Hocking Makers Network Celebrates Grand Opening Of Wood Shop

On Thursday, August 22, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the grand opening of the Hocking Makers Network Wood Shop.

The Hocking Makers Network is apart a network of other local makerspaces, where entrepreneurs, artists and students can utilize Hocking College facilities to co-work, share ideas, and develop skills. 

“The wood lab includes high end wood manufacturing equipment including a CNC router, belt sander, planer, and tables saws,” said the Dean of Outreach and Workforce Development, Sean Terrell, “The space includes plenty of workbenches for users to work at the same time and inside the same space.” 

The Makers Network Wood Lab was funded through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The $1.2 million grant award funded this project as well as similar projects in Marietta and Somerset. The project was developed and implemented by Buckeye Hills Regional Council, our regional Development District in an effort to build and support the entrepreneurial mindset in Southeast Ohio.

The first Hocking Makers Network event in the Wood Shop will be a Lumber Grading Short Course held October 21-25. Open hours are still under development for the space.

In addition to the Wood Shop, the Hocking Makers Network is currently hosting workshops for Welding at the Logan campus, and Glassblowing and Ceramics at the Visual Arts Center on the Nelsonville campus.

“From these facilities students can take non-credit classes, earn a credential, pro-type, and build new products to then be taken to market,”  said Terrell.

For questions regarding the Hocking Makers Network, contact Quentin Spiers by email at bosoldq@hocking.edu or by phone at (740) 753-7022. You can also follow the Makers Network on Instagram and Facebook in order to receive updates on new classes and developments with the Hocking Makers Network.

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In an effort to get feedback on the tools and classes available through the Hocking Makers Network, the development team has composed this 15-20 minute survey to evaluate the needs of the community. Please click here in order to complete the survey and let us know what you’d like to see.