools, nor anywhere to store them. I'm hoping to find either a commercial or nonprofit outfit that would have space, work tables, and tools, for some sort of monthly or hourly rent.

This place near the Bay Area is probably a good model. Or, to give another example, something like The Bicycle Kitchen, but for woodworking instead of bike repair.

Bonus points if it also offers classes/seminars. Double bonus points if it's on the east side.
posted by thehandsomecamel to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm not familiar with the west coast, but are any of the California Woodcraft stores near you? they have in store classes.
posted by Marky at 4:56 PM on August 7, 2010


Response by poster: The nearest Woodcrafts I could find were in Orange Co. and Ventura. That might be it -- I was just hoping for something closer.
posted by thehandsomecamel at 5:57 PM on August 7, 2010


I hate to link to a facebook page, but Downtown Artist Space might have what you need. Their regular page seems to be down right now, but there is a phone number to contact.
posted by Vaike at 7:13 PM on August 7, 2010 [1 favorite]


Borked that. Here is the #: 213-489-7665. They have a metal shop, a wood shop and more. They rent by the hour, week, or month, with or without tools. I know there is a cabinet maker/woodworker in there now.
posted by Vaike at 7:17 PM on August 7, 2010


is there a reason why you can't do small-scale woodworking?
i'm primarily a jewelery designer so that scale is natural for me, but i do a lot of woodwork and carving as well. i live in a one-bedroom apt and my bench is only 35"x21" tucked away in the corner of the room. [a bonus to the arrangement is that i have no choice but to be responsible about cleaning up] you may find that you enjoy the unique challenges and rewards that come from working in a more intimate scale
posted by swbarrett at 6:19 AM on August 8, 2010


Response by poster: swbarrett, I think I would have a hard time doing that for a variety of reasons -- 9-month-old, configuration of apartment. Maybe when we move again!

Vaike, good lead! I will call them! Thanks.
posted by thehandsomecamel at 12:52 PM on August 8, 2010


My father took a woodworking "class" through the local adult ed. I say "class" because the guy would teach you if you needed it but once you showed that you knew how to use the tools (everyone had to make a footstool their first session) you could do what ever you wanted to.

This is how our house got filled with bookcases. He said people were in there making all sorts of things because it was basically really cheap use of all the tools and space.
posted by magnetsphere at 1:17 PM on August 8, 2010


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