I made some kerf cuts with a handsaw along the side of the blank, stopping where I wanted the handle to be. I repeated this step about 5 or 6 times lowering the bit ever so slightly each time to deepen http://blogozine.net the bowl. With each pass I also made my circles smaller so that I would be creating a bowl like shape. I don’t like to use templates, I just let the wood determine what shape the spoon will be.

Again, anything done with a power tool just saves you the work of having to do it by hand in the forthcoming carving step. For anyone who wants to explore a wood carving technique, connect with their hands, and develop a new skill. http://blogozine.net/best-wood-carving-tools/where-do-i-start-sylva-spoon/ is a sensorial process that connects you with your hands while freeing you from your mind. Together with Andrea, in this course, you will learn about her working philosophy to create a unique object with your own hands. Similar to willow, lime is good for when you’re learning to be a spoon carver but it isn’t a very remarkable wood. Roasting it gives it this dark, almost aged patina quality.

The Bone Spoon

As you can tell, this project doesn’t require many tools, but be prepared to do some sanding. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or use the comment fields. I would also love to hear about your experiences with making wooden spoons.

Using traditional Japanese tools, this beginner level spoon carving kit will teach you how to carve and hollow out the bowl of a spoon. All supplies, a 15 mm spoon gouge and Mikikicha carving knife, and instructions are included. See also Melanie Abrantes’ book Carvefor more instruction and her website melanieabrantes.shop for more resources. Do not let them soak for a long time in water, and never put them in the dishwasher, which will cause the wood to deteriorate quickly. A good spoon should last in the kitchen for many years, but eventually it will wear out.

Split And Prepare The Wood For Carving

I have an appreciation for complete hand tool workmanship. Mineral oil is also an completely acceptable finish, as well as any other “butcher block oil” or beeswax based finish that you may like to use. As a final step, apply a food-safe protective finish to the smoothly sanded spoon.

  • As always, don’t forget to pack your first aid kit when you go bikepacking and as a newbie, be especially careful when you’re miles from anywhere.
  • This Youtube video with Dorset-based Adam Hawker is one in a series of recommended films by Zed Outdoors on spoon makers and their carving processes.
  • Tuck it against your palm, and your thumb provides the leverage to pull the tool into the cut.
  • But like much in woodworking, the hand-carved spoon is in another sphere than its mass-produced substitute.

At some point I eventually started making my own spoons, and carving them with other people as well as a social event – it’s a great thing to share in as a group activity. Domestika’s courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need for completing a specific final project. Every step of the project combines video lessons spoon carving with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika’s courses also allow you to share your own projects with the instructor and other users, thus creating a dynamic course community. In the fourth unit, Andrea talks to you about the key premises for designing a spoon, showing you the different types and how to draw them.

If cracks develop in the bowl, it’s time to retire your spoon. I’m going to share my process for spoon carving in this Instructable. Beyond the final object, carving wood is an almost meditative practice that will make you connect with your own hands while freeing your mind and learning something new.

spoon carving

Sometimes the wood helps guide you, other times you have to make it happen. I aim for a bit of a lift right at the front end of the bowl, then a curve under the deepest part that then sweeps up toward the handle. The end of the handle can either sweep back down a bit, or take one last lift upwards again. The first knife stroke for the handle is a powerful one, used to slice long and generous shavings off the spoon. Hold the knife with your wrist and elbow straight and locked. The movement comes from your upper body and shoulder.