hi all ,non toxic wood for mug and spoon ?

[romany rye]

hi this is my first post on this site so hello all ,im looking for information on what wood is best for making spoons ,bowls etc looking for a non toxic woods to make them from any and all ideas will be great never done spoons or bowels before ,also how long do you dry your woods before carving ? i make alot of catapults but these need only a few dys drying really

thanks

 

[Baggy]

Birch is a good wood to start with, I have also used apple, cheery, hornbeam and oak all carved green

 

[John Fenna]

Sycamore, beech, ash ... to be honest the list is a long one!

 

[mountainm]

It'd be quicker to make a list of the toxic woods, there's an extensive list elsewhere on the forum - but DO NOT use:

Holly
Yew
Laburnum
Rhodedendron

never done spoons or bowels before

I'd be interested in seeing wooden bowels - Or would I?

 

[Stanleythecat]

Hi Romany Rye, no need to dry wood for the carving. Cut and carve when green (hence the green woodwork) and it will be ten times easier than when it is seasoned. If you are after a perfect finish let it dry then sand. By carving wet you remove unwanted waste wood and the end product will dry more quickly as a result.

Leo

 

[plastic-ninja]

Welcome to the forum Romany.
Most green woods are good to play with.
You will develop your own favourites as you go along so with the advice from Mike mountainm you should be good to go.
What are you using for carving knife?My favourite is a Ray Iles but also have a edc whittler from Smith & Wesson to carry
with me just in case I can't resist a nice piece of wood.
Cheers , Simon

 

[rancid badger]

Use fresh green wood but take your time and store the job in a sealed plastic bag between carving sessions to avoid the wood drying out too quickly, which will lead to cracking.

I've used all sorts of wood, basically anything I could get hold of, but always as fresh as possible.

The only wood I wouldn't use for spoons or bowls/plates etc would be Yew, I don't think its actually poisonus for this sort of thing but I dont know, regardless I found it a buxxer to carve anyway, so apart from a couple of early tries, I've avoided it.

good luck and welcome to the forum

R.B.

PS just spotted Mountainm's post there!

That's good enough for me

 

[LuckyDucky]

Use fresh green wood but take your time and store the job in a sealed plastic bag between carving sessions to avoid the wood drying out too quickly, which will lead to cracking.

I've used all sorts of wood, basically anything I could get hold of, but always as fresh as possible.

The only wood I wouldn't use for spoons or bowls/plates etc would be Yew, I don't think its actually poisonus for this sort of thing but I dont know, regardless I found it a buxxer to carve anyway, so apart from a couple of early tries, I've avoided it.

good luck and welcome to the forum
R.B.
PS just spotted Mountainm's post there!
That's good enough for me

Do you have to put any oil on the wood once finished? If so can you put regular cooking oil on?

 

[Mesquite]

Do you have to put any oil on the wood once finished? If so can you put regular cooking oil on?

You can but it's not totally essential.

I've a spoon I've had for over 2 years that's never been oiled and it's just fine... developed a nice patina over time

As for oil I've heard that olive oil isn't a good idea as it can go rancid. A lot of folks recommend walnut oil which you can buy from any good superstore

 

[LuckyDucky]

You can but it's not totally essential.

I've a spoon I've had for over 2 years that's never been oiled and it's just fine... developed a nice patina over time

As for oil I've heard that olive oil isn't a good idea as it can go rancid. A lot of folks recommend walnut oil which you can buy from any good superstore

Cool ill try that. Wow so much stuff to carve so little wood!
I have a shed load of layllandi any good for cups/spoons ?

 

[rancid badger]

You can but it's not totally essential.

I've a spoon I've had for over 2 years that's never been oiled and it's just fine... developed a nice patina over time

As for oil I've heard that olive oil isn't a good idea as it can go rancid. A lot of folks recommend walnut oil which you can buy from any good superstore

Hoy! what's wrong with rancid!?

No you're absolutely right, you dont have to use oil, I don't very often anymore but always use walnut oil if I decide to oil anything for food items.

cheers

Steve