Membership includes access to shared shop space, professional-grade woodworking tools, dust collection systems, and hand tools. Our shop attendants are expert woodworkers and offer help and advice to complete complex projects. We have community events like potlucks, bonfires, and skill-sharing opportunities. Members also get a 20% discount to all our classes.

No. We are only open during business hours:

Monday: 10am-2pm, 5-8pm 

Tuesday: 5-8pm 

Wednesday: 10am-2pm, 5-8pm

Thursday: 5-8pm 

For insurance purposes, members are not permitted to use tools without a shop attendant present. Our shop attendants are expert woodworkers and offer help and advice to complete complex projects

Yes! Regardless of your experience, and before using any tools in the shop, all new members must go through a tool safety certification. You learn the purpose and basic safety and operating procedures for each piece of major equipment in the shop.

In addition the shop is full of experienced members that volunteer lots of time helping people learn. Our shop attendants are expert woodworkers and offer help and advice to complete complex projects.

Generally members must be 16 or older. Younger participants (typically 12+) may attend classes, but must be accompanied by an adult. Some of our events are open to all ages, like bonfires and tool demonstrations. View upcoming classes here!

No! Anyone can attend a class. We cover the basics of safely using all the necessary tools to complete the class project. However, members do receive a 20% discount on classes. View upcoming classes here!

The shop supports a wide range of projects including furniture, prototypes, and creative builds. We support creators, designers, hobbyists, and woodworkers creating one-off projects and prototypes. If you need to make 5 hours worth of continues cuts on the table saw, this might not be the place for you. Usually this means nothing larger than a bed frame or dinning room table due to space and workflow limitations.

Yes. New members receive required safety training during orientation. Additional instruction is always available from our expert shop attendants each session.

No, we bill every 4 weeks; your membership can start at any time. Visit our membership page!

For individual projects, members are responsible for their own materials. Please check our about page for resources and a list of where to get wood. Wood will be provided for shop builds, classes, or community projects.

Corvallis is fortunate to have a local wood science expert, OSU professor Seri Robinson, whose research focuses on wood chemistry and toxicity. Their work highlights how many wood species—especially tropical and exotic varieties—contain natural compounds that can cause allergic reactions, respiratory irritation, or other health concerns, particularly in shared shop environments where dust exposure is harder to control.

If you’d like to learn more, we recommend resources like Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Fine Woodworking and Dust Collection in a Shared Shop: A Wood Scientist’s Perspective from Oneida Air Systems, both of which explain how wood dust and extractives can impact health and safety.

At Highland Woodshop, we prioritize the well-being of our members by encouraging the use of local, domestic species whenever possible. This approach not only reduces potential health risks in a shared space, but also supports regional forestry, local mills, and a more sustainable woodworking practice. On our resources page, we’ve included a list of local lumber suppliers as a resource—however, please note that many lumber yards do carry exotic species as well, so we ask members to be mindful of their material choices when purchasing. Additionally we do not allow wood that will be hard on our tooling, like reclaimed wood with metal embedded and extremely wet wood, unless you are turning.

Members may be responsible for repair or replacement costs if damage occurs due to misuse, negligence, or failure to follow procedures. This includes consumables like blades, abrasives, and machine components.

The shop is designed as a collaborative community space where members learn, build, and share skills. Safety, respect for tools, and shared responsibility are core expectations.

At this time, donations to Highland Woodshop are not tax deductible because we are not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

However, we are a volunteer-run community shop, and we rely on the generosity of donations to keep our space active, safe, and accessible. Every contribution directly supports our mission of providing access to woodworking tools, space, and education for people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn and create in a fully equipped shop. We are deeply grateful for the support of our community, which makes this shared space possible!

Highland Woodshop does not accept custom orders or provide commissioned fabrication work through the shop itself. Our focus is on maintaining a shared community space where members can learn woodworking, build their own projects, and have access tools in a collaborative environment.

That said, two of our owners—Nat Stein and Katherine Edmonds—do take on commission-based work independently through their personal studios. If you are looking for a custom-built piece, you are welcome to reach out to them directly to see if your project might be a good fit. Visit our about page to view their profiles.

Occasionally, Highland Woodshop does participate in community-driven projects when they align with our mission and capacity. For example, we built the mammoth tusk cabinet for the Corvallis Public Library! These projects are considered on a case-by-case basis and are typically focused on public art, education, or community benefit. If you have a community project you’d like to discuss with us, please reach out at [email protected].