Making a Bowl Adze with Dave Voges

Abstract

A bowl adze is a special and hard to find tool used to hew or chop bowls. Machinist and blacksmith Dave Voges began making these special adzes when his friend Keith Ruble asked him if he could help him design better tool. Based on Keith’s bowl-hewing knowledge and Dave’s skill, the two designed what many consider one of the best bowl adzes available. Bowl hewers across Indiana prize these special tools. When the elder blacksmith learned that Jon Kay from Indiana University was going to video him making his tools, he decided to have some fun and affix a plaque from his alma mater and IU rival university, Purdue, on his power hammer. Sadly, Dave passed away before this project could be completed. I had intended to interview him about the making process, but it was not to be. Kay dedicate this video to the memory of David Flesher Voges (1940-2017) of Terre Haute, Indiana.