About a month ago I wrote a post about laying out this walnut bowl to account for the shrinking that would come with drying. Well, I got lucky and it dried pretty close to a circle, but there was still plenty to do. Not just the surface carving, but also dealing with some of the movement that takes place during drying.
After using a block plane to fair a bit of wonkiness out of the upper surface of the rim, I placed the point of my compass just inside the outer edge of the rim and adjusted the span by eye so that the pencil reached to what looked like the center of the bowl. I struck a short arc across the center area. Without changing the compass setting, I moved the compass point around the rim, striking a line each time.
The center of the space between the lines is the center of the bowl.
With the point of the compass placed gently at the center of the bowl, I struck two circles to finally define the rim, making sure both lines were completely within the available field.
With a fresh circle established on top, it was time to turn to the bottom. As expected, the bottom surface had cupped as the bowl dried. Before flattening it, I extended the axes down onto the outer walls of the bowl so that I would be able to re-establish the center point by connecting the lines.
I planed the bottom flat, flipping it over now and then to make sure the bowl sat evenly. In other words, to make sure the planes of the rim and foot were parallel.
Then I re-established the center point and struck the circle that defined the foot.
After more carving to get to the final form of the hollow, I worked my way around the whole interior surface with light push/paring cuts from a shallow gouge (just a small portion of the edge in this case). The subtle cleanly-cut surface will serve and clean up well. This is repetitive work, but each cut takes a certain amount of focus. As the grain orientation changes, adjustments to force and skew have to be made. Still, not a bad time for an audio book. I also textured the outside surface in a similar fashion, but with a steeper gouge. Have another audio book ready. I’ll recommend The Poet’s Corner by John Lithgow. What a world; Morgan Freeman will read poems to you while you carve.
And the final touches. I’m carving (what I’m calling) a pie-crust detail around the inner rim. Notice the holdfasts. If you don’t know what to get that special someone for the holidays — holdfasts.
I’ll end this post with a few shots of the finished bowl. Finish is pure linseed oil, heat-cured over a radiator/space heater. At 18″ (46cm) diameter, this bowl wouldn’t fit in my kiln. This bowl already has a home.
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
Dave:
It is nice to occasionally recognize when the shrinking has ceased, the stars align, and we (in this case, you) have achieved something great. Now is that time.
Bravo!
Merry Christmas,
Rob
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ok just gorgeous–it’s a wow–
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and how lucky is the owner to be–
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The walnut is incredible and the grain symmetry adds such a sweet dimension! I love the size. I will say hi soon. I keep trying to take pictures as nice as yours. I thought you were a bowl carver? Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving Dave – say hi!
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Stunning! Hoping you have a wonderful holiday season.
Gary H.
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Wow, Dave! To my eyes, this is one of the best items you’ve made that I’ve seen. The walnut is spectacular and the surface texture left behind by your carving is like a jewel. The pie crust rim is a perfect crown for a gorgeous work of art. Thank you for sharing the project and the steps you took to produce it. I always learn something from your posts.
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I had the same reaction. Spectacular texture, shape and the detail on the rim makes this one truly special.
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David, just an awesome bowl! Beautiful grain, color, texture and finish.
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David,
I would really appreciate it if you can share guidance on how you use holdfasts in this fashion: specifically the force applied when setting.
I have only tried hold fasts on a bowl once and unfortunately cracked the bowl. And that was with one holdfast with the bowl upside down on a sandbag.
Looking at your image I can’t imagine the forces on opposite sides of the rim.
Thanks,
Derrick
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Good question. The forces on opposite sides of the rim in the photo are probably far less than what you’re imagining. Holdfasts are capable of incredible finesse, as much as any clamp with a screw. I just tap a little with a carver’s mallet. If the bowl still moves, then I tap a little more. Just enough.
That said, if you don’t do anything to increase the friction to enhance the grip, you’ll have to use more force to hold the bowl securely. You’ll notice in the holdfast photo, I’ve got a piece of non-slip carpet mat under the foot of the bowl. I also add grip between the workpiece and the holdfast. Leather is better than nothing, but it is not the best. It simply doesn’t grip as well as some sort of rubber. The holdfasts in the photo have little rubber pieces superglued to the underside of the holdfast pads. So many things can work. Actually, the pieces on mine came from the sole of an old pair of tennis shoes. Before throwing them out, I ripped the rubber part of the sole off.
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Stunning! You always seem to do great work, but this one perhaps even more so to my eye.
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Thanks Dave. What a lovely bowl. The grain pattern in the bottom of the bowl is like an inviting portal to another world. I appreciate your teaching here too about returning to it after it dried and the steps you took. Looks like you anticipated the movement really well. Peace, Glenn
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David,
this bowl is so beautiful. I like it very much. I agree, it’s one of your best.
I always wonder about what you do to get such an excellent symmetrical result.
What is the mystery behind the perfect equability in distance for the final cuts (pie-crusts) around the inner rim? How did you arrange them before cutting? Did you make pencil marks before cutting the „pie-crusts“? Did you make a mathematic calculation for that? What is your way to make sure that you will not end in overlapping?
Thank’s a lot for sharing this project.
Best Regards from Germany Bernd
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Hi Bernd. My goal is to just make each of those gouge cuts that make up the pie crust similar enough to not be visually jarring. Something that would draw your eye away from the whole composition. The only pencil mark I made was one circle around the middle of the rim (using my hand as a marking gauge). That circle marked the back end of each U shape. Each U was made with three or four thin cuts of the gouge, so there is room to adjust a bit and make sure the final cut is back to the line. As far as the spacing side-to-side, I didn’t make any reference marks. Although, if one wanted to, I’d suggest using a pair of dividers and pacing around the rim so that all of the divisions are equal. However, I just relied on using the gouge itself as a reference as I carved. In this case it was a #6/18mm gouge. I also made all of the cuts from the same body positioning to maintain a consistent angle of cut so that the gouge cuts would emerge into the inner wall of the bowl at a similar level. If one were to measure, there would be slight differences in the cuts, but close enough. Your eye perceives the pattern as a whole, maybe it’s a good representation of Gestalt perception. As for coming back to the starting point, when I get maybe ten or so cuts away, I just move the gouge around to see how it’s likely to work out. Then I can adjust slightly by making each of the remaining ten cuts just a smidge wider or narrower. This spreads the adjustment out between them, rather than ending on one cut that is significantly narrower or wider than all of the others.
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Hi David,
thank you for your prompt answer. I’m fine with your explanation. I experienced the same issue by carving a triangle pattern on top of the rim of a bowl (to be seen here: https://www.hobbyschnitzen.de/Schnitzerforum/thread/3632-buche-mit-banane-drin-banane-nicht-zu-versteigern/).
Thank’s a lot! Bernd
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Das ist sehr schön, Bernd! That’s about the limit of what I remember from my high-school German lessons. Nice bowl!
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Danke!
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wow I can’t believe you did that by eye. very impressive, you don’t cease to amaze
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I think this is my favorite bowl of yours. It is pleasing to my need for symmetry. I like the pie crust detail. The best part for me is the texture of the outside surface. That is just elegant.
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Thanks Jay!
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Wow, beautiful! I can’t figure out if the appeal is the bowl’s simplicity or complexity. Not much simpler than a circle, but there’s so much subtle tension in the details… nicely done! Thanks for sharing the finishing steps, especially the layout clues. Is there a carving detail on the foot as well? Couldn’t quite see…
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Yes, there is a circle pattern of gouge thumbnail cuts inside the edge of the foot. Good eye. Here’s a little post about thumbnail cuts:https://davidffisher.com/2021/02/27/gouge-article-and-thumbnail-cuts/
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What a world indeed;
I can sit here looking through my phone screen into the thoughts and deeds of a master carver, and I learn so much.
This bowl graces the eyes in two dimensions. I can’t imagine how it looks and feels in person.
I am grateful to you and God for your effort to share so much through this vlog.
Many well wishes to you and yours ❤ ,
Evan Mathers
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Good afternoon all,
Hope you all are having a great start to the Winter season.
I just wanted to pass along the story behind this very special bowl.
My wife and I have always found Dave’s work to be elegant, refined, and beautiful. Over the summer, my wife attended a cooking class put on by a family at their family property. During one of the demonstrations, the instructors used a large wooden bowl to mix salad and fruit, explaining that the bowl had been in the family for a very long time. My wife was struck by the contrast of the color of the fresh vegetables and fruit in this large wooden bowl, and inspired by the idea of generations using something of such beauty in their everyday lives.
She didn’t relay this story to me until she saw a similar bowl at an antique fair, though it was cracked and had seen better days. When she told me about the desire to use such a bowl for family events and gatherings, I contacted Dave and told him the story of the bowl she had seen at the antique market. In response, he made this.
I can’t begin to explain what this looks and feels like in person. Dave seems to be quite a photographer, but even his photos don’t do it justice. The grain symmetry, the masterful carving, the way that light reflects off of it making you see it in a new light every time it moves. You would be shocked at how light this bowl is. It is special and special to us.
I just wanted to pass this story along as one of inspiration sharing from one person to another. My wife was inspired by a family cooking with a bowl, she had that inspiration rekindled at an antique fair, told me, and inspired me to contact Dave. And well, Dave did what Dave does. He used his inspiration and vision to make art. We will always be thankful.
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Wow! Beautiful bowl. Is that a low angle jack or #4 plane you are using on the base ( Stanley or Veritas perhaps?).
Also, thanks for sharing you tips and experiences using holdfasts, I’m a previous answer. Rubber-sole padding, interesting (I used to use thick, old flip-flop/thong soles as my chest-protector when loading my speargun, at sea).
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That’s a Veritas bevel-up smoother.
When loading your speargun at sea?!!… I’ve really gotta start living.
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