Category Archives: green woodworking

Shop Stool at 25

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Peter Galbert, clearly, did not make this stool. Peter’s stool designs are graceful and thoughtfully considered. Someday, I’d love to make one. Regardless, this old perch will always have a place in the shop. I normally don’t give my stool … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, chairs, green woodworking, Persons, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Drying for Carving Versus Turning

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Dave Fisher

People, especially turners, are often surprised to hear that a bowl can be dry and ready for finish carving in as little as a couple weeks after carving it from green wood. I don’t know much about turning, but from … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, drying, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Phil’s Julfågel

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Last Christmas, Phil Teeter sent me some cheer in the form of these delightful carvings. Phil explained that they are Julfågel (Swedish for Christmas Bird), “very rare and shy — they appear at Christmas and bring good fortune.” Phil has … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, green woodworking, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Moon Spoons?

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A fellow carver directed me toward this short film documenting the traditional making of spoons from boxwood in Spain. Filmed in 1994, it features a man named Pascual Mairal who had been practicing this craft since he was a child. … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, historical reference, holding, spoons, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

When Life Hands You Hickory

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Along with some walnut logs I was collecting a couple weeks ago, there was a bonus hickory log. When I split it, it was clear and straight. The new edition of Make a Chair From a Tree by Jennie Alexander … Continue reading →

Posted in chairs, green woodworking, holding, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Make a Chair from a Tree: Third Edition

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Dave Fisher

This chair not only serves to hold my can comfortably eighteen inches above the ground, it is a constant reminder of an exciting journey with wood. When I made the chair, nearly twenty years ago, I couldn’t seem to get … Continue reading →

Posted in books, chairs, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Another Bowl Beginning

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Why does this never get old? As I was roughing out this big cherry bowl, I thought about how I’ve gone through this process so many times over the years, and yet it remains completely engaging, even thrilling. I suppose … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, cherry, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Follow the Bent

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Dave Fisher

I was not anchored to a house or farm, but could follow the bent of my genius, which is a very crooked one, every moment. Henry David Thoreau, Walden I can’t seem to locate my genius, but I have been … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, green woodworking, quotes and excerpts, spoons, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Dealing with Interlocked Grain

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Trees do funny things.  This cherry was taken down a few months ago in a friend’s yard.  This section has a 4 1/2″ radius and 55 growth rings.  We tend to think of the fibers going straight up the trunk … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, figure, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Take a Whiff

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Yesterday, I was carving the flutes in a walnut bowl and I started thinking about what a big role smell plays among the pleasures of working with wood.  As I savored the rich aroma of the walnut, I thought of … Continue reading →

Posted in green woodworking, sketch, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments