Spoon Making

[duffer]

Can anyone reccomend a good first online guide to spoon making?

Cheers

Duffer

 

[steve a]

There's this one
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/DIY/Spoonylicious-How-to-make-a-spoon.html

 

[Ogri the trog]

Not sure about an on-line guide,
But when I was shown, it was to work in one plane at a time - plan view first (looking down on the spoon) then elevation (side on) and then blend the two together to bring the spoon to life. Keep checking the bowl size by putting it in your mouth and seeing how it feels.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[John Fenna]

Take a spoon from your kitchen draw, a lump of wood and a sharp knife (plus a spoon knife if you have one).
Remove bits of wood from the lump of wood until you have something resembling the spoon from the kitchen draw.
This may sound like a bit of sarcasm - but it is how I got started.
OK - the first results were not good but I learned a lot from my mistakes (including 1st aid skills...) and now I enjoy my spoon carving even more - knowing that I am self taught makes it feel even better!

 

[forestwalker]

This may sound like a bit of sarcasm - but it is how I got started.
OK - the first results were not good but I learned a lot from my mistakes (including 1st aid skills...) and now I enjoy my spoon carving even more - knowing that I am self taught makes it feel even better!

One thing to keep in mind is that the spoon in your kitchen drawer is almost certainly steel (or silver), while the one you are making is in wood. You can not go as thin and still have a durable spoon (yes, I have seen translucent wooden spoons, very pretty, be careful eating with them or they will break). I usually talk about three things to beginners

1. Shape the handle until it is comfortable in your hand. Pretend to be eating with your spoon a lot as you go, and fix what feels strange. For fun one can even make spoons that look very "lumpy", but actually fits perfectly in ones hand (usually on one and only one position though)

2. The blade needs to be thicker than most steel spoons, but you can make it thinner where it enters your mouth. Many of mine are even slightly asymetrical!

3. The join of the blsde and the handle is critical, I usually allow the full thickness of the wood to carry over a little bit up the handle, compensating for the fact that it is usually quite narrow there (narrow seen from the top, leave it thick seen from the side). If you put the spoon upside down the bulging blade has a narrow ridge down the handle, that peters out after 1-2 cm.

And give them an elongated S-shape if you can, the result is much better. Green wood is much easier than dry. Avoid the pith in the center of the log.

Anything else I missed? I'm sure DrSpoon will son pop in and give an expert opinion...

 

[duffer]

Cheers guys that gives me a bit to go at: so green wood, first aid kit and sharp tools, in that order!

Duffer

 

[John Fenna]

Works for me!

 

[jabbadahut]

Tenacity too!
i'm on my fourth spoon and not had one that can hold much food so far!
they are getting better though, i even managed a handle on the last one!!


if at first you dont succeed use it for firewood and make another..

 

[forestwalker]

if at first you dont succeed use it for firewood and make another..

That is the best thing about woodwork: you can burn any evidence of failure!

 

[jammed]

That is the best thing about woodwork: you can burn any evidence of failure!

in my case i had all my explorers wittling away around the fire on camp making anything they wanted to do.

i made myself a teaspoon from a piece of pine and when i got it home sanded it up (cheating a little i know) but i am very proud of it having never thought about making things before.