Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

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Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Passion in Woodworking

Neillsville Woodworker Wendell Ziegler holds one of his finished products

– A black walnut bowl. (Photo by Cheryl Anderegg/Clark County Press)

By Cheryl Anderegg

Wendell Ziegler was bitten by the woodworking bug, which can be seen in the unique pieces he produces at his rural Neillsville home.

With the purchase of a turning lathe approximately four years ago, Ziegler said it brought out his creative side of woodworking.

Each article is unique.  "I don’t like to mass produce," said Ziegler, and it can be seen in the various items he has for sale.

Primarily working with black walnut, Ziegler also works with oak and sumac.  He also ventures into the exotic, working with morado, Brazilian rosewood, and lignum vitae and Argentinean wood with a natural green color to it.

Experimentation with the lathe has brought on "inside out" turning, a process in which four pieces of wood are worked on and then taken apart and finished.

Items he has crafted include bowls, goblets, chess and checker sets, ornaments, candles and decorative butterflies - with no two alike. Zeigler sells his items at craft shows during the year. They can also be viewed by appointment at his home.