Crafting a one-of-a-kind stool with your own hands. MAKE Stool Workshop Report

The scent of wood and the sound of sandpaper.
The smiles of people gathered around the workbench, and their slightly serious expressions.

The other day, I had the opportunity to cover the "Stool Making Workshop" held at MAKE.
On this day, using a digital machine tool called a CNC, it was a hands-on event where participants finished their very own stool from scratch.
It wasn't just about making something; it was a very rich experience designed as a single story, from "thinking, sanding, painting, to taking it home."

Seeing your own stool take shape with a CNC

What surprised me first was that the stool parts started from a state of being cut by a CNC as a starting point.
The parts, cut accurately according to the data, were all beautiful, yet still "unfinished."

From there, the participants

• sanding to smooth the surface

• finishing to round the corners

• choosing a color and painting

• assembling

and, by adding their own touch step by step, they experienced the process of turning simple boards into a "tool you can sit on."

The feeling of combining the precision created by machines with the character added by human hands felt very comfortable.

Sanding and painting are so much fun

What was particularly impressive at the event venue was the atmosphere of enjoying the sanding and painting.

The texture that changes every time you sand.
The character that emerges every time you paint.

Each participant was naturally engaging in conversation, saying things like:

"I'll make this part rounder."
"This color is cute."
"This combination is surprisingly good."

It was very impressive to see them finishing their work based on their own sensibilities.

There was absolutely no pressure to make it perfectly or to find the "right answer."
What existed was a sense of security that it is "okay to have fun" and "okay to make mistakes."

I believe this "breathing room" is the true charm of MAKE's approach to craftsmanship.

The joy of creating together. A time when initiative emerges.

Inside the building, strangers naturally called out to each other, lent a hand, and shared laughs.

• Someone holding parts in place

• Someone offering advice on paint

• Someone admiring the finished stool together

It wasn't a case of someone 'teaching' and others just 'being taught.'
A time of 'creating together' flowed, with everyone engaging proactively. was passing by.

It is not just the finished product that is born through craftsmanship.
I felt that the people there were also taking home the relationships formed, a sense of pride, and confidence in themselves.

Taking it home with a rope. Even the look is truly cute.

The finished stool is tied up with a rope to take home as is.
This look is, in any case, just adorable.

The layering of the boards, the knots in the rope, the clever design that allows it to be used as a handle.
It feels just like taking home a 'work of art.'

Walking through town, carrying the stool you made yourself.
It was wonderful that even that appearance was part of the event.

And on to the next door. The option called 'Fab Journey'

This stool event is the 'gateway' to craftsmanship.
At MAKE, there is also a step-up program prepared that leads further ahead, called 'Fab Journey'.

It starts with simple products like stools, and once you get used to it,

• Designing it yourself

• Creating the data

• Processing with a CNC

• Improving the prototype

Moving on to a full-scale 'journey of craftsmanship from planning to completion.'

'I want to make my own product someday.'
'I want to make the fixtures for my shop ourselves.'
'I want to connect craftsmanship to my work.'

For such people, this Fab Journey should be a very realistic first step.

This event was the perfect experience as a gentle entry point into that world.

↓ Scenes from the Fab Journey. We are accepting applications at any time. Currently free!!

Making things more accessible. More freely.

A stool is just a chair.
But a chair you made with your own hands will surely be a little special.

Every time you sit on it,
the feel of the wood you sanded, the smell of the paint,
and the time you spent laughing with someone next to you,
everything should come back to you as a memory.

I felt that the MAKE stool event is
a place to 'create ways of engaging' more than just 'making things'.

Who will be the next person to make what kind of chair?
And what kind of Fab Journey will begin beyond that?

I am very much looking forward to seeing new stories born from this place again.

akinau Inc.

akinau Inc. challenges itself to raise the level of Japan's commercial power with the vision of 'Making commerce interesting.'
Everyone has a unique personality that only they possess. We find and create businesses that make the most of that individuality. Small businesses are fine, because individuals can be happy and make others happy within the scope of what they can deliver directly. With the goal of 100 businesses in a 100-year life, akinau will continue to create businesses that can last for 100 years.