About our Club

Club's Mission/Purpose

The mission of the Tennessee Valley Woodworkers is to promote woodworking skills within our group and the community and to provide a means for fellowship with other people having a similar interest. Anyone interested in woodworking is welcome.

Size of Club

There are presently approximately 170 men and women in the club. A typical meeting will see about 65 to 80 people made up of members and a few guests.

Typical Meeting

Meetings begin at 7 PM on the third Tuesday of EVERY month at the University of Tennessee Space Institute near Estill Springs. There is a short business meeting followed by show and tell. After a short break, there is a program which usually lasts until about 9 PM. Programs usually address woodworking demonstrations and lectures, but sometimes branch into related fields such as stained glass, jewelry, model building, etc. Recent programs have included string inlays, furniture design, photographing your work, carving figures, and turning offset legs.

In addition to the monthly general meetings, there are small workshops for 5 to 8 people and a mentor. Recent workshops have been conducted on making a turned leg stool, a tool tote (joinery), making dovetail joints with a jig, segmented vessels, and tool sharpening. The club also sponsors a picnic, with an auction, in spring and a pot luck dinner in early December. These events, along with a seminar or symposium in the spring and fall, provide opportunities for members and guests to get together to discuss woodworking, have a good meal, and enjoy each other's company.