Category Archives: green woodworking

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

Round Walnut Bowl Layout: Plan for Shrinkage

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Dave Fisher

A wide walnut logs came my way a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been busy roughing out a few things from it. One of them will be a big open round bowl, 18 or 19 inches (46-48cm) in diameter. In … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, green woodworking, layout, tools, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Bowl Redesign

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Dave Fisher

Greenwood carving calls for flexibility. I do my best to decipher clues about what will be found inside the log. Still, I’m often surprised. Sometimes, a total redesign is required. The cherry bowl in the photo above ended up very … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, green woodworking, holding, paint, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Twist and Shout

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Dave Fisher

Yesterday, I was splitting a small straight cherry log for a potential bowl. I was planning on using the upper half above this chunk. As the log split apart, my plans changed. Just about every tree grows with at least … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Branch Crook Choices

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Dave Fisher

Another post about processing crooks. For the others, check the category menu (to the right) under “finding wood.” This time I want to show a couple decisions I made when finding a spoon in a piece of the crazy magnolia … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Drying Revisited

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Dave Fisher

Several years ago, I wrote a post outlining my approach to keeping wood green, handling it during the carving process, then letting it dry and so on. As I was carving this bowl recently, I read back through that post. … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, drying, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged | 10 Comments

Sinuous Serotina Bowl

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Dave Fisher

It was sunny and 70 degrees today. We’re still in winter, but this weather reminds me more of the late summer days when I first roughed out this bowl from a black cherry tree (Prunus serotina) limb. It was a … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Uprooted Ladle

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Dave Fisher

A walk through the woods often makes me stop in my tracks. It may be something as simple as an interesting lichen on a rock or a deer bed. Other times it’s a phenomenal thing like this huge maple uprooted by the … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, layout, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Bird in the Crotch

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Dave Fisher

A couple years ago, I experimented for the first time with carving a bird from the crotch of a tree. I carved a little bird and it worked out, even though the grain was a bear to deal with and there … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, sketch, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Spoon of Indecision

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Dave Fisher

When I find a good crooked branch for a spoon, the best orientation of the bowl and handle is usually pretty clear. The bowl is in the tightest part of the bend and the area to one side or the … Continue reading →

Posted in green woodworking, layout, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments