Maker Works

10/16/2026

Most of the shop could not function without this piece of equipment. What am I and what is Josh doing with his thumb!?

10/15/2026

Everyday there's something different happening at the shop. People learning new skills, pushing the limits of old tools, discovering new tools, and having a whole lot of fun in the process:)

Stop in for a free tour, join us for a class, we'd love to help you learn something new!

10/13/2026

Our ShopBot CNC Router has seen daily use for over 15 years! In that time we've watched people use it to create beautiful art, prototype small business products, and engage people of all ages in the wonders of computer controlled machinery.

Join us in October or November for one of our introductory tool training classes: https://www.maker-works.com/class-wood-shopbot

Huge appreciation to the team at ShopBot Tools, Inc that produces these incredible machines, Al and the staff for all their support, and the many many members who have learned to use this machine!

10/13/2026

Looking forward to this Saturday at the Mi Folk School Folk Festival, come say hi and check out all the amazing things you can do there!

Come out for our rescheduled Folk Festival on Saturday, October 17! Enjoy the beautiful Michigan autumn during this free event. We host the Folk Festival with hopes that it offers the opportunity to those who may be interested in who we are and what we do, to see it for themselves.

Check out more information on our website at MiFolkSchool.com!

10/13/2026

Randy has been testing thin (.25mm) brass and thicker (3mm) stainless steel on the xTool MetalFab. He's taking notes and getting the machine dialed in. We're excited to see what the users will do - big next steps are writing the SOPs and 5S'ng the space.

10/11/2026

It's been a joy watching Nina finish a number of quilts for the tiniest of tinies on our longarm.
These are for Preemie Pals, a wonderful organization that "seeks to comfort and uplift families facing a serious crisis with their child with the donation of a free quilt.

On a practical level the quilts help darken the isolette and muffle the sounds of the NICU unit. It is often shared with us that the quilts lift the spirits of the family with their cheerful colors and fun themes. "

What a wonderful organization, learn more about their work here: https://www.preemiepals.org/

And if you're ever doing volunteer work like this, let us know and we would be happy to provide free access to the machine!

10/08/2026

Time to feed the laser! Thankfully there's an Alro Steel just minutes away. Lots to learn about different types, grades, and finishes of metal. We appreciate the friendly crew, variety of metal, and the remnants section with very price friendly material in sizes perfect for the xTool MetalFab CNC Laser :)

Free demo activities with the machine over the next few weeks: https://www.maker-works.com/demo-night

10/08/2026

Maker Works Bootcamp or: How I learned to stop worrying and embrace continuous improvement!

Running an active 11,000 sq ft makerspace comes with a host of daily challenges for which we rely on a number of systems to keep moving forward. A huge thanks to co-founders Tom Root & Dale Grover for two jam packed days of staff development on visioning, how to instruct, visual management, writing standard operating procedures and more.

All of us are going to sleep well tonight :)

10/07/2026

Mike Kapetan's next Intro to Woodcarving Class starts in 12 days and has 1 remaining seat open. This six-part series mixes discussions of art, history, and technique with guided tool use to introduce you to chisels, gouges, sharpening. It's quite possibly the best way to spend six of your Fall Sunday mornings. Details at our website: https://www.maker-works.com/carving-with-kapetan

10/06/2026

We're seeing some -really- nice results from the 1200 watt xTool MetalFab CNC laser. Check out some of our free demonstrations starting this week! https://www.maker-works.com/demo-night