Maker Works, Ann Arbor’s largest nonprofit “makerspace” (a/k/a hackerspace, tech shop, and/or or DIY workspace), offered up a class in pewter sand casting at the GPO Auction last September. A dozen RCAA members, together with family and friends, bid on and participated in the class and were also treated to a tour of their fascinating facility off Ellsworth Road near South State Street. The process involved selecting a cast, packing a sand mold, melting pewter, pouring the molten pewter into the sand mold, and cleaning up the resulting casting. Below is a photo of the group that took the class on March 14, 2026, and the pewter holiday ornaments they took home!

Maker Works was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor through its annual Community Allocations process chaired by Marsha Chamberlin. Maker Works was established in 2011 and hosts a variety of tool training classes for hand and power tools for wood, metal, textiles, plastic, jewelry, and electronics. Check out their website for all the cool things you can do at Maker Works.