Category: Michael’s Woodshop

December 18, 2023 by Dave Schneeman

On December 10, Caleb, a new Cub Scout with Pack 126 attended a Pack Pinewood Derby Session and earned the “distinct privilege and high honor” of creating the 2000th pinewood derby car in Michael’s Woodshop! Caleb’s Cubmaster describes him as an enthusiastic Cub Scout who is a friend to all and who has thoroughly enjoyed the Pack activities. These qualities were on full display as he crafted his car in Michael’s Woodshop. To commemorate the ocaision, Caleb was presented with a special Pinewood Derby Car display stand with a 2000th Car inscription. Please join us in wishing Caleb the best of luck in his races, but in our book, he is already a winner!

Michael’s Woodshop is in the midst of its 6th Annual Pinewood Derby Days season. While Pinewood Derby Days is one of the most popular programs, Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round with opportunities for youth of all ages to participate in a variety of shop activities. In addition to supporting summer camp and other camp events, Michael’s Woodshop offers great Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It workshops for Cub Scouts and monthly Woodwork Merit Badge classes for Scouts. The shop is also a great venue for hosting Eagle Scout projects and can be reserved for many other unit activities.

The activities in Michael’s Woodshop are made possible by a dedicated group of adult and youth volunteers. Due to the popularity of Michael’s Woodshop, volunteers are in the process of expanding the shop to provide space to host even more youth activities. To support the additional activities, we are seeking additional volunteers to join the team. Roles are available for adults and youth, from novice to experienced skill levels. Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about volunteering, shop capabilities and upcoming events and for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

On October 22nd, Bears from Pack 1139 completed their Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop. They learned about useful tools to have in their toolboxes and practiced using clamps, sanding blocks, hammers and nail punches. They made a golf tee game board as their “fun project” and after sanding, they applied a clear polyurethane finish. Finally, as their “useful project”, each Bear made their own toolbox. It was a couple of hours very well spent and not only did these Bears learn a few things and have some fun but, they also earned the distinction of having among their Den the 500th Bear to complete the Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop!

The Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops are two of the most popular activities in Michael’s Woodshop. These workshops are great, hands-on activities that are fun, learning experiences for the Cub Scouts. To learn more about these workshops and the many other shop activities available, or to reserve the shop for an activity, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage. Start planning now to schedule an activity for your unit in the spring.

With continuing high demand for woodshop activities, we recently announced the expansion of the woodshop. To support the additional work space we need additional tooling and are seeking additional volunteers to join the Woodshop Team. There are roles available for experienced woodworkers, Woodwork Merit Badge Counselors, and both adult and youth assistants. For more information about becoming a volunteer or donating tools, please see our recent article Michael’s Woodshop is Expanding! or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com for additional information.

October 3, 2023 by Dave Schneeman

On September 19-20, Michael’s Woodshop supported its first Quartermaster Leadership Service Project. Similar to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, Sea Scouts must carry out a service project to earn the rank of Quartermaster. Able Sea Scout William Kennedy, in pursuing the rank of Quartermaster, organized volunteers in constructing a picnic table for Gateway Baptist Church. William planned his project and organized volunteers for two evening work sessions in Michael’s Woodshop. The first evening was focused on cutting and sanding and the second was dedicated to assembly. It was a successful and productive couple of days and the end result was outstanding!

  In addition to many other Scouting activities, William has volunteered in Michael’s Woodshop, starting as a Youth Assistant and recently becoming an adult volunteer. During this time, he has always eyed the Eagle and Summit Award plaques hanging on the wall to commemorate projects carried out in the shop. In addition to earning the rank of Eagle Scout and now being a Sea Scout Quartermaster Candidate, he will also enjoy the privilege of having his own plaque on the Michael’s Woodshop “Wall of Fame”.

Michael’s Woodshop can be reserved by Scouts to work on Eagle Scout, Summit Award and Quartermaster Projects. The shop is staffed by experienced volunteers who can assist with project planning and will be on hand to instruct, guide and supervise tool use. We are always looking for additional Shop Volunteers. Roles are available for adults and youth, from novices to experienced woodworkers. Please go to “Join the Woodshop Team” to learn more.

To learn more about the woodshop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop Webpage or email questions to the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

Since opening in 2018, Michael’s Woodshop has become one of the most popular activity venues at Camp William B. Snyder, offering fun, hands-on activities for all NCAC Scouting youth. Activities in Michael’s Woodshop attracted over 1,800 youth participants in 2022 and is expected to exceed that number in 2023. In order to accommodate the increasing demand, Michael’s Woodshop has begun the renovation and outfitting of additional space in the STEM Shack. In August, Michael’s Woodshop Volunteers teamed up with volunteers supporting Camp Snyder’s monthly Sawdust Saturdays to remove a large volume of unneeded “clutter” and removed a partition to ready the space for renovations. Track our progress: Watch Slideshow

The success of Michael’s Woodshop is attributable to the incredible support from the NCAC Scouting community in the form of shop volunteers, tool donations and of course, the time and effort of all the leaders who coordinate shop events for their units. We are excited about the expansion and ongoing support will be critical to our continued success.

Become a Volunteer: Since its inception, Michael’s Woodshop has been operated and maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers. We will need additional Shop Volunteers to support the expanded level of activity. Roles are available for adults and youth, from novices to experienced woodworkers. Adult volunteers must be BSA registered with current YPT. Youth volunteers need to be at least 14 years old and must have earned the First Aid and Woodwork merit badges. Please go to “Join the Woodshop Team” to learn more.

Donate Tools: If you are not able to volunteer, but wish to support the expansion, please consider donating tools or equipment to Michael’s Woodshop. To view our current tool needs as well as recent donations, please visit “Support Michael’s Woodshop”

To learn more about the woodshop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop Webpage or email questions to the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

May 20, 2023 by Dave Schneeman

On May 7, Michael’s Woodshop presented the Distinguished Volunteer Award to volunteers CJ Staton and Mell Cunningham in recognition of their “many years of consistent and dedicated contributions of time and talent to the development and operation of Michael’s Woodshop”.

CJ began volunteering in the fall of 2017, when Michael’s Woodshop was still in the concept phase. He was engaged in the initial planning and construction, helping with the installation of the insulation and walls, running conduit, pulling hundreds of feet of wire and installing dozens and dozens of receptacles throughout the shop. He is a regular volunteer during program sessions and is in the process of upgrading our jigs and templates using his 3D printer. Among his most notable and valuable contributions has been the development of many of our most successful programs; Pinewood Derby Days, Baloo the Builder, Webelos Build It and our Youth Assistant Program, which he continues to lead today.

Mell began volunteering in the spring of 2018, assisting with the completion of the lumber rack, the first major improvement in Michael’s Woodshop. For the next 7 months, Mell volunteered on an almost full-time basis completing the interior improvements including all of the work benches, shelving, tool storage systems and the dust collection system. After the shop officially opened in November 2018 (and continuing today), Mell has consistently spent several mornings a week in the shop working on numerous shop improvements and preparing materials for youth activities. He is a prolific “jig maker”, designing and constructing jigs to support youth activities and is currently developing our third summer camp project design (including project prototypes, jigs and evaluating process flow).

Please join us in recognizing CJ and Mell for their incredible contributions to Michael’s Woodshop. If you are interested in volunteering, please see “Join the Michael’s Woodshop Team” on our webpage, or email any questions to MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

December 4, 2022 by NCAC STEM

Have you ever heard of BlastCars?

They have been around for years as Scouts BSA programs, and sometimes dubbed the “older kid Pinewood Derby Cars”. The real difference? Their dimensions are a bit larger and above all they are powered by a C02 cartridge! Today, middle STEM Scouts have a 4 meeting module, where they experiment with building and racing Blastcars! Youth discover what friction is and how it affects the performance of a car, and learn about propulsion, acceleration and deceleration, and rocket-powered vehicles.

To do all this, the scouts need to build cars – many, and each with variables tweaked. Sure, they could build cars with hand-tools, but NCAC’s STEM Lab 991 was lucky enough to build their cars under the expertise of Michael’s Woodshop volunteers!

Visit to Michael’s Woodshop

Michael’s Woodshop is a volunteer run woodshop for scouts at Camp Snyder in Haymarket, VA. Over the last 5 years, Michael’s Woodshop has assisted 250+ Bears in completing Baloo the Builder, 50+ Woodwork Merit Badges, and 1000+ Pinewood Derby Cars!

On October 30, seven STEM Scouts from Lab 991 visited Michael’s Woodshop at Camp Snyder for a Blastcar Build Day! Mr. Dave Schneeman, Woodshop Steward, led the group through a safety briefing, followed by stations to cut the cars according to the scouts’ designs, and sand the cars for finer finish.

After 1000+ Pinewood Derby cars, Michael’s Woodshop has perfected a build process. The Blastcar build was only slightly different. Scouts had to ensure that designs do not intersect with the drilled holes for the Co2 cartridges. Additionally, while PWD cars’ starting gates release at the front of each car, Blastcars are lined up against the rear (where the cartridges are!)

The Woodshop machinery as well as Mr. Dave’s expertise made for an incredible experience. Sure, scouts could design blast cars with hand tools. In fact, 2 weeks before the scouts’ woodshop visit, they practiced using hand tools. This juxtaposition led to a greater appreciation of the Woodshop opportunity, and the professional cars they got to design!

Lab Manager of STEM Lab 991, Jon Scheina shared, “Building the cars at the woodshop was awesome. Every Scout I asked said that this activity was the highlight of the module. In the future, any labs that are fortunate enough to have access to a professional woodshop should absolutely use it to build their cars–both for the experience and for the opportunity to build more precise, well-functioning cars.”

Join the Woodshop Team

All of the activities in Michael’s Woodshop are designed and supervised by a dedicated group of volunteers. There are volunteer roles available for experienced woodworkers, and both adult and youth assistants. For more information about becoming a volunteer, please see Join the Woodshop Team or email us for additional information.

For more information about the merit badge classes, shop capabilities, upcoming events or reserving the shop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

Important Thank Yous

Special thanks to:

• Justin Youtz (T501) and Bruce Donlin (T1853) for sharing Blastcar kits (and tricks) with NCAC’s STEM Labs!
• Dave Schneeman (Michael’s Woodshop Steward) for volunteering to lead the shop session
• Jon Scheina, Mark Gray, Burt Wagner, Stacy Pekarik (Lab 991 Lab Manager and Associate Lab Leaders) for leading the inaugural Blastcars module!

November 18, 2022 by David Schneeman

On November 5th, Bears from Pack 1160 completed their Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop. They learned about useful tools to have in their boxes and practiced using a number of tools including clamps, sanding blocks, hammers and nail punches. They made a golf tee game board as their “fun project” and after sanding, they applied a clear polyurethane finish. Finally, as their “useful project”, each Bear made their very own tool box. It was a couple of hours very well spent and not only did these Bears learn a few things and have some fun, they also earned the distinction of having among their Den the 250th Bear to complete the Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop!

Since introducing the Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops, they have quickly become two of the most popular activities in the shop. These workshops are both great, hands-on activities that are fun, learning experiences for the Cub Scouts.

To learn more about these workshops and the many other shop activities available, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage. Start planning now to schedule an activity for your unit in the spring.

All of the activities in Michael’s Woodshop are designed and supervised by a dedicated group of volunteers. With the high demand for woodshop activities, we are seeking additional volunteers to join the Woodshop Team. There are roles available for experienced woodworkers, Woodwork Merit Badge Counselors and both adult and youth assistants. For more information about becoming a volunteer, please see Join the Woodshop Team or email us for additional information.

For more information about the merit badge classes, shop capabilities, upcoming events or reserving the shop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

We are pleased to introduce the newest volunteers in Michael’s Woodshop. Alyssa and Teaghan have completed their training and have joined the team as Youth Assistants. In addition, we would like to recognize Dallas Cecil, a dedicated volunteer who has given three years of service in the woodshop. Michael’s Woodshop is run entirely through the time, effort and talent of volunteers and we welcome these latest additions and appreciate the ongoing commitment of our volunteers

Meet Our New Youth Assistants

Alyssa is a First Class scout with Troop 893G in Centreville, VA. She enjoys camping, uses Merit Badges to explore new interests, and looks forward to high adventure trips! Her dad has been woodworking for many years, and has roped her into many a project, so it just ‘made sense’ for her to join the team in Michael’s Woodshop. In her non-scouting time she rides horses and is a member of Centreville Dance Theater.

Teaghan is a Life Scout in Troop 1137G in Centreville, VA. Her Scouting passions include shooting sports, camping, and nature. Teaghan has an artistic spirit and enjoys exploring her talents through drawing and crochet. Her newfound interest in woodworking sparked while completing her Woodwork Merit Badge requirements at Camp Snyder in July.

Volunteer Service Award

We are pleased to recognize Dallas Cecil for three years of volunteer service in Michael’s Woodshop. Dallas serves as our CNC Lead and provides training and support for all CNC projects. He is an Eagle Scout and has served for over 12 years as an adult Scout leader serving as the outdoor chair for Pack 1148, Assistant Scoutmaster for Troops 1430B and 1148G and a Committee Member for Crew 1430. Dallas has received the District Award of Merit, the Venturing Leadership Award, and the International Scouter’s Award, with just completing an epic two-week Denmark adventure with Crew 1430.

We are always looking for additional volunteers in Michael’s Woodshop. Roles are available for adults and youth, from novices to experience woodworkers. If you are interested in volunteering, please see “Join the Michael’s Woodshop Team”, or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

Scout creativity was on full display in Michael’s Woodshop during Camp William B. Snyder’s second annual Scout Specialty Week. Among the wide variety of merit badge offerings, Michael’s Woodshop offered the Woodwork Merit Badge, a challenging merit badge requiring extended sessions throughout the week. Scouts learned about lumber, shop safety, first aid and tool sharpening. To demonstrate the use of different tools, cuts and joints, Scouts created three projects including a toolbox, a wooden mallet and a cell phone stand. The real fun began when they designed and built their own projects. The results were amazing!

The classes during the merit badge week were led by a group of highly skilled woodshop volunteers. It was a very successful week with 15 Woodwork Merit Badges earned! To see more of the fun activities during the week, go to the Woodshop Activity Slideshows section of our webpage where you can view our latest addition Scout Specialty Week 2022.

Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round and is a great venue for Scouts of all ages to create and learn. We are able to offer Woodwork Merit Badge classes and many other programs through the time, talent and hard work of our dedicated volunteers.

If you enjoy being in a wood shop and like to teach and guide youth, please consider joining the Michael’s Woodshop Team. There are roles available for both adult and youth volunteers; from novices to experienced woodworkers. It is a truly rewarding role.

Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about volunteering, upcoming events or for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

July 29, 2022 by Dave Schneeman

Normally in Michael’s Woodshop, we use the expression “like kids in a candy store” to describe either our shop volunteers (who just love to be in the shop) or parents who are visiting the shop for the first time and find themselves admiring the well-organized array of tools and great workspace. However, this summer we also used the phrase to describe the Cub Scouts who attended Day Camp and Resident Weekends at Camp Snyder. During their stay, they had the chance to visit Michael’s Woodshop and create their very own candy dispenser. It was a great hands-on project and over the course of the summer the Cub Scouts made 564 candy dispensers!!!

The process started with a safety briefing and some brief assembly instructions and then the fun began! Cub Scouts were guided by camp staff and volunteers in drilling, gluing and nailing together their dispensers. After the assembly process was completed, Cub Scouts sanded all the corners and edges and were then given the opportunity to stamp their project with the official “Handcrafted in Michael’s Woodshop” brand. It was great fun and the activity in Michael’s Woodshop was rated as one of the youth favorites. To see more great photos from summer camp, please link to our Activity Slideshows and view Summer Camp in Michael’s Woodshop 2022.

Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round and is a great venue for Scouts to create and learn. In addition to supporting summer camp and family camping weekends, Michael’s Woodshop offers a number of regular and seasonal activities such as merit badge classes and our annual Pinewood Derby Days! The shop may be reserved by Dens for our Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops and may also be reserved for many other events such as District events, Pack & Troop activities and Eagle Scout Projects.

Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about the shop capabilities, upcoming events and for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com