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Rochester Woodcarvers!
The Rochester Woodcarvers Club is a gathering of individuals from around the Rochester Minnesota area who are interested in woodcarving. Everyone is welcome whether they are just interested in learning about woodcarving, are considering starting to carve, or are beginner, experienced or master carvers.
Join us at the next meeting of the 2026-2027 season
Visitors welcome!
For general meeting information and location check out the Club Information menu above.
Upcoming Meetings & Speakers
October 31 – Pumpkin Relief Carving Challenge Ends
November 21 – Ron Scott – Spoon Carving Demo
December 19 – Holiday Pot Luck
January 16 – Charles Banks – Flat Plane Carving
March 20-21 – Annual Show (no meeting)
Other speakers/topics coming up in 2027:
Carving Restorations
Adding gems to carvings
Figure carving class by Charles Banks
Monthly meetings with speakers are on the third Saturday of the month during the fall, winter and spring from 9:45 am to 11:45 am. Visitors are always welcome.
Please invite your spouse, family, friends and neighbors to our meetings!
Remember to bring your “Show and Tell” items to let us know what you have been doing!
Year round Weekly Carve-Ins continue on Tuesday and Wednesday (details here)
Festival of Trees
“The Reason for the Season” is the title for our 2026 tree as our donation to Hiawatha Homes’ Festival of Trees. This year they have agreed to put our tree on their silent auction to help raise even more money.
Come to the Festival to view our tree that is completely decorated with handmade wooden items from both the woodcarvers and the wood turners club members.
It will be open to the public on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 27-29).
Admission is free (and donations are encouraged).
When and Where details (including a map link) are on THIS PAGE.
There is an update about our 2009 Cabin in the Woods tree on its page (HERE).
Pumpkin Relief Carving Challenge
(Still collecting photos through November)
We are challenged folks to do some relief carving on a pumpkin and send in a photo as a fun change of pace from cutting wood. Skip the effort and mess of cleaning the guts, just cut through the surface and relief carve like a piece of wood. Any style of surface carving is welcome (sculpting, chip carving…). Everyone is encouraged to participate.
Photos should be submitted to Pumpkins@RochesterWoodcarvers.com
More details and the photo gallery over Here
Beginning Chip Carving Class in October
The Rochester Woodcarvers Club will hold a beginning chip carving class in Rochester, MN and include two sessions – Wednesday mornings 9AM to Noon on October 7th and 14th.
* The first session will include a discussion about chip carving equipment, techniques, and work on a practice board doing carving.
* The second session will be working on a project (hopefully to complete carving on one or two chip carved coasters)
* Cost is $20 which includes basswood practice board, basswood project, and loaner tools if needed.
* If interested, please contact Andre at Info@RochesterWoodcarvers.com
Treat yourself to a GREAT CLASS and learn or grow in this carving technique! Just thinking ahead, chip carving makes great Christmas Tree ornaments and Christmas presents!
New Carving Learning Opportunities
Some of our club members are offering small group carving classes (chip carving, creating a song bird, sharpening your knife, …)
To get more information and connect with these experts, send an email to info@rochesterwoodcarvers.com
Recent Club Events
Skyway Display
As part of our 50th anniversary, we took advantage of an opportunity to put our creations on display. Over the summer and fall of 2026, part of the Rochester Skyway housed the artwork of the our carvers.
Here is a page talking about the display. It includes a link to photos of the carvings, pictures of creating the display and a map to help you find it.
50th Anniversary Woodcarving Show
The club’s first meeting was on January 10, 1976. 50 years later we are still creating wood chips!
Our annual show this year added some new things to celebrate the anniversary.
The show was on Saturday and Sunday March 28 & 29, 2026
Photos of People’s Choice pieces, raffle items and candid photos at the show are on the show page Here.
A number of videos (both at the show and media coverage) have links there also.
Next Monthly Meeting – November 21
Ron Scott – Spoon Carving Demo
From Axe to Knife
I will show from the beginning of this process, (tree branch/log) to the final steps of the spoon.
A Sloyd Method of carving a spoon from raw material, (in this case a log or branch from a tree) using only hand tools, (axes and knives) to a finish product that not only looks nice but is usable too.
Growing up in St. Paul, 1 of 6 boys all our time was spent outdoors. It is in the great outdoors that I feel most at home. Having older brothers who taught me about camping, fishing, and survival skills. In the United States Marine Corp, it further homed in on more of the survival skills. My passion is to always learn. I always admired my brothers and their carving skills.
Where to find the wood
How to process the wood
Grain Orientation
The Axe
Carving with an axe
Carving with a Sloyd Knife
Using a Hook knife
Finishing cuts
Burnishing the spoon
