Between the skiing, running and other day to day fatherly duties, i've finally busted out the tools and some wood and gotten to work again. Nice to tune up some edges and rattle off some projects. Here i'm using a Mora Erik Frost 162 double sided hook knife while the Ashley Iles gouge stands by, along with a small Mora carving knife.


Diggin this:


And pumped for my old Uncle Erv at 69years young, who rode to the finish of the Arrowhead 135 ultra-marathon in 37hrs55min in Northern Minnesota on his Pugsley this week. Deadly.
Stay young folks.


peace

photo by e.

A sample of a few birch projects that i finished up not long before christmas; including N's new dough bowl.



peace
e

photo by eric berglund

Birch Bowl



Posted this bowl back in March. Finally got to sanding it, after fashioning my sanding rig, which helps to speed the task along. Pulled this birch off a friends property over in the Slate River valley, southwest of town, two summers ago. Grain came out really nice, especially after applying two coats of Clapham's Bees Wax Salad Bowl Finish.

peace
e

photo by eric berglund
bowl by eric berglund

goodness





peace

photo's by: eric berglund

Freeze, thaw, freeze thaw. Thaw. Thaw. Thaw. Thaw. Most, if not all ice and snow on land has disappeared, which is not totally the norm for these parts in March. It sort of feels like winter had just started to get rollin, before it was cut short by these temps in the teens.

Put this birch bowl aside to dry, several weeks ago now. I'll probably be able to pull it out and sand it later this summer, along with all the other projects that have been stockpiling on the drying rack.


Just another rad shot of the lakes from NOAA.


peace
e

photos: eric berglund

Download the full size satellite image from NOAA here.

Natural glass work

30th B-day ski yesterday with Oskar. Unbelievable out there and finally starting to tap into my "old man strength" (which only gets better with time).

Finished up this first flour scoop sunday morning between waffles & bacon with O and N and skiing.


peace
e

photo's by eric berglund

Too warm for January in NWO. Rain to heavy snow, temp hovering around zero, strong east to ESE winds. Skiin' on month old snow up until now, so this should do something.

Break out the tools, quick tune of the edges with the strop and lay into some birch that has been sitting idle outside for the last few months. Fill the basement shop with the smell of fresh wood shavings. Oskar joins me for a bit and sits in his high chair to watch while he munches on an organic snack and smiles. Makes me smile.

Self shot


Tools- Mora, Ashley Iles, Granfors, and Hans Karlsson

In progress

peace
e

photos by e.

Had a wicked countryside road ride over lunch hour today and then hit the dirt and the woods this evening with j. and Lutsen for some knobby action. Got to be takin advantage of these nice days when the opportunity arises folks.

single trackin

geeked out scenic bike shot while Lutsen cooled down in the river

and yeah...a bunch of fine steel for workin some greenwood.
A couple Hans Karlsson and Ashley Iles gouges, a Mora knife and
Gransfors adz.


Oskar tossin a fist in the air and looking cute and cool all at the same time.


peace
e
photo's by eric berglund

Inspired

Inspiration


Mora collection

Tradition


Might want to think about dusting off the board and adding some wax. just saying, that's all.

photo's by: eric berglund

Got into carving spoons this past fall using axe and knife, mostly out of intrigue and because i was having a need to get creative. After coming back from Sweden i decided to get my act together and give it a try. I've got an uncle, Erv is his name, who has been carving some pretty deadly bowls of the Swedish form and design for several years now. Bowls that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, a fundamental aspect to Swedish design.

A couple from his personal collection.


I finally had the opportunity to get some hands on instruction in his shop (read: basement) this past weekend and carve my self a bowl. Definitely more to it, once you start breaking down the steps and working through the process.

Tools: Gransfors Bruks Drawknife, GB carving axe, GB short-handle adze, Hans Karlsson Gouges (HK-08,HK-24,& HK-06).

First attempt at a bowl. Still needs drying time and sanding. Will post when finished.

Much thanks Erv.

peace
e

photos By: Eric Berglund

Out of the depths of winter on the prairies, comes good food,
birch spoons and sunny days.

Merry Christmas

And back on the lake, Burton Hathaway
tears this one to pieces down near Duluth last weekend.
Photo courtesy of Bob Tema at Superior Surf Club.

photogs By: Eric

The tools of the trade in an elementary school
wood working classroom in Varmland, Sweden.
Bandsaw and lathe work is left to the teacher.

Ideas

Work in progress



Be creative


photographs By Eric Berglund