Category Archives: tools

The Return of the Swallows

Posted on July 21, 2017 by

This little guy was in the pear tree yesterday morning.  I hadn’t made any in awhile, which is a shame because they are a lot of fun to make.  I based the design on the swallow and their graceful curves … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, patterns, spoons, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Carving like Caron

Posted on July 19, 2017 by

I often listen to audio books while carving in the shop, and I recently finished Irving Stone’s 1934 book Lust for Life, a biographical novel about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh.  Early on, as learning exercises, Vincent … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, figure, historical reference, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Tree Branch Holdfasts

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

As I’ve mentioned  before, I use holdfasts a lot.  A few weeks ago, I started wondering about the possibility of wooden holdfasts, and I think I will experiment more with making some from two pieces of wood joined with a … Continue reading →

Posted in green woodworking, holding, tools, Uncategorized, video | Tagged | 13 Comments

Woodblock Prints

Posted on June 3, 2017 by

There’s a lot to like about woodblock prints; the centuries-old tradition, the direct nature of the process, the simplicity of the equipment, and the magic of pulling the print from the block.  I decided to give it a try a … Continue reading →

Posted in events, sketch, spoons, tools, Uncategorized, woodblock prints | Tagged | 16 Comments

The Infant of the Sword

Posted on May 17, 2017 by

“I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one’s pocket; the pocket-knife, for instance, the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to … Continue reading →

Posted in carving, Lettering, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Bring Your Adze

Posted on May 16, 2017 by

Just a quick post to say that a spot has opened up in my pre-Fest bowl carving class in Plymouth.  It’s only three weeks away.  If you can squeeze it in, we’ll have a blast making some chips fly together! … Continue reading →

Posted in sketch, teaching, tools, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Getting Started

Posted on April 8, 2017 by

For those interested in starting to carve bowls and spoons from green wood, the unfamiliarity and variety of the tools can be a little intimidating and confusing, especially when they see the large kits built up over many years by … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, axe, carving, green woodworking, tools, Uncategorized | 13 Comments