Category Archives: holding

I Remembered How!

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Dave Fisher

It had been several months since I had roughed out a bowl from a log, the longest period of time in the last 25 years or so. There’s still plenty of settling-in to do here, but I was able to … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, bowls, cherry, holding, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Wall Shelves

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Dave Fisher

Building two matching shelf units to hang on either side of a central window in the garage/workshop was the first real testing ground for the new workbench. It works, and so do the shelves. I wanted them to hold a … Continue reading →

Posted in holding, Uncategorized, workshop | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Dog Holes and Vise Jaws

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Dave Fisher

I like holes in my benchtop. I use them for holdfasts, bench dogs, pegs of one sort or another, and for securing a carving vise. I’ve written many posts over the years that show me using these techniques in one … Continue reading →

Posted in holding, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

My (New?) Workbench

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Dave Fisher

What you see above is the face frame/apron from my old workbench. Southern yellow pine 2x6s joined with mortises and tenons, with a sliding deadman in the middle. I had made this as an addition to my old bench several … Continue reading →

Posted in holding, nature, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

New Bowl Horse Plans and Tutorial

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Dave Fisher

Over twenty years ago, I designed and built my first bowl horse and it has been an important carving partner for me ever since. I use it for every bowl, but also for shrink pots, spoon blanks, and all sorts … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, events, holding, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Arch Top and Flat Top

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Dave Fisher

These two walnut bowls are very much alike in all aspects of their design except for the shape of the upper surface. I split both blanks from the same log. After hewing and planing both bottom surfaces flat, I gave … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, holding, layout, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Useful Leather Hoof Pads

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I like the idea of wearing a shop apron, but I’ve never been able to get in the habit, for a number of reasons. Some guys swear by them, and some have truly special ones. Jögge Sundqvist wears an amazing … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, holding, spoons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Bowl from Dry Walnut

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Wood is much easier to carve when it’s green, and you can get right to work with a large blank of fresh uncracked wood straight from the tree. Then you can let the bowl dry, stress and crack free, before … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, holding, patterns, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

The Saw Wright Sign

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Dave Fisher

In the last month or so, I tried to knock a little bit of the rust off of my letter carving. I warmed up by completing a couple smaller projects, then tackled this long sign for Matt Cianci, a guy … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, holding, Lettering, paint, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 13 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