# STL240: Nature is Dave Fisher's design partner

- Show: [Shop Talk Live](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live)
- Published: 2021-05-07
- Length: 1h 07m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner
- Listen: https://shoptalklive.podcast.static.taunton.com/stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner

## Summary

Greenwoodworker and high school teacher Dave Fisher discusses his design philosophy, explaining how he treats nature as a 'design partner' by reading the grain and curves of branches to determine the final form of pieces like bird bowls and shrink pots. He details practical methods for sourcing green wood in urban environments, such as contacting tree removal companies and checking municipal dumps, and outlines storage techniques including painting ends with latex paint and sealing blanks in plastic bags or freezers to prevent cracking and decay.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner#t=6) Introduction and Guest Background
- [9:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner#t=568) Greenwood Projects Beyond Spoons and Bowls
- [23:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner#t=1409) The Design Process and Working with Nature
- [34:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner#t=2083) Sourcing Green Wood in Urban Areas
- [49:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner#t=2970) Storing Green Wood and Blanks

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Festool (company)
- Fine Woodworking (company)
- Jenny Alexander (other)
- Peter Follansbee (other)
- Adrian McCurdy (other)
- James Krenov (other)
- Michael Fortune (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

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- [Episode 294: Bwhu, bwhu, bwhu, bwhu](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-02-05-episode-294-bwhu-bwhu-bwhu-bwhu) (Making It)
- [432: The Windowlicker Room](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-03-01-432-the-windowlicker-room) (Making It)
- [036: Helping Wildlife & Developing Ceramic Products with Gavin Christman of Green&Blue](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-17-036-helping-wildlife-developing-ceramic-products-with-gavin-christman-of-green-b) (Product Startup)
- [Episode 187: It’s like opening a whole bunch of pistachios](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-10-19-episode-187-its-like-opening-a-whole-bunch-of-pistachios) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2021-05-07-stl240-nature-is-dave-fishers-design-partner. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Shop Talk Live.