Category Archives: finding wood

Playing With Cool Sticks

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Dave Fisher

Green woodworking can imply more than just the general notion of working wood that is still relatively fresh with a high moisture content.  Among other things, the term connotes the idea of working with nature, sensitively considering the unique attributes … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, figure, finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Bitty Bowl

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Dave Fisher

That’s either a mutant lemon or a really small bowl.  As you probably guessed, it’s a small bowl — less than nine inches long (8 7/8″ x 3 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ high).  It came from this 5″ diameter branch … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

A Couple Shrink Pots and Spoons

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Dave Fisher

I made a couple shrink posts from sections of birch with personality that I just couldn’t resist.  The bark seems so alive and dynamic — warts and all.  The bending nature of these pieces added just a bit of extra … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, shrink box, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 21 Comments

Beaver Connections

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Dave Fisher

Since sharing some photos of beaver activity in a blog post a couple weeks ago I’ve made a few more beaver connections.  One goes way back to Aesop. If, like me, you weren’t familiar with that unsettling story, this should … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, historical reference, nature, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Rooftop Bird with 12/12 pitch

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Dave Fisher

It’s been a couple years since I wrote this post about a bowl orientation I call a rooftop bowl.  In it, I discussed working with this type of blank and suggested experimenting with quarter-log splits and other angles.  Of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, finding wood, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

Travels

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Dave Fisher

Travelers in Hilly Countryside (c. 1650), Aelbert Cuyp  Image courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art Later this week, I’ll be leading my donkey to Tampa for Fine Woodworking Magazine’s Hands On event.  Kate Swann and her crew down at the … Continue reading →

Posted in classes, events, finding wood, green woodworking, teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Slippery Elm Bowls

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Dave Fisher

There’s no better way to understand the working properties of a wood species than to carve a chunk of it.  Its character is revealed through experience with it,  including subtle nuances that are difficult to communicate.  Different trees within the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, finding wood, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Busting Out

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Dave Fisher

  I want to say there is nothing like the sudden opening of wood, but it is like so many other things — Billy Collins, Splitting Wood A few days ago I split a cherry log into rough blanks for … Continue reading →

Posted in cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Bird Inspiration

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Dave Fisher

The birds are singing in the rain about the small pond in front, the inquisitive chickadee that has flown at once to the alders to reconnoitre us, the blackbirds, the song sparrow, telling of expanding buds. Henry David Thoreau, journal … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, cherry, finding wood, nature, photography, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Lettering on Flat Boards

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Dave Fisher

Cutting lettering into a bowl or spoon can be daunting.  You’ve already invested a lot of time and effort into a project and it could all go down the tubes with one slip of the knife during the lettering.  Even … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, Lettering, paint, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 29 Comments