Category Archives: tools

My New Old Arkansas Stone

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Dave Fisher

A whetstone is no carving instrument, And yet it maketh sharp the carving tool; And if you see my efforts wrongly spent, Eschew that course and learn out of my school; For thus the wise may profit by the fool, … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, quotes and excerpts, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Merging Cuts in the Hollow

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Dave Fisher

Earlier this month, I wrote a post about two walnut bowls, and there was a question in the comments about dealing with the tricky area where the grain direction merges across the middle of the hollow. I wanted to expand … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 10 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 , , | 8 Comments

Drawknife Thoughts

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I’ve mentioned and shown drawknives in use in many posts. I use them for bowls, shrink pots, big spoons, chairs, and all sorts of other things. I thought it was about time I shared a few specific thoughts about this … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, sharpening, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Goose-Inspired Sugar Maple Bowl

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Dave Fisher

What a dull world if we knew all about geese! Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949) Geese still hold plenty of mystery for me. In this part of the world, they are Canada geese. Their abundance makes them easy … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, finding wood, nature, quotes and excerpts, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

More Lettercarving Thoughts

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Dave Fisher

I’ve written a lot of posts that at least touch on lettering over the years, 53 according to the category menu on the right side of my blog page. Here’s the list. Of course, I’ve continued to learn with each … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Lettering, sharpening, spoons, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Mr. McInturf and the Card Scraper

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Dave Fisher

As I relentlessly bore down on the vibrating sander, I peered through the cloud of dust and saw Mr. McInturf motioning me toward him. As I turned off the machine and maneuvered between my high school Wood Shop classmates, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Persons, sharpening, teaching, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Maple Branch to Maple Bird

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Dave Fisher

A blank canvas can be daunting. I like how the peculiarities in a piece of tree focus the possibilities for me. I just finished this bird bowl from a twisted maple branch and I thought I’d share some photos I … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, layout, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments

Since You Gotta Brush Your Teeth Anyway

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Dave Fisher

All of the used toothbrushes in the house make their way to the workshop where I use them for all sorts of odd jobs from cleaning, to gluing, to finishing. The one above, made by Mable, was handed down to … Continue reading →

Posted in sharpening, sketch, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Bird Bowl from Straight Grain

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Most of the bird bowls I make come from crooks, with the form following the flow of the fibers. In designing and making this bowl, I tried to achieve similar lines and a sense of movement within the constraints of … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, figure, finding wood, layout, patterns, quotes and excerpts, sketch, tools, trees, Uncategorized | 8 Comments