This is not the place for you if you're looking for supportive teachers who want you to learn. Pay attention to the other 1-2 star reviews; they all have to do with how unwelcoming the staff is here. I've taken nine classes here and John Fisher has been rude and condescending at every one of his classes - consisting talking down to students and creating a negative learning environment. He may be an expert and good at his craft, but an expert does not make a good teacher. Would not recommend this place to others. read more

Community Woodshop LA has solid equipment and the physical space itself is fine. But my experience with Scott Stevens completely ruined it. I constantly felt pressured to take extra classes that I didn't need. It felt less like guidance and more like being pushed to spend more money which is something a scamming business would do. The communication was uncomfortable, and interactions often felt confrontational because of his attitude instead of being supportive. Instead of feeling encouraged to grow, I felt like I was walking on eggshells. read more

I just joined and am loving it so far. Took the safety orientation which was thorough and helpful. The shop is great equipment and fully stocked with everything you need to build whatever you can dream up. And the team so far has been great and really helpful. A great woodshop if you're looking to learn to build or looking to find a place to execute the projects you've been thinking up. read more

I took the introductory safety class some time ago. I'm basing this review on that class and the specific teacher of that class; a woman with initials JG. The experience unfortunately left me very disappointed, only because JG was so unfit to teach. Firstly, she arrive about 20 minutes late and finished the class about an hour late. She didn't apologize for that. JG has very poor teaching skills. She used woodworking terms that all of us newbies had never heard before, and she didn't bother to define them unless we asked her. Moreover, when we did ask a basic question, she often snapped back in an irritated manner. For instance, when I asked her about using a machine, she retorted "hold your horses!" and then quickly went on with her monologue. JG's attitude was condescending and dismissive. Not all the time, but enough of the time to make me and others ( from what I observed) uncomfortable and anxious about upsetting her (something that happened all too easily). JG said that many mistakes were "stupid" and could lead to injuries. I appreciated her caution and attention to detail. However, she then went on saying "stupid" multiple times, even going so far as to say that some students in our class were being "stupid." I was appalled. I noticed that students, myself included, withdrew into themselves for fear of being judged by JG. Needless to say, I will never take another class with JG. She is simply not suited for teaching, at least until she gets educated on how to respectfully and skillfully do so. However, I will give this woodshop another chance with a different instructor, as the space was pleasant and the other staff appeared more professional. read more

See all

Went back yesterday for the DIY Plywood Box class - omg it's SOOOO FUN!! And I really feel like I gained so much valuable knowledge! Our teacher was Scott and he was awesome! Extremely knowledgeable and great at explaining the process and what steps to take in the best order possible, as well as making me feel safe using the equipment! And they keep their class sizes small and manageable- we had 6 total and Scott said they try not to do more than 8 at a time. After a simple, quick check in, you'll sign a Covid safety form and then grab some safety glasses, clean them with the antibacterial wipes they provide and get started! Scott explains the processes and the steps you'll take and he helps you get started. He shows you each step on each machine first and answers any questions and makes sure you're comfortable...then he helps you make your cuts and stuff - so you definitely do all your own work! One thing I really appreciated was the extra insight into how to go about getting started on a small project like this - Scott went the extra mile to teach us about planning out your measurements and your cuts ahead of time - and even talked about the benefits of making a "cut list" to help streamline your process and avoid mistakes! We leaned all about some different joint cuts and he even taught us about how cabinets are hung! Incredible knowledge to have! I'll definitely be back for more classes! What a fantastic resource!! And so affordable too considering the tools and knowledge at your disposal! It would also be a great alternative to your typical, ubiquitous painting/art classes. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Community Woodshop is a great shop to work on projects at. They have a wide variety of large and small equipment and tools. I have a few years of experience making furniture but was a bit rusty. They offer a great safety class that reviews how to use all their equipment safely. Patrick did a great job teaching that class. If you are competent enough to work on your own you are able to do so. I had never used a biscuit joiner before so Bob spent some time with me explaining how to use it and my project came out perfectly. I am very thankful for his help. This place is a great place to do woodworking I'm happy that I found it. read more

See all

GREAT RESOURCE!!! I "joined" this past winter, had a very effective safety training orientation (required), and have -- in the past two months - completed two projects and am working on a third, for a very reasonable cost (less than $15 per hour). The equipment is very good and I have never had to wait to use anything. The staff are knowledgeable and responsive. And since I haven't done much work since junior high school shop class, they have been very helpful. read more

It is a remarkable place with remarkable people working there, and wonderful members. The tools are top notch, and everyone is polite about sharing. I was always lazy in maintaining tools in my own shop, but here everything is kept clean and sharp. My favorite thing about CW is that it has a true sense of "community." read more

Took several classes here during the pandemic and was really interested in becoming a member. The owner Scott is a pretty unfriendly dude though. He was always slightly standoffish / dismissive and treated me like I was some newbie who was going to cut my arm off, even though I found each of the classes trivially easy and am an experienced engineer (and have built several pieces of furniture in my home). Ultimately decided to take my business elsewhere. read more

In the age of Crate and Barrel, West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and other first world problems establishments that love to sell the American Dream ... you find yourself searching for other alternatives. I was lucky enough at one time to live close enough to this place to take the Cutting Board class, which I eventually used as cheese boards because cheese is delicious. So after moving to a far far away land of Chino Hills and in need of some stools, I figured rather than spending money on the stools themselves I'd prefer to learn to make some on my own. I love the opportunity Community Woodshop provides to take advantage of the tools, high-end equipment and hands on skills they'll assist you with when working with woods and metals. I'm not too sure about the Community part because I'd probably not come back because of the distance, however I do recommend learning to build shit on your own rather than paying a hefty price for the same materials that all furniture and fixtures and most jewelry are made of. They offer a wide variety of classes that teach you skills to build different items and use different tools. You know that saying? If you're not learning, you're not growing. If you're not growing, you're dying. Well neither do I. I just made it up. YOLO, that's the motto. I bet you know that saying. @champagnepapi read more

See all

Overly expensive ($120 for a single visit!), poor equipment. Not worth it. For a single visit you can buy your own equipment.

This used to be a great place with friendly and helpful staff. Unfortunately, the people that work there now are *extremely* rude and disrespectful. They seem to resent everyone who comes into their shop, and they literally mock people who ask any questions. Definitely will not be returning. read more

Had a great experience at the shop! My schedule is hectic and unfortunately can't make the classes, but I did do a private lesson with Bob. In one afternoon, we created two cutting boards. Bob was very detailed with breaking down the process and using the machines. Honestly didn't expect to make two cutting boards but Bob was proficient with time. I got really comfortable using the machines especially the table saw. I learned how to use the planer, jointer, miter saw, table saw, drill press, router, disk sander, and random orbital sander. Really recommend folks that are interested in woodworking with little to no experience to take the Safety Orientation and the Cutting Board class or private lessons. Looking forward to my next project at the shop! read more

See all

This place is so awesome. I made a great bench over the course of 2 days and spent less than it I had bought it new. People always ask me where I got it. read more

Community Woodshop is a great place to learn all about woodworking at your own pace. When I have found that I'm not sure how to do something or how to operate a machine, the staff is always available to help and give instruction with safety being their first priority. I now create work that I would not have been able to do otherwise. read more

Community Woodshop - I love being a member of Community Woodshop. - Specialty Schools Near Me - Glendale, California

I had been wanting to learn to work with wood for small craft projects. I had the best time with this class. The instructor was fantastic and I left feeling as though I learned how to use the tools safely and appropriately. The classes set you up to be able to work independently and plan for bigger things. Very knowledgeable and patient. read more

Community Woodshop - Cutting Board - Specialty Schools Near Me - Glendale, California

Community Woodshop is an amazing resource for the community and makers at large. They offer an amazing range of classes and you're sure to come away with an overwhelming amount of knowledge. A+ staff too. read more

I was a short-term member at Community Woodshop, but it's left a lasting impression on me! They have everything you need to build a variety of projects, and i definitely got some good use out of their quality equipment. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, and are always around to offer sound advice and to make sure you have a safe setup. I only discontinued my membership due to the commute (i live 20+ miles away), but i look forward to returning as part of one of their many classes they offer. Thank you again for a great experience! read more

Find another shop. This place has a crazy strict refund policy and kept my $300 even though my friend died the day before I was supposed to take my class. I called and emailed on several occasions but Community Woodshop did not make a single attempt to contact me, not even to give their condolences. Shouldn't they at least give me the materials I technically paid for? read more

This place is so awesome. I just finished their cutting board class with Bob and it was a blast! he was very patient and informative. I showed him a handle I saw online and he actually helped me do it with my board and we ended up going over time of the class and I learned a ton (thanks bob!! You are the best!) I also took the wooden utensils class with tim and it was so much fun. I highly recommend this woodshop everyone there is so nice and down to earth read more

Community Woodshop - Specialty Schools Near Me - Glendale, California

My wife and I took their Intro to woodworking class and absolutely loved it! I've now signed up for their intro to furniture making class and can't wait for it to begin! read more

Terrible customer service. Very off hand and curt in how they deal with people. read more

If you want to learn about woodworking,this is the place to come. Great teachers and small class sizes so you get hands-on experience not just theory. If you fall in love with the project you make and the experience, you can join as a member and use the space to make your own creations. They have several types of memberships to meet your time commitment. Owners and staff are very knowledgeable and offer private lessons if that is preferable to you. Great place to work with people who love to build. Check out there neighbors too at Molten Metal Works. The two teach a few classes combining metal and woodworking projects. Go to their websites to learn more. Love these two business!!! read more

I can't recommend this place highly enough. As someone who wants to test the waters in the hobby of woodworking this is the perfect place. They have all of the tools you need to complete your project, and they are great with helping beginners. I began as a skeptical customer but the staff was super ready and willing to make sure we could rectify a misunderstanding. I take private lessons with Bob and he is super helpful and knowledgable. You will definitely get the skills you need in beginners lessons to stand on your own two feet with your projects, get used to equipment safety, and use all of the equipment efficiently. If you're looking for a place to have access to the equipment you need to complete projects and work independently in a mellow environment you've found it! read more

Have you ever had social anxiety about getting your butt over to LA COMMUNITY WOODSHOP? Stop having anxiety about getting your butt over to LA COMMUNITY WOODSHOP. Do you have a garage? Of course not, you live in LA. Oh, you do have a garage... but you park your car in it because you live in LA. Oh, you have a garage and you have your tons of tools, and you don't park your car in your garage... but you can't use any of them because your car is in your garage torn to pieces on jack stands with the subframes ripped out and your roommates are using the other half of the garage to store movie set furniture? NO PROBLEM! GO TO LA COMMUNITY WOODSHOP! This place is great. The owner/staff are easy-going, friendly, and of course, knowledgeable. Honestly, I could see myself living here if it were closer to home. Oh the irony! (... the woody?) This place has all the tools you need to make something extraordinary without feeling like you're in school wood shop. Inside is extremely clean and organized. The building it's housed in is full of useful/creative spaces that are in mere walking distance should you need any metalwork/other services. The woodworking machines are very nice and Scott was accommodating and eager to show me what I needed to know to get started. I am by no means a professional and haven't been around a lot of this equipment in a decade, but even with my limited knowledge, being in the presence of Scott and Bob gave me the confidence to keep calm and carry on. Once I was started and on my way and out of questions for them, they let me be to do my own thing. This is something that a lot of new business owners (myself, atleast) would be bad at. I would be badgering my customers until they left. Overbearing. I would do their projects for them. I wouldn't let them touch the machines. Okay, anyway. This place rocks. I was literally looking for a place EXACTLY LIKE THIS -- and for the first time ever, something I googled existed literally exactly as I googled it. COMMUNITY WOODSHOP -- Puts the HOP in woodshop. (NO JUMPING!) read more

The Community Woodshop has everything you need to work wood, and two brothers who will show you how to do it safely. They have patiently walked me through every question I have about the big, scary, expensive machines in the shop. I got a 40 hour punch card as a birthday gift. I'm about twenty hours in, and finished with my first project. I built a bench out of ash. Now on to a coffee table. All that for $150? It's a hell of a deal. The equipment is high quality and well maintained. The shop is clean and bright. It's the perfect place learn how to make things out of wood. read more

I'm currently finishing up the bench class taught by Bob, and it's been the highlight of my week for the past couple months. I can't recommend it and the Community Woodshop enough. Every single person in the class was a novice when they walked in. We all made mistakes at some point, yet none of us really ever felt bad about these hiccups. Inevitably, Bob turned these mistakes into problem-solving opportunities where we could explore new ideas. So what if one morning I skipped coffee and accidentally spent 10 minutes drilling random-ass, pointless domino mortises in the middle of my bench legs? 4 dominos, some sawdust and glue, a little bit of sawing and sanding-- I've got four new inlays on my legs and nobody's the wiser. Not only do I now know how to roll with the punches when building something, but I've got a bench that's uniquely mine AND I don't feel like an idiot. And that last part is a serious feat. I'm excited to start working on my own projects and find my place at the woodshop, and I'm really grateful that Bob and Scott created such an incredible space where I can do so. PS: I saw that a recent review from Nicholas L. hinted that some people weren't welcome at the Community Woodshop. I can say with absolute certainty that everyone I've met has been welcomed with open arms and encouraged to participate at the woodshop. My class is a mix of genders and races, and nobody has experienced any difference in treatment from Bob or anyone else there. I truly can't imagine a situation where anyone would be treated any differently. read more

I have been a member of the Community Woodshop for about a year, and I cannot speak highly enough of this place. The owners Scott and Bob are very helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating for people of all skill levels from beginner to professional. The Community Woodshop allows me to have access to a countless number of the best quality tools in the industry. They are always on top of keeping everything working and running. If anything breaks they are always very proactive in fixing things ASAP. They also have more than enough tools so I never have to wait to use a sander or any of the smaller tools, and I have never had to wait more than a few minutes to get on the table saw (and even that is rare). From the first time I walked in to the woodshop I was very impressed with how clean they keep it. Every tool has a great dust collection that goes with it. All the members seem to do a good job of cleaning up after themselves and respecting the tools and being considerate of working around others. This is a great place to learn and better some of your skills no matter what level you are at. read more

This place is AWESOME! Seriously can't believe how much I learned in a 3 hour session. Went through nearly the entire shop and used almost ever piece of equipment there. Definitely fast paced and no where near boring like your high school woodshop class back in the day. I went home with an awesome side table. Highly recommend taking a course if you've ever wanted to work with wood. I even feel like I learned enough to tackle my own projects. Worth every penny. read more

Thorough, patient teachers, top of the line equipment, and equally amazing classes right in the vicinity. This Has to be one of the coolest places on earth! read more

I was very excited about the possibility of joining this workshop as a monthly member. I stopped by during the day, on a Saturday, to check it out and talk to the owner or an employee and get a tour of the facilities. When I went inside, there was no one at the check in desk. After waiting a few minutes, I asked one of the members if there was someone around that I could talk with. I was told that the owner was next door, so I went next door, where the owner, Scott Stevens, was doing some work in the back. I caught his attention and said hello. The first words out of his mouth were "What do you want?" I told him that I was interested in a membership, and asked if there was someone I could talk with. He responded with "Me but I'm busy right now!!" I assume that he noticed the stunned look on my face because he then said "I'm in the middle of a glue up, I'll be over there in a few minutes!" I said OK, I'll go back over and wait for you. After waiting for 10 minutes he finally showed up, still obviously very annoyed that I had disturbed him. Again the first words out of his mouth were, " I'm in the middle of a glue up, I don't have time for you" "All the information you need is on the website". I told him that I had read everything on the website and that I would like to talk about a membership, is there a better time for me to come by? Instead of letting me know when a better time would be, he continued to berate me for interrupting him, raging on about his "glueup" At this point I point blank told him "You realize that I am here to give you money every month right? Can you just tell me when a better time to come by would be?" To which he responded, "If you'll shut up, I'll tell you." At that point, I was done. I told him that I didn't appreciate the fact that he had been rude from the moment I said hi to him and I would find another community woodshop. He responded again with a rant about how he didn't have time for me and then stormed off. I've never been treated with such disdain and disrespect at a place that I am trying to spend money. He obviously doesn't understand the definition of "community" and honestly seems a little unhinged. He lost my $550 monthly membership and I'll certainly be spreading the word in the local woodworking community about what a jerk this guy is. Avoid this place. There are multiple other community woodshops in Los Angeles. Use one of them. read more

Very enjoyable workspace and extremely knowledgeable woodworkers. Looking forward to going back when restrictions are lifted!

This place is great! They offer safety classes before you sign up for a membership, and the workspace is big and well maintained. I needed some basic lessons with table and band saws, which went great. I didn't ultimately get a membership because my sawing needs are very specific, and ended up getting a small bandsaw for myself at home. But if you're someone who needs the whole range of tools, this is the place to be! read more

For an $80 basic safety class, no mention of hearing protection, breathing protection, or clothing/hair/jewelry caused me to question their qualifications for teaching safety. Couldn't hear once the members came in and started working. Also, some lack of basic people skills is why I give the low rating. read more

I'm not kidding when I say that this shop has everything you need to make a project happen. They are not only equipped but also some of the nicest people. Supportive and, mostly, willing to help you with your project. The idea is for you to do it on your own, but if you get stuck I have yet to see someone say, "no, figure it out on your own." they are helpful and fair. I love this place, and the people I have met there. read more

Place sounds amazing. Receptionist was rude. Sarcastic remarks were not necessary. I called regarding the private lessons. And was told that they "can't hold my hand to do the work". The person made the statement not allowing me to finish saying that I have experience with wood work. I was really upset by the statement. He did not seem interested in having me as a client/student. read more

I don't like to be ignored either. I came the same day Mahndo left after waiting 30-45 mins. I left a note with name and number but no one even called me back. I was completely ignored. I found a class over at The Corona Heritage Park in Corona instead. Their instructor answers when I call or text. Nice to be acknowledged! Going to finish beginning and take advantage of the key access in their intermediate class. read more

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in woodworking from a beginning hobbyist to a skilled pro. Great classes, top-notch/NEW equipment and extremely knowledgable, cool and patient instructors. I took the intro/safety class and have been attending open shop hours to finish a project. I've done some woodworking before but still managed to eff-up an expensive piece of dark walnut. Thankfully the owner, Scott, came to my rescue and helped me fix it. I wouldn't have had that luxury if I was trying to build on my own at home - I'd still being crying tears over that poor, mangled walnut board. That sort of informed and experienced help alone more than pays for my membership. read more

Being new to woodworking, I was a bit daunted with my first solo project. Fortunately, everybody there seems very welcoming, whether or not you have prior woodworking experience. Tim was especially helpful and patient with me, and gave me some tips that helped make my project a success. I'm looking forward to the next! read more

Before taking their classes I had not done too much woodworking but everyone was really helpful and friendly. I was a member for a few months and wish I could devote more time to this hobby. read more