KELANA JAYA: It’s 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning. Most people within the Klang Valley could be resting at residence after a protracted week of labor.
Certainly, Plaza Kelana Jaya, a fancy of workplaces and eateries, is sort of desolate. Only some souls are in sight.
However if you happen to pay shut consideration, your ears may choose up the sounds of sawing, hammering and grinding echoing by way of the almost empty plaza. For those who attempt to hint the supply, it’s possible you’ll end up in a quite peculiar place, a set-up resembling the Kemahiran Hidup workshops of your education years.
Individuals are busy at their work benches, sawing, planing, sanding and interesting in numerous different types of woodworking.
What’s all this about? Effectively, if you’re a white-collar employee who desires to choose up a helpful life ability, The Wooden Place (TWP) would possibly simply be the place for you. Workshops are held right here virtually each week and individuals are taught the fundamentals of woodworking by way of hands-on expertise.
It’s open to individuals of all ages. Every participant will begin with a pile of planks and, by the top of the day, will stroll away with a completed product made together with his or her personal two arms.
TWP is a formidable concept and the minds behind it are spectacular too, since they themselves have been new to the world of woodworking.
The 2 founders – Elyse Kymberly Teoh, 32, and Derek Koo, 38 – are each chemical engineers. Neither had any expertise in carpentry, however on-line movies of DIY initiatives typically caught their consideration.
Teoh instructed FMT Life-style that the 2 of them “slid into the YouTube rabbit gap of DIY-project movies” through the pandemic.
“Most of those YouTubers have been primarily based abroad and it was so cool to see that they’ve their very own house or storage at residence and easy accessibility to good supplies and instruments.”
With little else to do, Teoh and Koo started taking part in round with the thought of opening a workshop that will allow them to experiment with woodworking.
Ultimately, TWP would come collectively and so they resolved to share no matter expertise they’d choose up with others having an analogous curiosity.
“Our mission and imaginative and prescient have all the time been to be a platform for everybody to be taught extra about woodworking and different crafts,” she stated.
“We additionally work to encourage the event of arduous expertise and craftsmanship by decreasing the entry-barrier to woodworking.”
Teoh stated she hoped TWP would at some point be capable of assist native woodworkers promote their merchandise on an internet platform.
What can one expertise at TWP? Teoh defined: “We design many of the lessons and initiatives, and individuals who join are capable of expertise what they want for his or her builds.”
The expertise contains something and the whole lot, from dealing with energy instruments to understanding what supplies to make use of.
At current, TWP provides twelve customary lessons, which see individuals making something from small espresso racks to foldable espresso tables.
“Nevertheless, we introduce new designs and lessons all year long,” Teoh stated.
The wooden that individuals use – sustainable and stable hardwood – is sourced from native lumber mills.
“Since most of our builds are comparatively small in measurement, we strive to slot in offcuts from sawmills at any time when potential,” stated Teoh, referring to the leftover lumber that mills typically discard.
Contributors generally determine to be concerned within the design course of and can submit concepts for the initiatives they want to work on.
Assuming that there aren’t any main points, these individuals are free to e book a non-public session at TWP. the place they are going to have full entry to supplies and instruments alike.
“We do our greatest to maintain our lessons beginner-friendly. Earlier than the beginning of each class, all individuals should attend a security briefing on dealing with energy instruments.”
Age is just not a problem for anybody keen to be taught, and TWP as soon as welcomed a six-year-old participant.
What’s the most effective tip for a novice woodworker? “Don’t be afraid to strive,” Teoh stated. “We discover that the simplest strategy to be taught is to construct a undertaking.
“You might make errors alongside the way in which however that’s a part of the educational course of. Preserve engaged on new concepts and new designs, and also you’ll get there.”
Focused on signing up for a woodworking workshop? Take a look at The Wooden Place’s website for info and call particulars.
The Wooden Place
F-8-1, Jalan SS 7/13A,
Plaza Kelana Jaya,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
