About

The Miller Goodwood Society is a not-for-profit woodworking co-operative. Our aim is to promote and enable safe and rewarding woodworking in a congenial environment.

The co-op began in 1994 when a handful of hobbyists taking night school shop courses and working in cramped garages coalesced to develop a shop to support their passion. We now have 43 hobbyists and two professional members with diverse interests. Over the years, members have created bureaus, beds, tables, chairs, cabinets, lamps, bowls, marimbas, guitars, motorcycle parts, entertainment centres, benches, storage units, cutting boards, picture frames …. to name just a few projects. In Feb 2014 we moved into a custom-outfitted space near the south end of the Second Narrows Bridge, in Vancouver.

Our 3000 sq ft shop looks like this. Each member has a personal locker (30″x30″x22′). Shared areas and facilities include work benches, sheet- and long-storage, carts for projects in progress, a project assembly area, a finishing room, washrooms, security and parking. We also have compressed air and power ports throughout.

Our equipment includes three table saws with sliders, a 24” planer, an edge jointer and edge sander, a chop saw, small and large band saws, a variable speed electronic lathe and tools, a drill press, smaller tools (mortiser, scroll saw, spindle sander etc.) and various shared hand tools. Large equipment is connected to an automated dust collection system and small equipment to a portable dust collection unit.

The shop is accessible (24/7/365). Members can use all equipment and tools for which they have competency. Basic instruction is available for safety purposes but we do not teach woodworking and new members must have sufficient woodworking experience to work independently and safely.

We’re a co-op, registered with the Province of British Columbia, and it’s how we manage ourselves and get everything done. We’re all participants and all volunteers in the ongoing operations and success of the co-op. Every member is responsible for keeping their space tidy, the shop safe and clean, maintaining equipment in good running order, and, when needed, pitching in for a work parties (2-3x/year) to tackle larger projects such as installing new equipment, building benches, improving the facilities or whatever.

Our executive is also voluntary and it’s elected from the membership. They provide guidance, look after finances and administration, spearhead initiatives, and keep the co-op running smoothly. Co-op members are expected to assist the executive whenever and however they can and, eventually, to serve on the executive.

It’s important to emphasize that Miller Goodwood is a co-op of hobbyists (95% of our members), not professionals. We work on projects for our own pleasure and use, not for business, clients or compensation. If a member makes small projects as gifts, or for barter or sale, the cumulative project durations is limited to 100 hours/year, the shop-impact must be limited, and either 10% of the assessed value or $8/hr is payable to the co-op.

We have two professional members and they provide invaluable shop support and control. Their fees, duties and responsibilities are very different from hobbyists, and their membership is subject to Board approval.

Fees for hobbyists consist of an initiation fee of $400 which acknowledges the vast cost, time and effort that current and past members have invested in the shop, and a monthly fee of $150 that pays the rent and other bills. We hold an AGM yearly and surplus revenue, if any, is allocated to new shop equipment/tools items, to in-house events/demos, and/or activities that will foster our community, creativity, and better woodworking.

At 45 members, we’ve reached our maximum community size. The average membership tenure is about 12 years. Our turn-over is typically 2-4 members/yr and our waiting list is currently ~6 candidates (as of Dec 2023). We are only interested in long-term members; we do not rent out our shop or equipment to short-term users. We do welcome inquiries if you have equipment to donate or a small project that our professionals can assist with.

For us, an ideal member is someone who is enthusiastic about woodworking, has adequate experience, can and does work safely, is respectful and considerate of people and equipment, understands how a co-op works and wants to contribute to our success, and will enrich our community through skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm. If you see these traits in yourself and would like to potentially join us then please send me (Bob) an email (r_bowden@shaw.ca) with (a) your name, tel # and (b) a short description of your woodworking/co-op interests/experience and (c) how you could add to our community.

Use the email address above, too, if you have questions. Short questions, please, because I’d rather spend my time woodworking, not emailing. I’ll try to respond promptly.