Drying wood for spoon carving

[bigbear]

I have today taken a limb off a flowering cherry tree.
I have cut and split in two a couple of bits I want to make into spoons.
Am I right in thinking that I leave them to dry before carving, and if so, for how long ?
Do I let them dry with the bark still on ?
Many thanks in advance- it is my first attempt at carving.

 

[brancho]

Carve it wet and the wetter the better

 

[bigbear]

My thanks - will start today !

 

[Neanderthal]

Eh up mate.

Use it while it is still fresh, as it dries/seasons it becomes harder to carve.

If you need to take a break in carving it may be worth putting it in a plastic bag so that it does not dry out too fast and crack.

Cherry has a lovely grain so the end product should look lovely when finished, don't forget to post up some pictures.

Actually, I think I've got a half finished Cherry wood spoon somewhere. Thanks for the reminder.

Happy carving.

Stu

 

[bigbear]

Hey Neanderthal

Good to hear from you my friend- see you around !
Thanks for the tip

BB

 

[Neanderthal]

Another finished product in the Spoon Box.

Definitely don't let the wood dry out, it is hard work to carve.

Hope you have as much fun as I did.

Stu

 

[VirusKiller]

Tip I got from Ben Orford: You can alway soak wood in water if it dries out too much!

 

[John Fenna]

Seasoned cherry is not too hard to carve in my experience - you do need a sharp blade and a handy strop though!
If you want a hard wood to carve try Victorian Oak...I have made several spoons , spatulas and knife handles from bits of a skipped Victorian chest of draws...that is HARD wood!
I quite like carving seasoned wood..you know it will not split after it is carved, you can only get small bits off in one cut so you do not often end up cutting away bits that would have been better left on and - if you are like me - you get to recycle wood that would otherwise go to waste!