a visit with Dave Fisher

and what happened after

I took a day off last week (or was it the week before?) to go visit some friends - Dave Fisher was teaching up at Pete Galbert’s shop in Rollinsford, New Hampshire. I rubbernecked during the class a while, got to see several extra friends and some student/friends too - it was like old home week.

Dave Fisher

Dave was teaching his “bowl from a plank” project. He had written about the approach in Fine Woodworking recently (#315, Jan/Feb 2025)

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2024/12/06/carve-a-bowl-from-a-board?srsltid=AfmBOopyZehbzZ0la4j5whZoKrFg0aRWMOk_wvVQ4r54aHQyWaza1LHp

When he used to teach with our now-retired Plymouth CRAFT group, it was hewing a bowl from a log. Heavy, hard work and in the few days’ time in the class, the students would never get to the finished bowl - the drying time is too long...

This approach gets around that - an 8/4 board, in this case of basswood. So it’s all about design, detailing, shaping and all attainable. Brilliant work. To get to do all the finish details with Dave is worth the price of admission. I often say so-and-so is the best at this or that - but in Dave’s case, it’s really true. I love to go see his work so I can page through his notebooks - they’re exquisite. Here’s a pile of his bowls:

some of Dave’s work

[a recent blog post of his is here https://davidffisher.com/blog/ ]

I was so inspired that when I got home, I hauled out an 8/4 chunk of Spanish cedar I’ve had around for ages & ages. Its grain was too swept for making moldings- which is what I wanted it for. So it’s been sitting here for years. I spent an afternoon on this bowl - if I had re-read the article it would have helped!

PF version, Spanish cedar

As it is, I was happy with it - Dave’s diagram of the shape/cross-section etc is very clear. I winged it here & there - and did chip-carving on the handles just because. I finished cutting the bowl and put it down on the bench & went about some other stuff. But I kept looking at it out the corner of my eye. Then I decided I could sweep the curve under the handles a bit more.