Couple of carving questions :)

[Wild wandering woodsman]

Hi folks, I've been carving for a few years now but am new to green woodworking. I was wondering if I'm working with green wood and it dries out during the project, can it be made "green" again? Or be given the properties of green wood again ? Also I received 2 mora spoon knives for Christmas, how do I sharpen them? Can do knives, chisels gouges etc but haven't a clue how to sharpen these things. TIA
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[Wild wandering woodsman]

Hi folks, I've been carving for a few years now but am new to green woodworking. I was wondering if I'm working with green wood and it dries out during the project, can it be made " green " again? Or be given the properties of green wood again ? Also I received 2 mora spoon knives for Christmas, how do I sharpen them? Can do knives, chisels gouges etc but haven't a clue how to sharpen these things. TIA

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[forginhill]

I think this came up recently in a thread. I've heard about people keeping their wood in plastic bags...freezer....fridge. Some soak them in water. I'd say experiment. I personally carve everything dry. Because I hardly get time to do it (and I live in a desert), the wood is very dry by the time I get to it. That's just my experience. Others will probably have better advice for your situation.

 

[Muddypaws]

You can't make dry wood green again, but you can retard the drying process. I like to store unfinished projects bedded down in a nest of their own wood shavings. The trick with green woodworking is to do the rough shaping quickly, trying to maintain an even thickness to minimise the risk of cracking as the wood dries.
Often the finishing cuts are best made when the wood has dried out, as softer green wood may have a tendency for the soft fibres to lift, although this varies depending on the type of wood used (not much help, but with experience you get a feel for it)

Regarding sharpening spoon knives, you will need a dowel ( eg broom handle), wrap some wet and dry paper around it to work on the inside curve of the blade. Although I don't have a Mora spoon knife I believe they need a lot of work to get them cutting sweetly. Hopefully others will be here soon to give you the benefit of their experience.

Hope this helps.

 

[crosslandkelly]

This is the sharpening method that I use.

[video=youtube;7iq3O7cC7J0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iq3O7cC7J0[/video]

 

[Dean]

That is a good video tutorial Colin it is similar to how I sharpen my own spoon knives, I use a semi-oval shaped peice with one flat side wrapped in leather then I wrap the wet and dry around it, I also use the blue stropping compound and Autosol.

I tend to keep my wood wrapped in a bag in the freezer when not working on it, also if I am working on a small project and it starts to feel like it is drying to quick I will dip it in water just enough to dampen the wood to work. I do like to work seasoned wood though as it has done all the warping and cracking already, this is tough on the hands and tools but builds muscles and improves grip.

How do you sharpen a spoon knife is one of the most asked questions I get quized about, the truth is practice, watch someone or a few videos then have a play, your Mora spoon knives will require a little more work but once done will be very good tools, I have used a Mora for some years now and have only recently upgraded to other makes.

 

[Robson Valley]

+1Dean. When it looks easy, it probably isn't. Practice.

Many was the night when I went to bed, wondering why I could not get the edge I wanted.
Besides that, you have to decide what is a useful bevel angle for the wood(s) you carve.
Next, to learn to be as consistent as possible throughout the entire sharpening and honing process.
The black felt marker trick shows you immediately what's really happening. I've added a cheap 10X
magnifier as a crutch for my old eyes!

I found that 12 degrees is ideal for all 14 of my Pacific Northwest native style crooked carving knives.
8 of those are rebevelled farriers hoof knives (see Mora #171 and #188 for style) which came at nearly 30 degrees
and had to be worked down from there.
The bevel is good for the soft woods that I carve such as western red cedar, yellow cedar and a little pine/spruce.

My elbow adze, Stubai adze and D adze are all 25 degrees. With more steel behind the edge for support, the roughout
chopping work can be done.

 

[humdrum_hostage]

I keep the logs in a cool dark place in the summer and just outside in the winter until I use it then it is kept in a plastic box or sack depending in size of what I am carving with as much shavings from the project as I can collect up each time I have finished. But dont leave it too long otherwise it will sweat and go mouldy.

With regards to spoon knives, I sharpen as Colin's video shows and have a wooden rod with a leather belt stuck to it for the concave edge of the blade. I have had a Mora 164 for a few years now and it has been razor sharp from new and I haven't done any more than use the leather strop on it with flexcut's compound when its feeling a little dull.

 

[Wild wandering woodsman]

This is the sharpening method that I use.

[video=youtube;7iq3O7cC7J0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iq3O7cC7J0[/video]

Thank you just tried this and it worked a treat

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[Wild wandering woodsman]

Thanks all for your advice, knives nice and sharp and carving like a mad man

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[forginhill]

Look forward to seeing the great things you make...