Brooklyn Woodworking Studio: Makerspace NYC Army Terminal

Makerspace NYC operates a monumental 20,000-square-foot community fabrication facility inside the Brooklyn Army Terminal at 140 58th St, Building B, Unit 1C, Brooklyn, NY 11220. Established in 2013 by artists and fabricators Scott Van Campen and DB Lampman, this non-profit industrial facility provides an accessible gateway for makers seeking a comprehensive woodworking studio near me along the Sunset Park waterfront. The woodshop welcomes members and workshop students Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Friday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, while closing on Monday for equipment overhaul.

Scott Van Campen and DB Lampman founded Makerspace NYC in 2013 after witnessing how Hurricane Sandy devastated artist studios and craft facilities across coastal New York City. Initially launching on Staten Island, they expanded into the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal in 2018 to build one of the largest shared community fabrication shops in the northeastern United States. Housed within Building B of the sprawling military supply depot designed by architect Cass Gilbert in 1918, the facility celebrates industrial architecture with massive reinforced concrete mushroom columns, twenty-foot ceilings, and polished concrete floors capable of supporting heavy freight machinery.

The woodshop at Makerspace NYC functions as the centerpiece of the facility, sharing space with adjacent metal fabrication bays, laser cutting suites, and industrial sewing labs. This multi-disciplinary proximity creates a vibrant creative cross-pollination where woodworkers frequently combine turned hardwood components with welded steel frames or custom brass hardware. Natural daylight filters through floor-to-ceiling perimeter windows overlooking the industrial harbor rail spurs, while bright LED high-bay luminaires illuminate every work zone. The community encompasses cabinetmakers, theatrical prop builders, architectural modelers, and enthusiastic neighborhood hobbyists building their very first coffee tables.

The machinery floor at Makerspace NYC is outfitted with heavy-duty commercial equipment engineered for continuous production and strict operator safety. The ripping and panel breakdown zone features two SawStop 10-inch industrial cabinet table saws fitted with 52-inch T-Glide fences and automatic flesh-sensing electronic brake mechanisms. Rough board face flattening is handled by a Jet 8-inch parallelogram jointer, while thickness surfacing relies on a heavy Powermatic 15HH planer featuring a Byrd helical cutterhead with four-sided carbide inserts that drastically reduce tear-out on figured grain.

Curved cutting and resawing utilize two Rikon 14-inch professional bandsaws and a heavy Powermatic 18-inch bandsaw capable of resawing twelve-inch hardwood cants. The woodturning pavilion includes multiple Jet variable-speed lathes equipped with heavy cast-iron beds, scrolling chucks, and dedicated turning tool sets. Sanding stations feature stationary edge belt sanders, oscillating spindle sanders, and a massive 20-inch disc sander for precision edge smoothing. A centralized Nederman industrial cyclone dust collector pulls shavings and fine dust directly from every machine port, keeping the air clean throughout heavy milling sessions.

To ensure absolute shop safety and equipment familiarity, Makerspace NYC requires all prospective woodworkers to complete the Woodshop 101: Basic Use and Safety certification course. Priced affordably at $110 for non-members and $95 for active members, this hands-on two-hour session covers safe setup, stance, push-stick protocols, and emergency procedures on miter saws, bandsaws, sanders, and drill presses. Passing this introductory safety checkpoint awards students official clearance to use baseline woodshop equipment during open studio hours without continuous staff oversight.

For makers eager to tackle advanced machinery, the studio runs specialized certification modules, including the Advanced Table Saw and Milling intensive priced at $125. Woodturning enthusiasts can enroll in the Wood Lathe Fundamentals workshop for $125, learning spindle turning, faceplate turning, and bowl gouge sharpening. The facility also offers CNC Router Certification courses for $150, training makers on a large-format ShopBot CNC router capable of automated sheet cutting and relief carving. Full monthly community memberships cost $125 per month, granting complete open-access tool privileges across the woodshop, metal shop, and digital lab.

The membership model at Makerspace NYC is designed around open community access, allowing local woodworkers to pursue ambitious projects without paying commercial loft rents. Members enjoy access to shared maple assembly tables, pneumatic nailers, cordless impact drivers, and an extensive library of Bessey K-Body parallel clamps. Dedicated storage shelves and flat plywood racking can be rented for modest monthly fees, enabling woodworkers to store lumber stock and curing glue-ups securely on site between build days.

The studio operates under a collaborative cooperative ethos where members take active responsibility for shop upkeep, vacuuming machine beds, and sweeping work areas after each cut. Certified shop stewards and staff technicians monitor tool performance, replace dull blades, and provide helpful technical troubleshooting throughout all operating hours. Digital reservation boards allow members to sign up for machine time in advance during peak weekend periods, ensuring that everyone gets fair and timely access to critical milling equipment.

Reaching the Brooklyn Army Terminal is convenient thanks to robust multi-modal transit links connecting Sunset Park with the rest of New York City. Subways riders take the express N train or local R train to the 59th Street station in Brooklyn, exiting onto 4th Avenue before walking three blocks west along 58th Street directly through the pedestrian terminal gate. Alternatively, the B11 and B37 MTA bus lines stop adjacent to the terminal entrance along 1st Avenue and 58th Street, offering easy transfers from nearby neighborhoods.

One of the most scenic transit routes is the NYC Ferry South Brooklyn line, which docks at the Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal ferry pier just steps from Building B. Travelers commuting from Wall Street/Pier 11 or Corlears Hook can enjoy a relaxing water commute before walking two minutes into the workshop. For those transporting lumber or driving vehicles, the terminal complex offers free on-site visitor parking lots located off 58th Street, along with street-level freight loading bays that accommodate large trucks for effortless timber unloading.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal campus and surrounding Sunset Park waterfront offer an evocative maritime setting rich with historic character and diverse dining options. After wrapping up an intensive woodshop session, makers can walk along the waterfront terminal esplanade to take in dramatic vistas of the Manhattan skyline, Staten Island ferry lanes, and cargo barges navigating Upper New York Bay. Just south of the complex, the newly revitalized Bush Terminal Piers Park features scenic walking paths, salt marsh preserves, and quiet benches overlooking the harbor.

For a quick meal or post-class gathering, the terminal on-site cafe in Building A serves fresh espresso, gourmet sandwiches, and light snacks throughout the day. Walking east toward 5th Avenue leads into the heart of Sunset Park vibrant Mexican and Chinese dining corridors, where authentic taquerias like Tacos El Bronco serve freshly pressed corn tortillas and spit-roasted al pastor. Heading slightly north along 8th Avenue reveals Brooklyn Chinatown, famous for steaming soup dumplings at Pacificana and freshly baked egg tarts from local bakeries.

Before your first safety certification at Makerspace NYC, ensure you are outfitted in heavy-duty workshop attire, including closed-toe leather work boots, durable denim work pants, and a snug-fitting cotton t-shirt. Avoid loose jewelry, dangling necklace chains, long drawstrings, and knit scarves that present dangerous mechanical snag risks around rotating tool shafts. Bring your own comfortable pair of clear ANSI-rated safety glasses and reusable earplugs, although loaner safety goggles are available at the front entrance desk.

Do not hesitate to ask the friendly shop stewards for assistance when setting up unfamiliar machine fences or squaring blade angles on the SawStop table saw. Take time to study wood grain orientation, surface flatting sequences, and joinery mechanics before powering on heavy equipment, as thoughtful preparation ensures clean cuts and safe results. By embracing the vibrant community spirit and respecting shop safety guidelines, your journey into fine woodworking at Makerspace NYC will prove profoundly satisfying, educational, and productive.