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December: Guild Tours at the Minneapolis Institute of Art!

We are excited to share that our December gathering will be at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Our private tours will focus on Furniture and Period rooms. You will see world class handmade chairs, tables and cabinets, a Chinese arched wooden entry gate, decorative carving, veneer work and fine joinery. The Connecticut room, The Charleston Rooms, The Frank Lloyd Wright hallway, are among the period rooms. We will study stand-alone and built-in furniture, across ages, cultures and continents. We’ll see a Japanese artist study, an Abbots space, a family reception room, and American 20th century-designed furniture, among other diverse spaces and items.

Go to the MEETINGS page for further details and to register.

2020 NORTHERN WOODS EXHIBITION: APRIL 23 - 26, 2020

You are invited to present your work at the next Northern Woods Exhibition at Eden Prairie Center, April 23-26, 2020. Registration opens in January, but we are announcing it now so that you have plenty of time to prepare. The Northern Woods Exhibition is a great way for you to show your work to the public. It's also a fantastic way to meet with like minded woodworkers. What's more, each year we distribute over $4000 worth of prizes in 14 different award categories. You may enter an unlimited number of entries and up to two entries are eligible for judging. Each application must (1) describe the piece, (2) provide biographical information about its maker(s) and (3) provide high resolution photograph(s) of the work. The description must include dimensions, materials, and selling price if applicable. The photographs will appear on the Minnesota Woodworker's Guild website and in the Judge's manual. The only requirements are that entries must be made primarily of wood and that they have not been displayed at a previous Northern Woods Exhibition. For registration and entry rules, go to the NORTHERN WOODS EXHIBITION page.

Pictured Above: Cedar Strip Sea Kayak by John Zachman. 2019 Peer Award & Best in Show.

Free Buckthorn Lumber - Gorgeous Grain!

The Mississippi River volunteer project in Father Hennepin Bluffs Park near St. Anthony Falls has been felling some large buckthrom. They are looking for someone who can use the beautiful wood they've been cutting next to the Mississippi River. Some of the trunks are over 6 inches in diameter. If you've never worked with this wood, it's like cherry.
The next event is October 26th and many of the trees have been cut and are drying on site. The Parks Dept may not be able to handle the capacity so your taking some of the wood for projects would help them as well.
If interested contact: Cordelia "Corde" Pierson, Mississippi River Parkway Commissioner. 651-815-1268 (cell)

Have some Class(es)!

The Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association (CMWA) Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 CLASS LISTING is now available!
Build a Kumiko wall cabinet with Mike Pekovich, Decorative Veneerng with Joe Morgan, or just tune up your skills with a "Beyond the Basics" class!
CMWA offers top-quality classes. Check 'em out at the CMWA Website today!

Another Source for Lumber!

Wood from the Hood, an urban reclaimed lumber vendor here in Minneapolis, has started to offer dimensional and slabbed lumber for retail sale. They've been around for a while but are just now offering retail lumber. Check it out!

Wood from the Hood, 2640 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis 55406.
CONTACT

Alternatives to Youngblood Lumber

With the sad closing of Youngblood Lumber there has been a lot of information exchanged among members about other sources for our materials. We've gathered leads from members as well as updated the "Lumber and Plywood" category of the LINKS page.
Also, download or view this Listing of Retail and Wholesale Lumber Suppliers who provide discounts to Guild members. Please note the requirements set by the sponsors and that you will almost always need to present your Guild membership card.

Learn to Sharpen a Saw ... And your wits!

Mike Siemsen's School of Woodworking will be offering a several excellent classes this spring. If you have ever wondered how to sharpen your own hand saw or wanted to make a cool sea chest then you'll want to take one Mike's classes! Register for classes HERE. Examples of Mike's recent classes include:

  • A Place to Sit: Make a Bench
  • Build a Small Sea Chest
  • Holtzapfel Style Workbench
  • Sharpening and Using Handsaws
  • Making a Marking Gauge, Mallet, Vise and Layout Knife

Save a buck! Don't buy -- Use the Tool Library instead!

The Guild's TOOL RENTAL LIBRARY is a great resource for some expensive tools or ones that you need only occasionally, such as:
  • Drill bit sharpener for standard twist and brad point bits (professional grade system)
  • HVLP sprayer (American Turbine AT-3000)
  • Photography light and backdrop kit (professional grade)
  • Starrett 36" machinist straight edge (used for machine setup and alignment)
  • Veneering kit (vacuum bag)
  • Veritas power sharpening system
  • 20" Scroll Saw
Check out the Tool Rental Page for details!

The Guild DVD LIBRARY -- CHECK IT OUT!

When is the last time you made use of the Guild's amazing DVD library? With over a hundred DVD's covering everything from dovetails to inlay you can find the guidance you need at your own pace at home. See the LIBRARY page for loan rules and a full title list. Check 'em out!

About Us

The Minnesota Woodworkers Guild is a group of professional and amateur woodworkers bound together by three goals:

to advocate high standards in our craft
to meet new friends and discuss woodworking
to educate ourselves and the public about woodworking

The Guild hosts monthly educational meetings, offers an annual Fall Seminar and sponsors the annual “Northern Woods” show, an exhibition of fine woodworking. We welcome membership by all woodworkers, regardless of what they build, their level of skill, style of work, or their profession.

Our goal is to encourage the highest standards in woodworking, while allowing each of our members to grow at their own pace, from whatever level of skill and accomplishment they begin with.

Simply put, we want each of our members to become the best woodworker they are capable of, and to enjoy telling their Guild friends about it along the way.