RETIRED BUILDING TRADES teacher Tom Wender, left, of Breitung Township discusses plans for the Pine Creek Woodworking facility with volunteers Robert “Kuba” Bal, John Fortier and Stephen Leonard. An open house is planned from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the facility on Upper Pine Creek Road in Breitung Township. The community is invited to see the progress that has been made at the century-old former schoolhouse. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

BREITUNG TOWNSHIP — A retired teacher’s vision for a nonprofit woodworking facility is taking shape nicely.

Over the past several months, Tom Wender and a crew of volunteers have been transforming the century-old Pine Creek School into a space where locals can utilize woodworking equipment and learn about the trade.

An open house for Pine Creek Woodworking is planned from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1.

“I would like the community to come out and see how far we have come,” said Wender, a former industrial trades instructor. “This has been done with a lot of hard work.”

The majority of the construction of the 1,200-square-foot interior has been completed, with the exception of a few minor finishes.

ROBERT “KUBA” BAL works on the trim on the exterior of Pine Creek Woodworking.(Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

“We still have some painting and need to install the handrails for the steps, which will all be done prior to the open house,” Wender said.

The full basement has also seen a lot of work. “Every bit of space will be utilized,” he added, as the lower level houses the heating unit, dust collection system and equipment room.

Wender said he’s pleased with how the space has developed, including being able to restore a lot of the original woodwork.

A local resident volunteered his time refinishing all the old window trim. “Those pieces went back up the way it came off — I never had to cut one piece,” Wender said.

The work benches are another special touch, as they were all built by volunteers. “They are all made by different species of wood and their own designs,” he noted.

Many of the finishes in Pine Creek Woodworking are pieces Wender repurposed from the farm, including reclaimed tin from an old barn and a copper sink that was his grandmother’s wash tub. “I just took it and modified it for the space in the shop,” Wender said. “It’s just a neat piece.”

They still haven’t bought a single board and don’t plan to, Wender stressed. “So far, everyone has been so generous,” he said. “We also haven’t had to pay for a dime of labor — we have some great volunteers.”

Work on the exterior will be done throughout the summer. Funds for the projects completed to date — including landscaping, painting and installing a ramp for handicapped accessibility — have been donated.

Wender said they hope to be up and running by January. But to operate, they have to have money for machinery.

“At the point, we still need at least $50,000 to purchase the equipment,” Wender said. “We need everything to be up-to-date for safety reasons.”

Along with the monetary donations, they hope to be able to obtain grants.

Wender said he continues to get positive responses and already has 17 volunteers who have committed to teach classes and help supervise the shop. “They are all either retired contractors or teachers and good around equipment,” he added.

A Facebook page for Pine Creek Woodworking will eventually be established to keep the community informed of classes and activities.

While the nonprofit plans to first focus on seniors and veterans, the facility will be available to anyone interested in woodworking.

“Everyone is getting excited as we see it all coming together,” Wender said.

Those wishing to donate to Pine Creek Woodworking can contact Wender at 906-396-0035.

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