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February 2024 by Jonathan C.
Isgood is as good as one can get in Seattle for a woodshop space where you can build to your Imagination. Reading the other reviews makes me laugh. John (the previous owner). Was true to his name, Blunt, he had a way of doing things that was direct and was not flexible. Sadly he recently passed. Andy took over and is a great guy and very patient. Don't let the older reviews keep you from visiting.
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June 2023 by Tim Newsome
Great workshop with a good sense of community.
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February 2023 by Andrew Buckles
Friendly and welcoming staff, and really good wood shop facility. I just finished a 3 month project and I can definitely say the schedule software was easy, the staff was very responsive, and the shop is kitted out with everything I needed.
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November 2022 by Sam Franklin
I took John's cabinet making class with minimal woodworking experience and in only six weeks was able to make a professional cabinet. I followed up the class with renting additional studio time to practice the techniques in class and made an additional cabinet with some more advanced details that John helped me accomplish through his mentoring program. John is a patient teacher and he's created a wonderful environment at his shop. Highly recommend the cabinet class to anyone who is serious about making their own cabinets.
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May 2022 by Megan F.
I took a class here and the instructor while very knowledgeable was extremely critical of students and threatened to kick a student out of the class for asking if we could learn how to make a box because he wanted more practice jointing.
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April 2021 by Joe Glass
Great place to learn woodworking and meet good people. I took two classes and have used the shop on my own. The people are really chill and the environment is relaxing. I have been able to progress in my woodworking skills and projects quite a bit on the past several months.
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July 2020 by Sarah K
I took the Small Projects woodworking class. John the instructor was quirky, but he is also extremely knowledgeable and taught us so much about the properties of wood and how to turn rough lumber into beautiful finished pieces. I’ve also taken woodworking classes elsewhere in Seattle and, though I really enjoyed those classes, I learned the most at IsGood.
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April 2020 by Alex Tatman
I took a class from John a few years ago and really enjoyed it. John was an excellent teacher and made the class very fun. I highly recommend his classes.
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December 2019 by Dan Bennett
A great place to learn some woodworking skills and have a place to work on a project
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July 2019 by Jason Baesel
I recently took a tour of the IsGood woodworking collective and was very impressed. The owner is a very eccentric and entertaining fellow who will talk your ear off if given the chance; but that's not a bad thing! He has many interesting stories and plans for the future including his Tiny House RV company which is a very interesting project.But I digress, the facility is well maintained with pretty much any woodworking machine or tool you could need (at least as far as I could tell, I'm pretty new to this sort of thing).They offer both group and private classes. Group classes generally revolve around a project designed by the studio, where private sessions are either specifically around using a certain piece of equipment (to be certified for use on your own there) or based around a project of your own design.While I was there he had a brief phone call with someone and what I heard really expresses the core of the studio. They aren't a place to hire someone to do work for you, they're a place for you to come in and work with them to build what you have in your head.From what I could tell IsGood has a strong community behind it and I expect would be a great experience to learn from.The only downside is that the facility revolves around the owner, and to a lesser extent a single employee (I think). The problem this creates is you have to schedule when you want to come in and work on a project. Which in some ways is great, but for me I ended up deciding I wanted a place that I could more spontaneously decide to go.Also the location was a problem for me. But that's not their fault. Great location for anyone in South or West Seattle though.Obviously I haven't taken classes yet but I absolutely recommend checking them out if you're new to the craft and want to learn.Note: For convenience/location reasons I'm not taking classes here
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July 2017 by Charles Sawyer
John is a brilliant and kind person. I took his side table class with seven other students. He teaches confidence in the tools, understanding of the material (growth, movement of wood and how to build with these factors in consideration), and encourages collaboration and kindness. And now I have a great table in my apartment that sums up that lovely experience at IsGood. Thanks John!
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July 2016 by Marc Wendell
John is a natural teacher who brings plenty of passion and humor into the IsGood community. I came to John with a rough vision for a dining room table I'd been contemplating for years. John helped me through the processes of design through execution and I ended up with a piece I'm proud of that exceeded my expectations. Not to mention, I now have a custom table I get to say I'm proud of at a fraction of the retail price. I'll definitely be back with John for my next project.
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July 2015 by Peter Biddle
IsGood is a phenomenal setup with great tools and incredibly smart and talented craftspeople making some really cool stuff.
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July 2013 by WT Arnold
I worked for several months with John and Lynn in the "We Build" program building ten built-in cabinets, bookshelves, and fireplace surround. Using John's system, my cabinets turned out beautifully--even though I'm a rookie. From design, cut, build and install, John was thorough, professional, and extremely helpful providing the insight of a master craftsman. I was impressed with the design phase, which is essential. John used a custom configuration of ArchiCAD which he configured himself to ensure aesthetics are what are desired and the cabinet fit is perfect. I now wouldn't start a project no matter how small, without thorough design work.I required considerable teaching and oversight, and John worked with my schedule and was always able to make time to prepare me for the next step of the project. John and Lynn are both top notch craftspersons who will stay late to get it right.I'm looking forward to starting my next projects soon!
