Category Archives: Uncategorized

June Bird Bowl and Bowl-Blank News

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Dave Fisher

June is here and the birds and flowers are bursting with enthusiasm. I’m mostly making final preparations for my upcoming shrink pot and lettering class at Pete Galbert’s, but I wanted to take a moment to post this bowl that … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, cherry, finding wood, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Hand Tool Haven — Tomorrow!

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Dave Fisher

It stopped raining long enough yesterday for me to hack away at a cherry log in preparation for my demonstration/presentation at the Hand Tool Haven event. Early tomorrow morning, I’ll drive the mere 50 miles to Butler, PA with some … Continue reading →

Posted in classes, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Spring Movement

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Dave Fisher

After the relative stillness of winter, everything seems to be in motion now. The spring rains have encouraged the creek to dance to the white-throated sparrow’s tune. Emerging leaves are being introduced to wind. Even when the air is still, … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, cherry, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Woodworking in Estonia: From Ants to Meelis

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Dave Fisher

Last summer, I published a post that featured shrink pot references from the book Woodworking in Estonia by Ants Viires. Thanks to a comment on that post by William Torlot, I learned of Meelis Kihulane’s and his connection with Ants … Continue reading →

Posted in books, events, finding wood, green woodworking, historical reference, Persons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Three Shrinkpots and a Bowl

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Dave Fisher

These three shrink pots and a bowl were all made from trees/branches that fell in the woods around the house. 1: 6″ high x 3 3/8″. Cherry with subtly faceted surface. The rabbeted lid is from a chunk of oak … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, figure, shrink box, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Leaves of Grass Shrink Book Box

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Dave Fisher

You might recognize this book box from my most recent post. When I started roughing this book form from a green log, I had no final design in mind at all. But that wonderful “blemish” that was revealed on the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, carving, figure, green woodworking, Lettering, shrink box, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Boring Shrink Pots

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Dave Fisher

To make a shrink pot, regardless of form, you’ve got to bore at least one hole through end-grain. I typically use an antique T-handle auger for that task. In this old post, I show how I sharpen it and use … Continue reading →

Posted in shrink box, tools, Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Six Spoons

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Dave Fisher

My intermittent spoon carving has resulted in six more spoons available for purchase. These were carved from branch crooks. All surfaces are straight from the cutting edge and all have been treated with pure linseed/flaxseed oil and kiln-cured. Ready to … Continue reading →

Posted in finding wood, spoons, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Carve an Ice Cream Bowl

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Dave Fisher

Last March, I was teaching a bowl-from-a-plank class at Pete Galbert’s. After the students finished their longer bowls, we made what I call an “ice cream bowl.” It was a good opportunity to reinforce the skills and techniques we had … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged | 4 Comments

Leaf Pattern Shrink Pot

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Dave Fisher

This leaf pattern is a design that I’ve been experimenting with on bits of scrap for a long time, tweaking this and that. This four-sided shrink pot, made from a red maple log, was a good canvas for it, and … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, patterns, shrink box, Uncategorized | 17 Comments