NCW Woodshop cultivates community through craft

CASHMERE – Jonathan Clark, owner of Cashmere's community-based woodshop, NCW Woodshop, hopes to build a community of people who will come into the shop and work together.

NCW Woodshop offers classes and mentorship for all skill levels and even a few membership options.

"It's like a gym membership, but for a woodshop," Clark said.

The shop offers two membership levels. One option gives members five hours of shop time each month, and the unlimited bundle allows members to use the shop during business hours. Both options include a free safety and orientation class and a 15% discount on classes.

There is also a drop-in rate of $30 per day.

Clark and his wife Jennifer bought a house in Leavenworth in 2017 that needed some work. So, Clark started building a shop in Leavenworth. However, the couple lived in Kirkland then, so the shop was not very convenient.

After the pandemic, Clark took a woodshop class in Seattle, which he really enjoyed. He then began looking for a shop space to use in Seattle and found a community membership-based woodshop.

When Clark moved to Wenatchee in 2021, he wanted to have a woodshop but did not have space at his home. His wife, Jennifer, suggested starting something similar in the Wenatchee area.  

"My wife and I were driving through town one day and she says, you know, you should open up your woodshop like you had  in Seattle, and I was like, that sounds like a fantastic idea," he said. "And so here we are. So we started it up and have been slowly kind of tweaking here, tweaking it there, trying to find the right combination of things."

Clark opened the doors in October 2023.

The shop offers a popular charcuterie board-making class on Mondays. They also offer DIY With Us, a picture frame-making class, Basic Woodworking, and Basic Woodworking for Youths. 

However, one of their most popular classes is Power Tools 101 for Women Only! 

Clark taught the class by himself the first time around. The second time, he partnered with Beryl Bils, manager of Eastside Rebuild, and she will continue to teach the class, Clark said.

The class was full the second time and Clark said he anticipates it will fill up quickly for the next offering.

In the class women learn how to safely use a drill and saw. It even covers detail down to types of nails and screws and which should be used for what job.

Clark hopes that people will find some fun in learning and working there and that they will find it as relaxing and enjoyable as he does.

"It's kind of cool to build something, you know, with your own hands versus going and buying it," he said.

For more information or to register for classes, visit the NCW Woodshop website at ncwwoodshop.com or stop by their location at 101 Railroad Avenue, Suite 101A, Cashmere.

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.