Spoon grain

[Biddlesby]

I was always told to carve the bowl of the spoon on the outer edge of the half of wood (i.e. from the bark side) so that the strength of the wood works with the spoon. I notice that in one of RM's shows in belarus, he carves the bowl out from the middle. How much difference does it actually make?

Cheers

 

[jojo]

I would not have thought it makes much of a difference on something as small as a spoon.
In both instances the wood would dry and shrink slighly across the spoon, making it slighly narrower than what you started with assuming you started from green wood.

If you cut a slice across a tree trunk when it's green it will shrink tangentially and form radial cracks. If I am not making much sense, which would not surprise me a all I'll put a drawing, they being worth a thousand words....

 

[Biddlesby]

Err kind of .

I have some seasoned wood, and want to make a kuksa. Will it matter whether I start carving from the inside or the outside.

 

[jojo]

Those were scannned from Green woodwork by mike Abbott.
He also says in the book, that to make small bowl, egg cup and goblet size the grain can running between the centres like that:

However, its a pain trying to carve end grain! much easier to carve if the wood grain goes the other way.

oops the photos are a bit big