27" Damson wood spoon

[tombear]

A mate gave me some wormy damson wood from a old dead tree which had enough hole free heart wood to make a big spoon to use with cauldrons, jam pans and other big pots. This time I went for strength over beauty although saying that I really like how its turned out. Its swallowed a lot of food grade linseed oil so far and it will more coats before it goes into use.

I knocked up a clamp from some scrap wood with the good old electric jigsaw.

I really enjoyed using the home converted side axe to remove a lot of the wormy wood. I'll have to save up for a real one with a off set eye.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

Nice bit of spoon carving there Tom and that clamp is a really neat idea

 

[Macaroon]

That's lovely, Tom...................I always love the results from any of the Prunus woods and this is a grand example

 

[Robson Valley]

Looks like good strength between the bowl and the handle. Great wood and design.
Just right for the 15 liter stock pot that I had to buy for myself!

 

[Janne]

It is very beautiful, classic, clean lines!

You are very skilled!

 

[Dreadhead]

ooo that's lovely! a branch from one of my damson trees came down recently so i've stored the wood aside for spoons, didn't realise it had such a lovely colour

 

[Muddypaws]

That's a whopping big spoon! Lovely prunus wood too - a true object of great beauty!

 

[tombear]

Thanks for the kind words folks!

I managed to get one fairly big piece and a couple of eating spoon sized pieces from the other damson log, the rest had splits or worm holes, so have started on a 18" ladle of sorts.

Apart from a couple of long cuts with a saw for the handle and a short curved cut at the neck as it goes into the bowl with a fret saw all the rough shaping was done with the side axe (either short chopping blows or choked up as a knife/ulu) and a small surform.

I've now got as far as rough cutting the bowl out. I got it to pretty much how I want it to be with permagrits and surforms but the handle needs a fair bit of shaping still. The woods pleasant to work but pretty hard as its been dead at least 8 years.

I'll put up another pic when its done.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well I'm all out of fine sandpaper so it will get a bit more work when i do but the ladles done to all intents and purposes. I left the walls quite thick as its going to be a user. Saying that its quite a deep bowl, more than big enough for tasting!

I used a nice sharp mini scraper to finish the inside of the bowl.

Thats all folks!

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

You can fake the delicacy of the spoon bowl by thinning just the very rim.
Then, perspective makes it harder to judge the wall thickness.
The whole thing is just such a wonderful result.

 

[tombear]

Cheers!

since we've now reset the central heating to timed after having it off over the summer and I was getting oily anyroad I decided to dig out the spoons etc and check them for cracking and give them a light dose of the food grade linseed oil herself got me from Tescos.

Less a few bits I've given away as presents ( and the turned bowls, carved tool handles and what not that were oiled recently ) its pretty much everything i've carved in wood the last 10 years . Surprisingly little really. One thing I did notice is I've moved away from the thin enough to see the sun through stuff I started off wanting to do and everything is chunkier and more robust. Part of that is from looking at a awful lot of treen in museums, especially kitchen and poor peoples kit (as opposed to some of the delicate, dainty, high end pieces ) You could really beat someone to death with most of it!

ATB

Tom

 

[Hunkyfunkster]

That's a very lovely spoon

 

[Robson Valley]

Quite a body of beautiful work. Tops have to be the big ladles, to the left.
Not a fork in the lot. Hmmmmmmm.
I've found the forks to be more effective at stirring liquids (and pasta) with far less splashing than with a spoon.
The spoons with the thickest of handles are masterful "stirring rods" for doughs.
A couple of your dark wood pieces in the lower center would work well in my kitchen.. . . .but I've carved a few.

What's the purpose for the long rod with the lumps on the ends?
Just to the right of center.

 

[Janne]

Wow!

You display a rare skill.

 

[tombear]

Thanks!

RB, I think what you are referring to is a copy of a extra long Victorian pastry pastry rolling pin, the lumps on the end nearest form a slot where you can hang it vertically from a cut out in a shelf as it wont fit in a draw, well none i have. I used sycamore as it's traditional for kitchen gear and was the only stuff I had big enough.

Yeah I'm fond of the big ladles myself, two are direct copies of ones in the reserve collection of Rochdale museums service and the one closest to the camera is a copy of one with a broken handle they have which I gave the handle shown in a 1818 illustration on oatcake making. The insides and rims should have been turned on a bodgers lathe but not having one I had to carve them insted, which took a lot long. I did manage to do one on a electric lathe with a short stubby handle but when i tried to do one with a long one, well it wasn't safe I can tell you that.

ATB

Tom

 

[Janne]

A stupid question:
Some of your work has very elaborate handles, curved and so on. Do you choose a wood that is curved in an approx. shape for those?

That ladle with an almost 90 degree angled, wavy, curved handle (just left of the rolling pin) is particularly nice.

It is also nice to see your work bench. Proper Swedish quality, unbreakable!

 

[tombear]

Yeah, I sometimes lose the plot and start messing about, hence the hoof shaped ladle with the Thelwell pony head carved into the end of the handle and the Elephant, both for herself. To be honest although in most cases I try and find a piece that curves the way I want the general shape of handle and especially the junction between the handle and bowl on some I just carve the shape in leaving a very weak area, in the case of the 90 degree one that's too weak to stir food with and was vaguely intended for punch.

ATB

Tom