Woodworkers' Weekly September 27, 2026

Easy access to all pertinent information for volunteers. Bookmark this website to stay In The Know!

Announcements for ALL volunteers
Announcements for Youth Program Volunteers
Announcements for Community Program Volunteers
Announcements for Open Shop Volunteers
Volunteer Onboarding
Volunteer Resource Portal

Announcements for ALL Volunteers

  • Lead Volunteer Needed: Power Tools 101

    We’re looking for a volunteer to lead our Power Tools 101 class on Sunday, October 11, from 1:00–3:30 PM. If you’re comfortable teaching beginners how to safely use basic power tools, please sign up or contact Brian! !!!!!

    Sign up 

  • Lead Volunteer Needed: Glass Ghost & Coffin Catch-All Class

    Please reach out! We’re still looking for a lead volunteer for our Glass Ghost and Wood Coffin Catch-All class with Liberty Arts on October 24. We’re prototyping the wooden project now and would love for the lead to be involved in that process, help finalize how the project will be made, and then guide volunteers and participants during the class. Interested? Reach out to Brian!

  • Weekly Shop Maintenance Volunteer Needed

    We’re looking for a another volunteer interested in coming in once a week to help with routine shop maintenance and machine repairs. We’d like this to become a regular volunteer role that helps us stay ahead of problems and keep our equipment running safely. If you’re mechanically inclined and interested in helping, please reach out to Brian at brian.sparrow@bullcitywoodshop.org

    Sign Up Today 

  • Volunteer Leads Needed for Weekly Woodworking Workshop

    We’re looking for volunteers interested in helping lead our Weekly Woodworking Workshop on Saturdays. This is a series, but you do not have to commit to every weekend—you can lead the Saturdays that work for you. Brian will lead the first few classes to get everything rolling, and we’d love to have volunteers begin taking the lead after that!Email Brian at brian.sparrow@bullcitywoodshop.org.

  • Looking for more opportunities to share your generosity?

    Consider attending a Giving Circle! Hear from local non-profits, vote for your favorite, and donate $100. If there are 100 people present, then the top voted charity receives $10,000! Check out two upcoming local, women-run giving circles: https://100whogive.com/

    (Next meeting is Sep 28)

    https://www.facebook.com/womenwhocareofdurhamco/

    (Next meeting is Oct 14)

  • Upcoming events:

    October 4: Move a Bull Community outreach and bench building

    October 17: Bench Building

    October 17: Youth Program Vendor Fair

    October 18: Stop the Bleed Volunteer Training

    October 20: Acceler8 Career Day community outreach

    Oct 23-24: Klingspor Extraveganza in Hickory - Community Outreach

    Sign Up Link 

  • Volunteer Highlight: Kit

    Kit brings nearly 20 years of hobbyist woodworking experience to the shop and is excited to start giving back to the community. Over the years, Kit has enjoyed sharing this passion with family by introducing their nephews to the workshop and showing them how to use tools safely. After hearing great things about the shop’s wooden bus stop bench project from friends, Kit decided to look into the program and volunteer. Looking forward to their time in the shop, Kit is most enthusiastic about seeing all the fun, creative projects that the students will build.

  • Did you know you can round up your purchases at Walmart to support the Bull City Woodshop?

    Log into your Walmart account through the website or your app and locate the "Giving and Impact" section. Search for the Bull City Woodshop (or EIN 87-1290326). Every Round Up you make on a purchase will come straight to the BCW! A simple way to help make the BCW programs sustainable.

FROM THE SHOP

What People Are Saying

✦
“Great experience. Dennis and Cole helped me wrap up my Squirrel oven push stick. They were helpful in showing me the sanding process.”
— Trung T.
“I worked with Mark and he was wonderfully patient and good about explaining things. I can't afford to pay for all 6 classes at once, so I'll have to take one class per month, but I will definitely be back.”
— Dawn R.
“I really enjoyed this class! I learned a lot and the instructors and volunteers were all helpful”
— Vince V.
“The whole team at the salt and pepper workshop was excellent. They were patient, explained things clearly, and had a good sense of humor.”
— David S.
“The professors and volunteers were super professional and friendly. The atmosphere was great.”
— Hannah C.
“This was so fun! And the teachers were so enthusiastic and friendly. I loved it and I look forward to taking other classes here.”
— Leslie J.
“Ann, Ken, Brad, and Silver were so patient and helpful. I loved hearing that by taking the course I was helping to fund courses that helped kids learn about woodworking.”
— Natalie P.
“All 3 of the instructors were excellent. They let us experiment and the more we explored the more they were willing to teach us. It made the learning feel very self directed.”
— Mike R.
“All three instructors did a great job, were knowledgeable and approachable.”
— Kevin B.
“Tim was great!”
— David V.
“The volunteers were excellent and very helpful! I was very impressed and would love to come back. I don't remeber everyone's names, but I do remeber Kevin and Kit.”
— Rachel S.
“Terrible with remembering names, but all the staff and volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly. Safety was a major priority, and in addition to some hands on experience with new tools I was able to learn the meaning of terms I had heard but never knew what they actually meant, and get really useful knowledge about how to select the best types of wood for particular projects.”
— Keith S.
“Enjoyed the opportunity to try a new power tool and to work with others who were also eager to learn and to build something for the community. Great staff, great facility, and great project all around — and I hope to have more opportunities to join you.”
— Maria P.

Youth Program Volunteers

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Week of Sept 28 Tool Talk: Lathe

Level 1 and Level 2 Students

5-10 min basic overview of Tool Talk

Review Tool Talk here: Lathe

Week of Sept 28 Tool Talk: Scroll Saw

Level 1 and Level 2 Students

5-10 min basic overview of Tool Talk

Review Tool Talk here: Scroll Saw

Week of Sept 28 Tool Talk: Box Joint Jig

Level 3+ Students

5-10 min general overview of the tool

Review Tool Talk here

Weekly Teaching Tip

If you missed this semester's Effective Teaching Methods, here is a nugget you can take from it!

1) Guide, don't lecture: You do not have to be the subject expert. Instead, you are the GUIDE to helping the participant through their own learning process.

2) Think aloud: Have a student that is having a hard time "getting it"? Demonstrate while you speak your own process outloud. Thinking outloud in front of the student may help them understand the process themselves.

3) Learn with the learner: Don't understand a concept? Don't know how to use a certain tool? Have a student who seems to know more than you? Allow yourself to be a part of the learning process alongside your student!

Review Level 1 Curriculum with all the newest updates!

View

Community Class Volunteers

Want to help teach a class? Scroll through all our upcoming classes and sign up where you can! All classes need at least 2 volunteers, so grab your favorite BCW volunteer and sign up together!

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  • Starting this Fall - New Weekly Woodworking Workshop!

    Starting this fall, we'll be offering our Weekly Woodworking Workshop (WWW). This class follows the same proven curriculum we use in our youth program, but is adapted for adult learners. We're looking for volunteers to help teach, demonstrate techniques, and encourage students as they build projects.We're asking volunteers to sign up for one recurring Saturday each month instead of individual dates. Choose the Saturday group that works best for your schedule:

    1st Saturdays: Oct. 3, Nov. 7, Dec. 5

    2nd Saturdays: Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dec. 12

    3rd Saturdays: Sept. 19

    4th Saturdays: Sept. 26, Oct. 24, Nov. 28

    Please sign up using the link below and select the Saturday group you'd like to volunteer with.

    Sign Up 

Attend a Class!

As a volunteer, you are welcome to attend any of our classes to continue to improve your woodworking skills. Check out our upcoming classes and register using the code "volunteer" for 50% off.

Upcoming Classes

Open Shop Volunteers

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Open Shop Volunteer Access

Did you know volunteers can utilize the staffed open shop hours for free?

Starting August 1, volunteers must use the new form below to sign up for Open Shop. We will no longer use the old signup system.
If your name does not appear on the form and you believe it should, please contact Brian. You may need to schedule a proficiency check before signing up.

Sign Up here

Help Expand BCW's Open Shop Hours!

We’re looking for volunteers to help us expand Open Shop hours and create more opportunities for our community to build, create, and connect. If you’re comfortable in the shop and available to answer occasional questions, this is a great way to support BCW while working on your own projects!

 Volunteer Shift Needed:

  • Wednesday Nights 6:30-9:30PM
  • Saturday Mornings 10am-1pm
Submit an Interest Form

Volunteer Onboarding

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  • 6 Module Training

    Please complete all 6 modules prior to signing up to observe a class. It should take no longer than a total of 2.5 hours to complete. You can complete it at your pace, but please have it done prior to your first official shift.

    Start training 

  • Observe a Class

    Sign up to Observe a Class... Pick among youth programs, adult classes, or open shop shifts.

    Sign up 

  • Commitment Sign-Up

    Sign up for your preferred shift and any additional skills or resources you have to offer.

    Sign up 

  • Shadow Volunteer

    New to volunteering at BCW? Learn how our programs operate by observing classes and experienced volunteers. Take a look at the full description to see if this is the right place for you to begin.

    View Shadow Volunteer Role 

  • Shop Instructor

    Interested in teaching woodworking and working directly with students? Take a look at the full description to learn more about becoming a Shop Instructor.

    View Shop Instructor Role 

  • Shift Lead Volunteer

    Interested in taking the lead and helping a class or shift run smoothly? Review the full description to learn more about the responsibilities of a Shift Lead.

    View Shift Lead Role 

  • Open Shop Monitor

    Are you an experienced woodworker interested in overseeing Open Shop? Take a look at the full description to learn more about the Monitor role.

    View Open Shop Monitor Role 

  • Background Check Compliance

    To learn more about your rights and our obligations, you may review a summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

    Review the FCRA 

Volunteer Resource Portal

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  • BCW Volunteer Handbook

    Roles, responsibilities, rights, schedules, expectations and volunteer policies can be found here.

    Review the Volunteer Handbook 

  • BCW Inclusion Policy

    To read more about the BCW's inclusion policy, please click here.

    Inclusion Policy 

  • BCW Posting Materials Policy

    Please read this document prior to hanging or posting any advertising, flyers, or other such materials at the shop.

    Posting Materials Policy 

  • Report Tool Maintenance

    Please submit this form anytime a machine or tool in the shop needs repair.

    Submit Form 

  • Supply Order form

    If we are running low or out of any supply, please request it here.

    Submit Request 

  • Feedback form

    If you have any feedback to help improve the BCW programs, please submit it here! You can submit with or without your name.

    Submit feedback 

  • Need a Substitute for your shift?

    If you’re unable to make your scheduled class, fill out this form to request a substitute. Your request will be emailed to all volunteers signed up as floaters for the semester.

    Submit Form 

  • Explore our Project Database

    Looking for project ideas or instructions? Browse the Bull City Woodshop Project Database.
    Database Link

    Have a project you’d like to share? Use the form below to add it to our database
    Form Link