How does the Guild work?

The Guild is a simple a la carte system where you can purchase access to any project you want. The purchase of a project makes you a member, opening up additional benefits such as Live Guild Meetings, Interviews, Discounts, and access to our private Facebook Group. There are no hidden fees and no monthly subscriptions, but this membership does not give you access to additional projects. If you want more projects, you simply purchase them and add them to your collection. We do offer a few FREE projects (Picture Frames; Dovetailed Step Stools; and Dining Table with Breadboard Ends) that give you a taste of the Guild experience but does NOT give full membership access.

How do I join/become a member?

It’s as easy as purchasing any project with no subscription fees or hidden costs. As soon as the purchase is complete you can log in to access your project. Congratulations, you’re now a Guild member! The FREE projects do not make you a full Guild member. Any other projects you want access to can be purchased in the store a la carte.

After I buy a project, do I have to continue buying every new project in order to stay a member?

Heck no! You are never required to purchase anything to maintain your membership. Once you purchase your first project, you are a member as long as the website exists. Of course if you want additional projects, you’ll have to purchase them.

What do I receive as a Free Tier Member?

The Free Tier gives you access to the Picture Frames Project; the Dovetailed Step Stools Project, and the Dining Table with Breadboard Ends Project which should give you some idea of the depth of content we provide here in the Guild.

What you do not receive:

  • Access to the private Facebook Group
  • Access to the Guild Meeting and Interview Archives
  • Access to Discounts
  • Access to the Support Form
  • Access to Live Guild Meetings
  • Access to Giveaways

All of the above will be immediately accessible upon purchasing a project from the Guild Store.

When does my Guild Membership expire?

It doesn’t. 🙂

Can I buy the plans without the videos?

No. The drawings and measurements we offer are intended for use with the video series and are not available separately.

Can I build Guild project designs for profit?

Guild designs are intended for personal use as educational projects. You are free to build as many as you like for yourself. No one is going to stop you from selling one or two of these projects to friends and family, but please refrain from offering Guild projects as regular items. If you want to sell the projects on an ongoing basis, you’ll need to contact each instructor directly to inquire about licensing.

Are Guild projects refundable?

Only on Pre-Orders. If you purchase a completed project, we cannot provide a refund because the product is 100% digital.

Can I watch the Guild videos on my TV?

Yes! There are a number of ways to do this and it depends on what kind of hardware you have (ex. AppleTV, FireTV, Chomecast). Videos can be streamed directly to some TVs using Airplay. If your TV isn’t Airplay compatible you might look into an application called Plex. Plex is a video server that you install on a computer in your home. The videos you download from the Guild can be imported into Plex. From there, you’ll want to add the Plex app to your smart TV or set top box. Plex is available on nearly every platform. If you are a Guild member you can see what some of the other members are doing in these Facebook group conversations.

Can a Guild project be purchased as a gift?

Yes, simply purchase a Gift Certificate in the amount of the project and the gift certificate will be sent directly to your recipient via email.

Do you offer a student discount?

Yes, we offer a student discount for middle and high school students with a valid student email.  This discount also applies to shop teachers.  These discounts are intended for personal use and not part of a shop class curriculum. Please email us through the Contact form and we can confirm your email and send you the discount.

Do you offer a military discount?

Yes we do. Click here for details.

How do I join the private Facebook Group?

Once you’ve purchased a project, head over to our private Facebook group and click request to join (note: this requires a Facebook account). Your Facebook name and the name you used to join the guild must match in order to be verified. If you haven’t been added in 24 hours, please contact us using our Contact Form. The Free projects and Simple Varnish Finish Video do not quality for full membership.

What’s included with each project?

Each project page in the store outlines what each project includes.  Most projects come with a SketchUp file, a PDF plan, a cut list, and of course the videos.

How do I change my avatar?

Avatars on the Guild site are generated from a free service called Gravatar. Simply create a free account, upload your photo, and not only will your avatar show up on our site, it will show up on just about any blog or WordPress site you leave a comment on.

Do you offer closed captions?

Yes, we do. Captioning is only available through streaming through the website (not the download). New videos are not captioned immediately though and are usually delayed a few weeks.

What is SketchUp and how do I use the project Sketchup plans?

SketchUp is a free program used to sketch your projects in 3D. You can use the browser-based FREE version or download the older SketchUp Make version here. The SketchUp file includes a 3D image as well as various views and detailed perspectives that will help you build the project. The magic of SketchUp is that you can dissect a project, flip it, exchange parts, and increase/decrease the size. If you aren’t technically inclined, you can always use the PDF plan instead.

Do I have to follow the plan?

No. In fact, my ultimate goal is for you to use the plan as a starting point, modifying it to your personal needs or taste. So please feel free to make as many modifications as you like.

Where can I order lumber for the projects?

We partner with Bell Forest Products to provide wood kits for our Guild Builds. On each project page, you will see a link to the appropriate Bell Forest Kit. The kits are intended for folks who do not have milling machines, but want to use solid wood for their project. All parts are pre-milled to the appropriate thickness. You will also receive a 10% discount from Bell Forest with your membership.

What tools do I need?

I don’t want to give you the impression that you absolutely need every tool I list out for each project. There are lots of ways to get things done in the shop so if you don’t have some of the tools on the list, don’t dismay! Here are the basic tools I use on most projects as well as some alternative suggestions:

– Tablesaw (alternatives: Circular Saw, Bandsaw, Hand Saw)
– Planer/Jointer (alternative: purchase pre-milled lumber kits or use hand planes)
– Bandsaw (alternative: Jigsaw)
– Router
– Router Table (alternative: Hand-Held Router)
– Miter Saw (alternative: Cross-cut Sled or Miter Gauge at Table Saw)
– Drill Press (alternative: Drill/Driver)
– Hand Tools – Saw, Joinery Planes (Shoulder and Router Planes), Chisels, Scrapers

What is a Guild Meeting?

Guild Meetings are live online meetups where I typically do a short demo followed by Q&A with the live audience. You can participate in the meeting by visiting our Live Page at the time of the show. And you can catch up on previous Guild Meetings in the Guild Meetings Archive.

Have a question not answered by the FAQ?

Please use our Contact Form to get in touch with us.

Shipping Issues

If an order is returned to us for an incomplete, inaccurate or otherwise not deliverable address, customer will be responsible for additional shipping costs to have package shipped a second time.

Unfortunately, International shipments are always subject to import fees, duties, and taxes (which are levied once a shipment reaches the destination country). These charges must be borne by the recipient as we have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they might be.