Author Archives: Dave Fisher

Hal Borland on Snow

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Dave Fisher

I’ve taken a few photos during our snowy December here. I’ve paired them with words from an essay Hal Borland wrote in 1961, from his essay collection Sundial of the Seasons (1964): One of the penalties of modern life is … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Whittling A Julfågel

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Dave Fisher

Four years ago, I wrote about Phil Teeter and his Julfågels (“Christmas Birds”). A couple days ago, I learned that Phil passed away last month. I went out back, cut a little branch junction and whittled a Julfågel. What fun … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, green woodworking, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Revisiting the QRS-Tree-UV Design

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Dave Fisher

Three years ago, I drew up the design for these “QRS-Tree-UV” alphabet boards. I wrote about my design process in this post back then. I’ve had some fun revisiting the design and carving these three new boards. There they sit … Continue reading →

Posted in design, Lettering, patterns, plans, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Walnut Tray and Autumn Leaves

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Dave Fisher

This black walnut tray started out as an experiment in rehydrating kiln dried wood. One of the carvers in my October class asked me if I had ever tried soaking a block of kiln dried wood to bring it back … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, nature, trees, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Three Shrink Pots

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Dave Fisher

I’ve finished three shrink pots that are available for purchase. I’ll provide some details about each of them below. If you’re interested, please email me at dandkfish@gmail.com. Prices include shipping. Thanks. I’ll start with the pot on the left, Riven … Continue reading →

Posted in shrink box, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

More than Wood: Black Walnut Season

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Dave Fisher

You’ve got to watch your head walking around here in October as the black walnut trees drop their heavy fruits. A walk is accompanied by a chorus of soft plinks and solid thunks. The plinks are acorns, the thunks are … Continue reading →

Posted in historical reference, nature, quotes and excerpts, sketch, trees, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

2026: Pete’s and Hand Tool Haven

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Dave Fisher

I just returned from a week teaching a bird bowl class at Pete Galbert’s in Berwick, Maine. I’ll be settling into my shop for the next few months with lots of projects in mind. I’ll also be thinking about 2026. … Continue reading →

Posted in classes, events, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Ready for Maine

Posted on October 11, 2025 by Dave Fisher

I’m returning to Peter Galbert Workshops in Berwick, Maine to teach another bird bowl class this week. As part of my preparations, I carved another hen bowl to make sure I remembered how. We’ll carve a long and sleek goose-inspired … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, books, classes, teaching, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Strange and Unusual Shrink Pot

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Dave Fisher

In the 1988 movie Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder, as Lydia, professes her strangeness with quiet self-assurance: “I myself am strange and unusual.” About a year ago I was asked to incorporate that line into a piece, and the idea developed in … Continue reading →

Posted in design, Lettering, shrink box, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Drew Langsner’s “The Chairmaker’s Workshop”

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Dave Fisher

I’ve written before about how influential Drew Langsner and his books have been in my woodworking life. But I haven’t mentioned much about his book The Chairmaker’s Workshop specifically. That’s my copy from the ’90s. I love it and I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, chairs, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment