SDFWA

San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association

Members Only

ProClass Calendar & Classes

ProClass Calendar
Find a SIG, come to a community build.  It’s all here.

Class Catalog
Our class catalog gives the bigger picture; it lists most of the classes we periodically offer and has suggestions for new members on getting started.

Open Classes
Check out our new feature, our current open classes are pulled from ProClass and listed below, clicking takes you directly to ProClass to register.

Upcoming Events

The 2025 Holiday Gift Sale is Almost Here!

One of our most popular events and one of our best fundraisers, our annual holiday gift sale offers exquisite pieces hand crafted all year long and donated by us, all proceeds support our woodworking programs.  Here’s some things from previous sales.  

Friday
Nov 21 2025
9AM-5PM

Saturday
Nov 22, 2025
9AM-1PM

San Diego Fine
Woodworkers Association
a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization
5360 Eastgate Mall, Suite E
San Diego, CA 92121
858-230-7593

Watch for a call for volunteers and catch the spirit as patrons share our passion for woodworking.  Don’t want to miss it?

Sign up for Updates and Notifications

Opener: Motoko Smith, Oct 25

Join us at the October Eye Opener to see Motoko Smith, a woodturner who works from her home shop in San Diego where she blends woodworking with other crafts, to create works from salt cellars and spoons to designing stools, cabinets, and more unique pieces.

Saturday, October 25, 2025

8am. Coffee and donuts

9am. Special speaker

10:30am. Digital SIG

Read More »

Wood: A Furniture Show: Submit by Dec 13

It’s time to get your submissions ready for Wood: A Furniture Show XVI, presented by Escondido Arts Partnership and sponsored by Murphy’s Fine Woodworking, due by Dec 13, 2025 for the exhibit from Jan 10th – February 27, 2026.

Read More »

Projects to Join

Get in on the fun, some are once in a lifetime opportunities.

Holiday Gift Sale Workshop

August 5, 2025 No Comments

Drop off your projects or join us in the shop as we make things all year long for the Holiday Gift Sale in November.

Friday Mornings: 8am–12pm
First Saturdays: 8am–11am

SDFWA Member Shop
5360 Eastgate Mall, Suite E, San Diego, CA 92121

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SDFWA 4.0 Expansion

July 26, 2025 No Comments

We have leased the bay (“D”) that’s adjacent to the existing Member Shop.  This gives us an additional 5,000 sq ft of space, essentially doubling the size of the current Shop.

There’s lots to do, and help is appreciated. Join us on Tuesdays from 9am – 3pm.

More info: Rick VanHatten at rvanhatten@gmail.com

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News & Spotlights

Tool Spotlight: Avoiding tablesaw kickback

August 27, 2025

Table saws are a common source of serious injuries, often resulting in lacerations and amputations, particularly to fingers and hands. Kickback is a major cause of these injuries, understanding and avoiding kickback makes us all safer.

Read More »

New Preferred Partner: Murphy’s Surplus Warehouse, 30% off! 

August 27, 2025

Murphy’s Surplus Warehouse is joining the Preferred Partner Program and will be offering a 30% discount to SDFWA Members. 

Alan Murphy specializes in buying closeout merchandise and offering it to his customers at very attractive prices.  Alan’s pricing is about ⅓ of what you would pay at other retailers…and now it’s an extra 30% off this low price! So, remember your membership card.

401 N. Johnson Ave in El Cajon

Read More »

Special Interest Groups

Dive deep into topics and connect with other woodworkers.  Bring your pieces to share, we’d love to see them!

Members welcome!
More info,  Confirm time

Carving
6:30pm every Monday, Benchroom

Digital Tools
10am last Saturday, Classroom

Epoxy
9am third Saturday, Classroom

Fundamentals
3pm last Sunday, Benchroom

Hand Tools
7pm first Thursday, Benchroom

Luthiers
7pm every Wednesday, Classroom

Toys
9am third Tuesday of each month

Build Your Own

Find our open hours and policies here.  

Everyone is welcome to tour the shop during our open hours.

Silver and gold members build their own works during open hours. Schedule a shop slot in ProClass.

YOUR HELP
MATTERS

Volunteer

Get started here.    

As a non-profit, we are powered by volunteers. Help us support woodworking for San Diego, we need all kinds of skills!  

 

Suggestions

Email Gary Anderson, President SDFWA

Have an idea on how to make things better?  Let us know.

Got Pics?

Image Uploader.

We need pics of events, projects, classes and anything SDFWA, your pics can help! Thanks!

 

Craftsman Referral Terms

BACKGROUND
The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the education, promotion, and execution of the principles of fine woodworking.
The SDFWA frequently receives requests from people seeking the service of a woodworker. Therefore, although custom woodworking for hire is not the purpose of our organization, we offer this referral service to the public so that they might connect with a woodworker.

SCOPE
SDFWA does not screen or warrant the skills or work of any craftsman. The public should use their own discretion and due diligence before hiring any craftsman, from any source, including this one.
The sole role of SDFWA in this referral service is limited to providing our member woodworkers with your completed form. It is up to each craftsman to initiate a contact with the requester.

PROCEDURE
After a requester submits a project, the form will be emailed to our list of participating craftsmen. If a craftsman is interested in the project, they will contact the client directly, and a two-way conversation can begin.

As the craftsmen themselves choose which projects to respond to, this means that it is probable that some project requests will receive no response. If you do not receive a response in a reasonable time, please submit your request again, using the provided referral form.
Note that contacting SDFWA directly will not achieve the desired results.

DISCLAIMER
By agreeing to these Terms, and by continuing to submit this Referral Form, and by utilizing one or more of the services of any of these craftsmen, you are agreeing to contract exclusively with that individual craftsman and to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the SDFWA Organization, its officers, officials, employees and volunteers from any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or in connection with the performance of this agreement, and any and all failures, damages, or otherwise negative outcomes caused directly or indirectly by the craftsmen you employ to do any project initiated by this Form. This does not preclude you from pursuing legal remedies from the individual craftsman that you employ. But any remedy you pursue is restricted to that individual craftsman, and does not include the SDFWA organization or any of its volunteer members.

Agree
Disagree