Editor’s note: This is the third in a series focusing on the artists of the Suring area, in honor of Suring’s centennial celebration.
Rick Zill’s specialty is woodworking. His father was a woodworker, too. Zill said his love of working with wood started at an early age while watching his father.
After high school, he moved to Milwaukee to work and, at age 25, began in earnest to create with wood. Other than what he learned from his father, he has never taken any woodworking classes. Instead, he taught himself through books, magazines and other media.
Zill said he enjoys exploring the many different characteristics of the wood taken from different tree species. The differences in texture, softness, hardness and feel of the wood add to the creative process. Also, he said each wood has its own particular fragrance, and it is great to be walking through a lumber yard enjoying the rich fragrances of the variety of lumber displayed.
The machines that Zill utilizes for his projects are a table saw, jointer, plainer, band saw, drill press, lathe, router and sanders. He has built cabinets in his home, plus rocking chairs and tables. He built a small wall cabinet for me to display the China doll dishes I received for Christmas as a child.
But the vases and bowls he creates are where his artistic abilities lie. The vases and bowls are made with very small (1/2 by 1/4 inch) segment turnings of different natural shades of wood. The tiny segments are glued together, and everything has to fit together as perfectly as possible. He also makes special designed trays using different types and shades of wood. A finish of rye wax or Danish oil is applied with a cloth, completing the objects.
Zill has set up a model railroad around his hobby room, laid a vehicle road bed and is in the process of building the little houses and crafting trees to complete the landscape.
He no longer sells his wood products at craft sales, but gives items away for fundraising events and as gifts. For someone wanting to try this craft, his tip is to have patience.
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