Spoon aid

[Yohny]

I'm always amazed by the level of craftsmanship in the gallery etc. I do a little bit of leather work, tried to make my own knife & the odd bit of carving (odd being the correct word!), but nothing compared to what I see here. Anyway, I've made a few spoons, or rather spoon shaped pieces of wood, but despite the info I've read here, I still encounter problems. So any advice & tips would be greatly appreciated.

1) When scooping out the bowl with a crook knife, what's the best technique? I seem to gouge out chunks that split the wood.
2) I sand my spoon after carving, & probably need finer grade paper, but how do you bring the grain out?
3) What oil do you use? I have used linseed but I'm not sure if that's healthy or not for a spoon, so that ones not for use at the minute!
4) I'd love to try a noggin, but I struggle enough with just the bowl of a spoon! Any ideas how to gouge a cup out a burl or small trunk?

Many thanks!

 

[Paganwolf]

Hi Buddy, it would be easier to show you im only in Essex if you would like to sort something out PM me, but ill simply explain the principles of the questions you have asked,

1) When scooping out the bowl with a crook knife, what's the best technique? I seem to gouge out chunks that split the wood.

When carving a bowl in your spoon firstly make sure your crook knife is properly sharpened,having blunt tools is a common fault for biginners with carving and a dull blade will give you no end of trouble tackling delicate areas, next carve accross your bowl against the grain using small cuts not great big heavy ones,if you dont you will lift the fibers in the wood and as you say split off bits as you go, small cuts are easier more "controlled" and thenasty curved thumb cuts occur when trying to scoop the bowl out in one whack! lol

2) I sand my spoon after carving, & probably need finer grade paper, but how do you bring the grain out?

when you are sanding your bowl work down through a couple of grits till you reach a fine grit sand untill smooth to the touch then run your spoon under warm water, this will raise the grain and feel rough to the touch again,leave to dry and repeat the process untill the grain of the wood stops raising.


3) What oil do you use? I have used linseed but I'm not sure if that's healthy or not for a spoon, so that ones not for use at the minute!

Tung oil or a nut oil is best, vegatable oils tend to become rancid if too much is used and the spoon is not used frequently, tung oil is available from axminster tools and is non toxic and most supermarkets do a good range of nut oils.Saying that i use boiled and it must be boiled linseed oil from time to time and im normal still honest


4) I'd love to try a noggin, but I struggle enough with just the bowl of a spoon! Any ideas how to gouge a cup out a burl or small trunk?

Carving a noggin or burl cup is pretty much the same as a spoon but on a grander scale, time and patience is a vertue here all good things come to those who take their time and loving care when carving anything buddy but the same goes for any green wood carving project make sure you remove any heart wood as the "pith" if you like drys at different rate as the outer wood and will cause your peice to split if left in, a particularly common fault when carving bowls or noggins/kuksas, cut a small length of say birch and leave to dry and look at the center you will quickly see what i mean, as i have said easier to show you save my tired blistered fingers lol
I hope thats ok as i have said not to detailed as to be here typing all night but to the point me thinks Happy carving fella .......JP

 

[Paganwolf]

Oh ill put some pictures up tomorrow too tired now as ive been up since 4.30 this morning and my eyes feel like eskimo urine holes at the mo

 

[Biddlesby]

Isn't raw linseed oil non-toxic and boiled toxic, not the other way round?

 

[Paganwolf]

basically Boiled linseed oil goes hard raw doesnt as the heat of boiling changes the oil (im not a chemist so cant explain fully lol), a small amount rubbed hard into a small utencil like a spoon will bring out the grain and seal it if needed, but best stick to nut oils or tung oil they are safe and non toxic, once the spoon is dry warm it on a radiator and rub a small amount of oil into your spoon briskly, this will thin the oil and allow it to penitrate deeper allowing more effective coats.

 

[Yohny]

Hi Paganwolf. That was absolutely brilliant! All my questions answered, especially the gouging out bit! I'm down the local hardware shop to get some more varied sandpaper & try out the warm water technique to get the grain. As I said on another thread, members here really do come through for each other. I also like the idea of maybe coming up to Essex some time to see the carving in action.
Thanks again - and if you ever get to post photos that'd be good too! Hope the eyes get back to normal soon!
Cheers mate

 

[Millbilly]

Brilliant! Thats answered a few of my questions, too. This spoon carving lark is a bit addictive, but ive not yet found the confidence to tackle a bowl or kuksa, and im not sure i know what a noggin is ( i thought it was a big spoon?)

 

[Paganwolf]

Hi Si a noggin was traditionally carved from a tree burl as pictures speak a thousand words ....

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Oak spoon and a feild maple noggin ....

 

[Yohny]

Some beautiful work there, Paganwolf. The noggin will definitely be my next task.
All the tips & how-to's worked a charm. I'll post some pics once I figure out how to!
Just a couple more queries for you or anyone else in the know.
1) How do you sharpen a crook knife?
2) Do you have to use a burl for a cup/noggin/kuksa or will a slender enough trunk do?
Cheers all!

 

[Millbilly]

Cheers for the pics mate, they really do help :You_Rock_
Do you treat the kuksa differently? Ive heard of people boiling them in salt water, and all kinds? Or is it just oiled?

Simon

 

[Paganwolf]

Some beautiful work there, Paganwolf. The noggin will definitely be my next task.
All the tips & how-to's worked a charm. I'll post some pics once I figure out how to!
Just a couple more queries for you or anyone else in the know.
1) How do you sharpen a crook knife?
2) Do you have to use a burl for a cup/noggin/kuksa or will a slender enough trunk do?
Cheers all!

Hi Bud, its much easier to show how to sharpen a crook knife than type i do my frosts different to most because i totaly reprofile the blade as they have a sort of secondary bevel staying away from the cutting edge then use leather and autosol to strop a mirror finish on them, have a go, if you mess it up send it to me and ill do it for you . and as for the kuksa a section of birch is fine as long as all the center dead wood or pith is removed and its dryed slowly outside over a longish period also dont carve it to thin, and let it dry off bulky and when dry thin it out more works well too but its a case of hope for the best, mostly I think the traditional kuksas have a 1 in 5 chance that they split when made if memory serves me hence the price. have a go buddy..

 

[Paganwolf]

Cheers for the pics mate, they really do help :You_Rock_
Do you treat the kuksa differently? Ive heard of people boiling them in salt water, and all kinds? Or is it just oiled?

Simon

this ones just oiled buddy, grab me at the next meet ill show you

 

[Yohny]

Thanks again for the help Paganwolf. If I mess up the sharpening (good possibitilty!) I'll take up your offer for re-sharpening. BY the web link address I guess you're connected to Bearclaw Bushcraft? I've never met Gary, but he's been extremely helpful with queries I've e-mailed him. A good team!
Thanks again.

 

[Paganwolf]

LOL no worries mate and thanks , its the slight secondary bevel on the frosts that needs to come off IMO , the cutting edge is pretty fine and once stropped with autosol to a shine gives a better edge, any probs send it to me ill do it and send it back once done, its just a matter of keeping it honed with autosol on leather,they are the same as any carving knives little but often attention keeps them cutting keen needing less effort to do the job in hand

 

[Millbilly]

this ones just oiled buddy, grab me at the next meet ill show you

I'll take you up on that one mate, (Plus you're not all that far from me, so the beers are on me if you fancy it ) As i definately need some help where me carving/whittlin' is concerned...

I think my main problem is that I'll start out with something in mind, and it'll end up being too big to be a spoon, and too small to be a noggin/kuksa. Also, ive been wondering about really bringing out the grain, and the advice for running it under the warm tap, then letting it dry out seems to have helped as well.

Cheers mate

Simon