Club Activities

August 26th Meeting
"Box Fundamentals"

Irv Miller Presents

To a woodturner, a box is a round container with a lid. For a lid to fit well, a box is best turned with wood dried to a moisture content consistent with the average relative humidity of the place where it will reside, and with the grain oriented parallel to the axis of the lathe.
After making a few chips fly to get the attention of the audience, Irv handed out a sheet with Video, Text, and Web references on one side, and, on the other side, a 22-step order in which most boxes are turned. He suggested that the group use the references to learn how the Gurus turn boxes, and not listen to him. He then preached ad nauseum on box design, tools, fixing box blanks in the lathe, truing a blank, and hollowing, stating that the most crucial operation is lid fitting.
Irv then went back to chip-making mode and demonstrated many different ways to do each of the operations of truing up a blank, squaring off an end, and hollowing, assigning each of the many demonstrated methods and associated tools to the appropriate Guru listed in the reference sheet. However, time ran out before the most crucial step, lid fitting, could be demonstrated, leaving that operation to the interested student to research using the references.
Butternut blanks were then handed out to the attending members with the challenge to make boxes and bring them to the picnic next Thursday. Attendees at the picnic will vote, and the winner will receive the traveling Bill Beckman Golden Corn Ear trophy and badge.

Welcome to the Zumbro Valley Woodturners' Home Page

We are a club of novice, intermediate, and experienced woodturners who enjoy turning wood, helping fellow members improve their skills, and encouraging non-members to learn the skill of woodturning.

Like many woodturning clubs, we hold monthly meetings, usually in a member's shop or studio, where equipment is available for demonstrations and hands-on learning. After a very brief business meeting, usually a club member, but occasionally a visiting "dignitary," will give a presentation or a demonstration on a topic such as wood harvesting and preparation, wood species and properties, tool selection, tool sharpening, tool making, lathes and accessories, gluing up and bandsawing blanks, finishing, painting, burning, displaying, pricing, photographing, and oh, yes, turning techniques for platters, bowls, vases, boxes, spindles, ornaments, and more. A meeting also usually has a show and tell session and a wood raffle.

We participate in exhibits at the Olmsted County Fair, the Rochester Public Library, the Rochester Art Center, and, the Rochester Woodcarvers Show. We also provide assistance to industrial arts teachers and students in woodturning classes in area high schools. Some of us have turnings for sale in galleries or sell at craft shows. Some of us turn only for personal use or for presents for our friends and relatives. All of us turn for pleasure and the joy of accomplishment.

Club membership is by household and dues is $20 annually payable at the start of each calendar year. High school and college students interested in woodturning are invited to be student members at no charge. To serve on the ZVW Board of Directors, a club member must also be a member of the American Association of Woodturners.

If you think you may be interested in woodturning, drop by one of our meetings shown in the right side bar. Visitors are always welcome.

September 2nd Picnic Meeting
"Annual Challenge Championship"

Enhance your woodturnings with carvings. Learn to carve, or improve your carving skills at our SE Minnesota carving club.

Our parent organization, The American Association of Woodturners, welcomes visitors to its web site. To learn more about our parent organization, click on the logo below.

The Zumbro Valley Woodturners meet on the last Thursday of every month except December. In December there is no meeting. Other exceptions are posted below.

2010 Calendar

January 28, 6:30-8:30 pm, Mel Turcanik Moderating, "Bring a Jig"
Meet at Gander Mountain Meeting Room.

February 25, 6:30-8:30 pm, Tim Sullivan, "Finishing: Oils, Varnishes, Lacquers"
Meet at Gander Mountain Meeting Room.

March 20 and 21, 10am-4pm, ZVW volunteers display and demonstrate at the Rochester Woodcarvers Show
at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds 4-H building.

March 25, 6:30-8:30 pm, Dave Dunn, "Turn an Egg"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

April 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Duff Bement, "McNaughton Coring System"
Meet at Harmon's Shop.

May 27, 6:30-8:30 pm, Dave Dunn, Todd VanDeWalker, "Turning Corian"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

June 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, Jim VanDeWalker, Mel Turcanik, "Salt and Pepper Mills"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

July 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Todd VanDeWalker, "Sphereicons"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

August 26, 6:30-8:30 pm, Irv Miller, "Box Fundamentals"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

September 2, 5:30 pm: Club Annual Family Picnic.
Meet at IBM Woodside Park.

September 30, 6:30-830 pm, Tim Sullivan, "Goblets"
Meet at Harmon's Shop.

October 28, 6:30-8:30 pm, Todd VanDeWalker, "A Variety of Christmas Ornaments"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.>

November 18, 6:30-8:30 pm, Mel Turcanik, "Inlay"
Meet at Lyle's Studio.

December
There is no meeting in December.

The Zumbro Valley Woodturners' Logo