Author Archives: Dave Fisher

Paring….continued

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Dave Fisher

I was reminded of this sketch I had done awhile back in response to an emailed question. I thought I’d post it up here as a follow up to last weekend’s post “Prepare to Pare.”  It should be easy to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

What’s a saz?

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Dave Fisher

That was my first thought when I was asked recently to make one; well, the bowl part of one.  Turns out that a saz is a long necked Turkish lute (I found the photo of the one above — I had … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, carving, tools, Uncategorized, video, walnut | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Prepare to Pare

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Dave Fisher

I was paring the interior of a cherry bowl recently.  Whenever I perform this operation, I hold the gouge in an unorthodox carving grip, reminiscent of a scene from Psycho or Julius Caesar. This allows me to register my thumb against … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, cherry, holding, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Compass Goose

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Dave Fisher

  I recently completed this commission for a goose-inspired bowl in walnut.  In some ways it may seem to be quite a departure from a “regular” bowl form, but the process is essentially the same.  As is typical, I work … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Workbench and Photo Studio in One

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Dave Fisher

When it comes to photography, I have no idea what I’m doing.  But then my goal is not to create amazing photographs, but rather to simply take a photograph that captures the true sense of a piece;  I want the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, photography, walnut | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Sand Bags

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Sand bags are usually called upon in times of life-and-death seriousness; like for parapets and levees.  I have one in my shop that serves a less intense purpose.  The last few evenings, I have been carving and refining a walnut … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, carving, holding, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Good News about Chairs

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Twelve years ago, I made my first chair from a tree.  I had no idea how to do it until I watched a video called Make a Chair from a Tree by J. Alexander.  The process and the concept were explained so … Continue reading →

Posted in green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Get a Grip

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Dave Fisher

You may remember the “Pine Tar Game:”  On July 24, 1983, The Kansas City Royals were losing 4-3 to the New York Yankees in the top of the ninth inning.  George Brett, the Royals’ last hope, approached the plate with two … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, axe, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

I hope you love birds too.

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Dave Fisher

I hope you love birds too.  It is economical.  It saves going to heaven. -Emily Dickinson It is very pleasant work carving bird bowls.  I start with a branch and a few roughly sketched lines.  After much bulk is removed … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, cherry, holding, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Working for Walnut

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Dave Fisher

Over the weekend, it warmed up to the low 30’s.  That made it a good time to collect some black walnut from a tree that had uprooted a couple months ago on a friend’s property.  You can see it down there … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments