Hand Tool Headlines
The Woodworking Blogs Aggregator
NOTICE:
Norse Woodsmith will be going offline for possibly up to a week during the month of April (OK, May and maybe June) to attempt a major site upgrade. If it is successful it will return, however it may look wonky for a while while I dial it in. If not successful, well.. then your guess is as good as mine! Thanks in advance for your patience.
Be sure to visit the Hand Tool Headlines section - scores of my favorite woodworking blogs in one place.
David Fisher - Carving Explorations
Bowl from a Plank: Plans, Patterns & Procedures
I started developing the design for what I call the “Bowl from a Plank” two and a half-years ago. I wrote about the beginning in a post in 2022. My goal was to design a beautiful bowl that could be … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
A Poem
My paternal grandmother kept for decades a tattered scrapbook of poems she had clipped from magazines as a girl in a little coal mining town. Later in life, she and my grandfather would visit nursing homes to offer some entertainment … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Walnut Spoons
Having some nice walnut around, I decided to make some spoons from it. I’ve got seven here for sale. The two longest ones, #3 and #5 were made with a pair of salad servers in mind, a pair of matching … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Two Duck Signs
I had an unusual request recently to make a pair of signs, one for each side of a doorway between rooms in an old house. Apparently, the low height of the doorway has claimed the forehead of many a guest. … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Getting Colorful at Pete’s
I returned home a week ago from the most recent Bowl Exploration class at Peter Galbert Workshops. This was the third time I’ve taught this class and each iteration has seen a change or two. This time around, we carved … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Round Brown Bird Bowl
One of the reasons I keep a notebook is to play with ideas and save them for future reference. When I revisit an old notebook, I sometimes wonder what I was thinking, but sometimes I realize the circumstances are right … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Adze Geometry Addition
In my “Bowl Adze Primer” article (Part of the Adze Owner’s Manual materials), I discuss adze bevel geometry. After receiving a good question via email yesterday, I’ve just added this illustration to clarify the geometry that has worked well for … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Just Do the Next Thing
I just finished a hen bowl from black walnut. I’ve made a bunch of these hen/chicken/fowl-inspired bowls over the years. No two of them have been quite the same. Every time I start one I have some uncertainty about how … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Mallets
Mallets are indispensable, and are made principally from the wood of the apple tree, plum tree, beech, and elm. Paul N. Hasluck, Manual of Traditional Woodcarving (1911) If you’re going to carve, you should have a mullet mallet. Sometimes they’re … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Bird Brain Offers New Class
I’ve got birds on my brain. They’ve been fluttering about in the cold bare branches just outside my shop window while I carve bowls inspired by them, inside. I’ve carved a lot of bird bowls over the years. Rather than … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
A New Tree Design
With about six more weeks until my March class at Peter Galbert Workshops, I’ve designed an alternate pattern for the handles of the bowls we’ll be carving. We’ll practice the methods for both designs, and students will have the option … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Adze Owner’s Manual
This idea was sparked a few months ago when I restored an adze. The owner wanted a new handle and some edge reshaping. The head was made by Hans Karlsson. The owner purchased it a couple decades ago from Country … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
Savoring Snow and Announcing a Spring Opening
We’re actually having a winter this year. No grass in sight for weeks, and that’s fine with me. I like how it transforms everything. We walk familiar trails with fresh eyes. Snow seems to defy gravity. Even around the camp … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
First bowl of 2025
This is the bowl I was carving in a post in early November. It was nice to carve 2025 on the foot. 4s aren’t as interesting to carve. I decided to do a small painted scene on the foot of … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools
A Little Sip to Bring in the New Year
I just finished this little cherry whiskey cup (or kuksa or whatever you want to call it) requested by a friend. It holds about four ounces, more than enough to toast the new year. After making some big bowls recently, … Continue reading
Categories: Hand Tools