By DAVE DROSCHAK
In 2015, the History Channel launched a television program called Forged in Fire, a reality show in which world-class blacksmiths compete to recreate historical weapons. Few predicted it would still be going strong a decade later, fueling interest in metalwork all across the nation.
In Raleigh, enthusiasts inspired by the show—or simply by interest in the craftwork—can learn metalworking at ShopSpace. ShopSpace began as a small startup in 2016 by N.C. State University College of Design graduate Lucas House and three other founders before moving to its current location along a stretch of Capital Boulevard called the Bonded Warehouse Complex.
The location now houses 30,000 square feet of space dedicated to instructing beginners and curiosity seekers in welding, blacksmithing, woodworking, jewelry making—and of course the most popular activity: knife making. They provide studio space, community and continuing guidance for hardcore hobbyists.
“They’ve seen it on TV, and everyone wants to make knives. So we’re catering to that,” House says of the clientele that frequent the comprehensive metal shop. “But it’s a whole range—from those who have never touched a tool to people who have retired and now have time. For example, we have a fellow who [hasn’t] welded in 10 years, and he wants to get a job. So he’s been here for a month, just practicing for his welding test.”
House says more than 2,000 students now take classes each year as the popularity of the shop business has grown—sometimes via some interesting paths.
For example, House tells the story of a father who brought his high school freshman son to ShopSpace for an introductory class. “The kid didn’t want to do anything but play video games, so his father just wanted to see if he liked welding. The kid ended up attending Durham [Technical Community College], and welding is all he wants to do now.”
Initial classes last two hours and cost $85. “They’re geared to get you working as quickly as possible and to get you to know enough that when you come back here it’s not a deer-in-the-headlights kind of thing,” House says.
An introductory knife class lasts five hours and costs $200. “Students start with a piece of flat bar metal. They grind the shape out, heat treat it and put a handle on it,” House says. “You leave with a rudimentary knife you made, but I tell people ‘It’s only your best knife if you don’t make another one.’ Some people don’t come back because they realize they can just go buy a good knife, but a percentage gets into it and say they’re going to make two or three knives a week.”
House notes that the business is a nonprofit organization with countless people to thank for their generous donations. “Without people’s time and money, and donating tools, ShopSpace would be very, very different to maintain,” he says. “Our equipment and tool list is millions of dollars long, and it only gets bigger as we chip away at things.”
For example, one piece of heavy equipment is on loan from the N.C. State High-Powered Rocketry Club. “We’ve got 20-year-olds in here making rocket engines,” House says.
“We really designed this so people would have access to these tools and not need their own shop,” says House, adding that space for this kind of hobby can be hard to find in Raleigh. “[G]arages are hard to come by with so many people moving into condos. We don’t want people to have to spend tens of thousands of dollars and maintain their own shop, because that’s what it would cost them.”
House calls safety the number one priority at ShopSpace. “We want you to make things, but at the end of the day this is a community, and when people start hurting themselves, that changes the community,” House says. “All newcomers go through a free safety course that points out that everything in the warehouse can be dangerous.”
In addition to classes, there is an option for “open time” for those who are experienced to work on their own. The upgraded location recently added 15,000 square feet that houses expansive woodworking areas along with storage cubicles for dedicated hobbyists. “There are people who are here every day, and there are people who pay rent for us to store their stuff,” House says of the business’s new warehouse section. “It’s hard to find this kind of thing anywhere.”
Laura Howard has been coming to the location for months to work on her wooden plant stands. “What’s not to like about this place?” she says. “Look around—it’s huge. And there are a lot of people working here, so you can bounce ideas off people. There are great tools, and these giant work tables are fantastic. There are rules here, but there’s no micromanagement. It’s a great atmosphere for work.”
Clients range from participants in a child-parent class for children ages 10–13 to one man in his 80s who welded in a wheelchair, House says.
“It’s a lot of fun to see somebody just be amazed at what they’re able to do,” House says. “People come in here having never touched this stuff, and they leave being able to weld metal together. How cool is that?”
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