For our first story, we had the pleasure of sitting down once again with the incredible Jimmy DiResta and, for the first time, the talented Derek from Malden. Jimmy’s influence on the Maker Community is nothing short of legendary. His dedication and passion have shaped the culture and inspired countless people to create and grow. Derek, a craftsman…

Leigh and Mush sit down to talk about what they're most excited for for this year's Maker Camp, reflect on Maker Camps of years past, and share their love for the Maker community at large. This is a great episode for newbies or those who were on the fence about attending this year. Can't wait to see everyone soon!…

WORKBENCHCon weekend, as with all weekends, had to eventually draw to a close, but Leigh and I were so fortunate to be able to get to sit down with Xyla Foxlin, who has (among other fantastic things) created a YouTube channel to showcase her love of engineering challenges, problem solving, and teaching. The three of us got a chance to talk more abo…

There are some faces you see when you go to a Maker Event as a newbie and you just know are the ones who will welcome you in. Alma of Pink Soul Studios and Steph of Uncommon Outpost are two of those people who we had seen all over the place but had never gotten the pleasure and privilege of getting to know - until this year's WORKBENCHCon. Leigh an…

Tom Bodett (@tombodett1123), an iconic voice and beloved spokesperson, is a treasured figure in American culture, and woodworker of thirty plus years. Leigh and Mush had a wonderful experience of learning more about Tom, his history, and how he's ended up serving the community of Brattleboro, Vermont by co-founding Hatchspace (@hatchspacevt), plus …

Hadeel and Firas from Four Rivers Studio are a husband and wife duo based out of Chicago's west suburbs. By day, Firas is a historian and Hadeel is a nurse, and together they started a woodworking business out of their garage. Leigh and Mush talked with them right before they presented their second session at WORKBENCHcon this year, and got a chanc…

JPaulTheCarpenter (@JPaulTheCarpenter) is a singer/songwriter turned builder, raised in the hustling streets of Dallas TX, who then moved to the creative hub of ATL. Leigh and Mush talked with JPaul at WORKBENCHcon (@workbenchconference) about his journey from working on military aircraft to getting nominated for Grammys; the mentors who first beli…

Mike Marazzo, or MarazzoWoodworking, is an avid DIY-er and woodworker, often specializing in custom wood flags based out of Elgin, IL. Brandon Silveira, aka Full House Woodworking, is a maker based in Hollister, CA. Both Mike and Brandon are police officers, Mike having recently retired, and together they host the Handcuffs and Sawdust podcast. Lei…

Eric Schimelphenig (@ericschimel) has an intense passion for digital fabrication and Making. He uses and teaches 3D printing and CNC fabrication, and has helped design and build digitally fabricated homes, geodesic domes, and many other cutting edge projects. Eric is a regular columnist for Kitchen & Bath Design News and MAKE Magazine, teaches Sket…

Brooke and Michael, from Maker's Workshop, got their start via a serendipitous confluence of artistic burnout and budding makerspace potential. Based just outside of Boston, they run the Maker's Workshop, both as a physical shop, and as the name of their presences online. Patrick Gensel (@patrickgensel), from Pennsylvania, will tell you that he is …

Leigh & Mush catch up on the goings-ons of the last few months and get hyped for WorkbenchCON 024

Andrew Stanfield is a freelance media producer and Student Success Coach based in Albany, Oregon, who also dabbles in making stuff. Mark Adams, whose gorgeous black and white photos you've Definitely Seen, is a freelance photographer, splitting time between Cleveland OH and Portland OR. Mark loves photographing people and motorcycles, but loves bei…

Emmett Newsome, or Deadrise Woodcraft as he's known online, is based out of Pittsburgh, and is a self taught wood turner and life long maker - you may recognize his turned treescapes, which Ethan praises at length during this episode. Speaking of Ethan, Ethan Carter, or Ethan Carter Designs, is known for his innovative approach to leather working a…

Leigh and Leah met up with Priscilla and Luke Smith, a married couple based out of upstate NY with a wide breadth of work. While they started their creative journey together with woodworking, they've transitioned to mainly sculptural blacksmithing, metal fabrication, and 3D modeling for different CNC projects. You may also recognize the hashtag #ma…

Leigh and Leah connected with Trevor Higgins and Matt O'Connell on Day 2 of Maker Camp. Trevor is based out of a small forest shop in Maryland and practices making across skill sets so that he can show others, of any age, how much fun it is. Matt is also from Maryland, where he has spent two decades in the fields of architectural stainless steel, i…

In this episode, Leigh and Leah sit down with Dean Duplantis and The Grant Alexander. Dean is a hobbyist maker in Houston, TX, who has always enjoyed taking things apart and trying to get them back together, and now does so in the comfort of his backyard workshop. He's also one of the hosts of the Making Our Way podcast. Returning guest Grant hails…

Tom Breslin, (@the_phoenix_woodshop), is a soon-to-be retired NYC Fire Officer hailing from Long Island, NY. We actually met Tom at Workbench Con earlier in the year but never found time to sit down and record, so we were delighted to find that opportunity to kick things off at Maker Camp this year. Leigh and Leah talk with Tom about investing in o…

As all magic must, WORKBENCHcon had to come to a close. As the booths started coming down and folks made their way to closing ceremonies, we were honored to get to sit down with Kristin Stockdale. Kristin is the owner and host of WORKBENCHcon along with being a full-time event manager.As she tells it, she brings WORKBENCHcon to life in order to ign…

The sun was literally and figuratively setting on the last real day of Workbench Con, and the stars aligned such that we were able to connect with Luke Gelman and Justin Bailey. Luke (@lukeinthegarage) is a garage scientist from Chicago. As he puts it: he might have a plan, and me might not have a plan, but he knows either way, it doesn't matter: i…

Whenever there's a gathering of makers, for some time now you can be all but sure that there will be some Epoxy People in the crowd repping TotalBoat… and whenever there's TotalBoat out in the wild, you're all but guaranteed to see Mike and Kristin. Workbench Con was no exception! Mike Mills (@totalbmike) is CEO and Founder of TotalBoat (which itse…

Jess Crow is a teacher, epoxy artist, and maker from Fairbanks, Alaska. When we showed up at our first Maker Camp, one of the first people we met was Jess, who physically ushered us into the Total Boat tent and culturally ushered us into the Maker Community at large. This warm, effortless welcome had a huge impact on us, and we were not just absolu…

As the first Full Day of WBC came to a close, we ran into our new friend Rex Krueger: a writer, content creator and furniture builder in Cleveland, Ohio, who builds Early American furniture (mostly) by hand, makes videos on YouTube, and writes books. His most recent book is Everyday Woodworking: A Beginner's Guide to Woodcraft with 12 Hand Tools. R…

One of the best parts parts about attending Workbench Con was seeing familiar faces, and we got a chance to do just that when we reconnected with Chris Giffrow and Justin Dietrich. Chris is a self taught woodworker and Japanese Tool Enthusiast, and Justin is a high school woodshop instructor at Lincoln Community HS in Illinois. The two have joined …

As we explored more of Workbench Con, we found ourselves suddenly in what felt like someone's living room - replete with comfortable chairs, tables with treats strewn about, and what looked like a homemade bookshelf full of books on the wall. Before we fully understood where we were, we were being welcomed into House of Esperanza, and started learn…

Mark Robertson (@mark.thebuilder) is a woodworker in the Dallas Fort-Worth area, and takes joy in growing the woodworking community and sharing the story of his process alongside what he makes. Mark helped welcome new folks to Workbench Con, and we were immediately taken with his journey and the passion with which he shares it. We caught up with Ma…

Char Miller-King is a professional woodworking teacher at the Decatur Makers makerspace in Atlanta, GA. She has shared her teaching and woodworking skills across the country as well as online for folks like This Old House, Magnolia, Rockler, Home Depot, and Power Pro. We met Char unofficially as part of our Newbie Welcome to Workbench con, and got …

Mush and Leigh recap Chapter 2: Queen City Makers and preview Chapter 3: Workbench Conference. Another mighty, heartfelt thank you to all of our storytellers and friends new and old from Chapter 2: Joel Bonasera (@makingthingsclt) David Taylor (@fablabdtaylor) Jacob Daugherty (@otherdogdesign) Madison Dunaway (@mk_dunaway) Super Daft Bros (@superda…

In which we discuss @nodabrewing's Cheerwine (@drinkcheerwine) Ale, order food, jump out of our skin when a crate of silverware gets dropped (5:00 minute mark, watch out), discuss what to do when wood smells like wood, talk about some more storied wood, the circular nature of time, and the oldest red hickory tree in the world.…

In our final episode of this chapter, we talk with Grant Maginnis a woodworker and maker in Concord, NC. Perhaps more than any other guest we've had in the Tavern so far, Grant helps drive home the importance and power of the stories behind making, in this case, in the stories of the wood he uses in his pieces. As we talk, you can hear in his voice…

We let the mics roll with Jbird the Vandal. It's mostly about bands that we've played in! If you're listening via Spotify, you can give us feedback with the player, otherwise shoot us a DM or leave us a comment on Instagram to let us know your thoughts on these "Another Round" episodes.

We were introduced to Jbird the Vandal through Joel, another Queen City Maker who you may remember opened this whole chapter up. Joel described Jbird as a tinkerer, and indeed, his Instagram profile starts simply and all-inclusively with "I make things." Jbird has street art, murals, and graffiti all over Charlotte, and stories and skillsets that h…

Andrew Thiessen is a Charlotte area maker who makes wood and steel furniture & architectural accents with lumber milled from Charlotte trees. We talk about his bridge from landscaping to welding to woodworking, how "the medium doesn't matter", Neighbor Stan's basement, and when "trying is not enough." ...and we DON'T talk about bees. Much. More And…

The stuff that Ian & William of Super Daft Bros (@superdaftbros) make is hard to summarize in just a couple of sentences, so this is out of character, we've included some of their work in this post that you should check out before listening to this episode. Are they makers? Are they artists? Are they awesome? I mean, the answer to all of those is y…

This episode is a little different than normal: Later this week Leigh and I are headed to Atlanta for WorkbenchCon 2023, the fifth gathering of its kind for makers and content creators. So to get maybe our only chance to talk with her in advance of the craziness of the weekend, we zoomed with Tiff Marchand, aka nightcarverdesigns, to hear about her…

Madison Dunaway (she/her) is an artist, leader, and self-professed ambiguity lover. She grew up in Charlotte and has created and run makerspaces for nearly a decade, most currently at Boston College. On top of all this, she is an official #friendofthepod. Normally we meander through a number of different themes in these stories, but our overarching…

Jacob Daugherty (@otherdogdesign) is a Charlotte area maker and serial hobby collector who is currently focused on 3d printing and lasers who will be the first to tell you that he loves to make stuff and is terrible at selling it.We tell some stories about nurturing a network, falling into flow, and the inextricable balance of making and sharing.Ep…

David Taylor is a middle school Engineering and Computer Science teacher and Fab Lab instructor at Charlotte Latin School, where he's passionate about student-led design and developing an environment where students can learn through making and prototyping. We talked with David about the critical element of vulnerability in learning how to learn, an…

Our guest in the tavern today is Joel Bonasera. He, like all our storytellers this chapter, is a maker based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. After spending over a decade in science and technology education, Joel turned his focus to digital fabrication to make things. Now, he spends his time on e-commerce sales, commissioned work, and ongoing supp…

Episode 11, in which we close out Chapter 1. Leigh and Mush look back on some of the highlights of this chapter, discuss our plans for what's next, and celebrate one last time with all our friends from Maker Camp '22. Much love to: Leigh Northrup (@thetinkerteacher) Lindsay Zeulich (@wood_brain) Jared Geddes (@eveningwoodworker) Brittney Carbone (@…

Our last story from Maker Camp 2022 comes from Brett Mcafee, an Artist, blacksmith, and fabricator of other beautiful things in and around the Joshua Tree region of California. We talk with Brett about the craft of teaching and its root in connection between humans; the best way we think there is to learn; and how maker camp helps fan the flame of …

Two of our last storytellers from Maker Camp this year are Chad Grosklags of Mancrafting (@Mancrafting), and Jacob LaRocca of Rocket Props (@RocketProps). Chad is based out of Atlanta and is an all-around Maker, specializing in, among other things, powder coating, welding, woodworking, and knife making. Jacob hails from Boston and is an electrical …

Jon and Walter Peters are father and son woodworkers, makers, and YouTubers from Red Bank, NJ. They share an introspective look on their experiences with multigenerational making, reflect on the paths that got them to where they are and what might be next for them, and ways that the maker community comes together to create things larger than themse…

Jimmy Diresta lives in in East Durham, NY and is affectionately referred to by many in the community as the Godfather of Making. Grant Alexander is a maker and Youtuber based out of Ottawa, and is the host of the Creating, Living, and Making Projects Podcasts - aka the Clamp Podcast. Jimmy and Grant visit the Tavern to talk about why and by whom th…

Andrew Szeto is a maker and skateboarder who hails from Ottawa. During his time in the Tavern, he shares with us the challenges and joys of finding fellow Canadian Makers, celebrates the memory of his mentor Richard Scott, digs into the value of failure, and teams up with Leigh to hijack the episode to transform it into an ad hoc hockey podcast. Yo…

Leah Hartman and Sam Ciferno Skidmore run The Hive, an open access makerspace at Lakeland Community College outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Leigh and I were excited to geek out with fellow educators and learn about how they introduce making to learners from three to ninety-five years old, how they dealt with the atmospheric and cultural whiplash that w…

Dave Miao, or 3D DIY Dave is a maker from Long Island, NY, who spends a good deal of time playing in between the worlds of digital 3D design and traditional hand-tooled woodworking. Dave tells us about the magical and practical elements of 3D scanning, rediscovering lost passion, and making friends for life in the woodworking and maker community. I…

Our stories this time come from Jared Geddes, AKA The Evening Woodworker, and Brittney Carbone, who shares her work as BrittneyCarbone.art. We talk about their similar entry touchpoints into the human side of Maker Community, the exciting world of Contact Dermatitis, the path from necklaces to nightstands, and share a thank you to the teachers who …

Our storyteller this time around is Lindsay Zeulich, known as Woodbrain. She’s a mixed media maker and artist from LA, and you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Youtube, and all the things at Wood_Brain. Today she tells us about inventing her own art style, fighting about the dictionary, and the importance of having your homie…

Leigh Northrup is a Makerspace Teacher at Cannon School in Concord, NC. Leigh shares with us about the journey from professional America to being a makerspace teacher, lighting Legos on fire, embracing the epic fail, and what you can learn from making quadratic sound diffusers that don't diffuse sound.…

Welcome to the tavern! Here's what this whole thing is all about.