Category Archives: tools

Gouge Versatility

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Early one April morning when we were twelve, my buddy, Scott, and I met on the bank of the Little Shenango River, excited to use our shiny new spinners on the first day of trout season. Our reels were full … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, holding, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Gouge Article and Thumbnail Cuts

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Dave Fisher

In the current issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine, #288 Mar/Apr 2021, is an article in which I suggest seven or eight gouges that form a solid kit for greenwood carving. One of them is a #8 10mm gouge that can … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, patterns, tools, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Curves and Chamfers

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Dave Fisher

When a bowl is almost finished, with over 99% of the wood to be removed already on the shop floor, I’m always amazed at what a difference those final few cuts can make. Most of those final cuts could be … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, tools, Uncategorized, walnut | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Inshave

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Dave Fisher

Last weekend, I was hollowing a big deep bowl from a cherry log. After the adze work, I reached for a tool I use from time to time to fine tune the form of a large hollow. I’ve seen tools … Continue reading →

Posted in books, bowls, cherry, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Patience

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Dave Fisher

As I was using my adze to rough out some spoons this weekend, I was reminded by a few emails that folks are still having a tough time getting their hands on a good adze. This can be seen as … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 15 Comments

Adze Article

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Dave Fisher

Fine Woodworking Magazine gave me a chance to write about adzes and the article is in the current issue, just out, in case you’re interested. I focused on the concepts, as I understand them based on my experience, that allow … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, tools, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

A Burl and a Box

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Dave Fisher

I rarely work with burl, but when a piece from a Norway maple came my way , I decided to see what I could make from it. I ended up with this cup (4 1/2″ in diameter and 2 1/4″ … Continue reading →

Posted in burl, layout, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Carving Catalpa

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Dave Fisher

When a friend of mine sent me this big chunk of fresh catalpa wood, some memories came to mind. When I was a kid we had a big catalpa tree in the yard and I had fun playing with the … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, finding wood, layout, tools, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Cleave the Wood

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Dave Fisher

When a friend asked me to carve this short line from Saying 77 of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, I spent a lot of time thinking.  There were a lot of decisions to make, from choosing among various translations to … Continue reading →

Posted in Lettering, quotes and excerpts, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

An Egg Today

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Dave Fisher

“Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.”  –traditional proverb Each piece of tree comes with it’s own history and quirks.  I look closely and start thinking about possibilities.  Usually this will result in a variation on some design I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, patterns, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments