Category Archives: green woodworking

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

Working Small in Apple Wood

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Dave Fisher

A couple weeks ago, a friend brought me a length of clear apple tree trunk, about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Apple is relatively hard and dense, even when it’s green. Then it tends to move a lot as … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, drying, finding wood, green woodworking, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Long Handled Adze

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Although I rarely use it, I do have a hollowing adze meant to be swung with two hands. For large bowls, it can help to hog out material a little faster. It was looking lonely, so I pulled it off … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, green woodworking, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Esherick Exhibition

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed a deeper exploration into the work and life of Wharton Esherick. There is much to admire and contemplate. Esherick believed he had been overtrained as a painter and discovered his most creative expression … Continue reading →

Posted in events, finding wood, green woodworking, Lettering, nature, publications, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

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