MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- The crafting of wood has been around for hundreds of thousands of years. The use of wood is still being applied to new things as wood is an affordable material of high quality and great abundance.
The employees at the Wood Hobby Shop aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune have been assisting people in wood work for more than 10 years. Things such as furniture, speaker boxes and boats made of wood may be affordable, but building them by hand can help save even more money.
“We provide a clean, safe facility for Marines, their dependents and other patrons, to include Department of Defense personnel, retirees and (Marine Corps Community Services) employees,” said Jack Neuber, manager of the Wood Hobby Shop.
Before people can take advantage of the services provided at the Camp Lejeune Wood Hobby Shop, they must first attend a shop safety class that covers appropriate safety gear and the proper way to use the machines. The safety class takes approximately one hour, and is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 11:30 a.m. Wednesday through Friday.
The next step before using the shop is paying the shop fee. Shop fees can be charged daily, monthly or annually. After attending the safety class and paying the fee, the Wood Hobby Shop can be used for personal wood projects.
“Shop fees, prices for wood and other materials at the Camp Lejeune Wood Hobby Shop can beat most of the places off base,” said Neuber.
The shop also provides a temporary place to store most of the wood projects that are incomplete. Another advantage to using the shop for building projects is the clean up of sawdust. The shop has a closed-loop vacuum system that keeps sawdust out of the air and can be used to quickly clean up sawdust, saving people time and extra labor.
Craftsmen that use the Wood Hobby Shop also save a lot of money, because they don’t have to pay for expensive tools and machines that are provided after the shop fee is paid. The cost of tools and machines available for use can add up to about $60,000.
The Wood Hobby Shop has a high-tech table saw that’s worth $4,300. The reason for the table saw’s high cost is because of its capabilities. Neuber said the high-tech table saw has sensors that can detect the electrolytes within a person’s body. If a person were to slip and touch the blade of the table saw, the blade would be able to drop below the table and come to a dead stop within three milliseconds, potentially preventing a serious injury.
Eight fingers have been saved over a three-year period. Prior to having the saw, there were three serious injuries from the standard table saws at the shop.
Along with multiple savings, the Wood Hobby shop provides guidance for the customer at no cost.
“The shop is here for you,” said Neuber. “We want it to be yours; we try to make it your shop.”
The Camp Lejeune Wood Hobby Shop opens its doors to people both experienced and inexperienced from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.