spoon
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Lime is good.....but if you have any trouble finding it scyamore is just as good.
I carved my first spoon from birch, which is a bit more abundant where I live.
I would suggest that you experiment with various woods and find one you like!
I carved my first spoon from birch, which is a bit more abundant where I live.
I would suggest that you experiment with various woods and find one you like!
Lime is a bit like balsa wood for me and not very strong. I like a sturdy spoon that'll last. Ash is good but carve it green. It becomes harder to carve when seasoned. Take your time when making a spoon. Keep taking a rest to look at how it's taking shape and don't be in a hurry to finish it. Look at the shape as it's forming from top, bottom and sides to make sure it's coming along as you want it. when you've finished carving spoons can sometimes look a little rough, but it's amazing how some elbow grease and sandpaper will transform it to the finished article. a few coats of olive oil/vegetable oil to finish and you're there.
Good luck
Good luck
I would recomend the same as above, green sycamore is a joy to use and good for a start!
It does not have a taste when used! and is a clean white
Good luck! (Bet you make more than 1)
It does not have a taste when used! and is a clean white
Good luck! (Bet you make more than 1)
I'm in a similar situation to Bow Drill here, having recieved my first hook knife in the post this morning (Axminster - from order to delivery in less than 21 hours, how good is that! 
)
They've just cut quite a few trees down in a local orchard so I've managed to get my hands on a load of apple tree wood. Apparantly fruit woods are good for carving and give a pleasant finish?
)They've just cut quite a few trees down in a local orchard so I've managed to get my hands on a load of apple tree wood. Apparantly fruit woods are good for carving and give a pleasant finish?
I`m in the process of knocking a spoon up out of some hawthorn that was lying around. so far so good, don`t know if anyone else has tried this wood, it is quite hard though
Green hawthorn is tough, but useable, very nice finish
I also once used a pice of seasoned hawthorn, it ended up on the fire! (in several bits !!!)
I also once used a pice of seasoned hawthorn, it ended up on the fire! (in several bits
!!!)
Forgot to mention this before:
If this is your first time carving then get yourself an off-cut of the same wood you'll be using and practise making clean, controlled cuts untill you've got a feel for the tools and wood you're using.
Even an hours practise can make alot of difference - you don't want to be unfamiliar with the feel of a tool or how the wood carves when making important cuts.
Sorry if this is a bit late
If this is your first time carving then get yourself an off-cut of the same wood you'll be using and practise making clean, controlled cuts untill you've got a feel for the tools and wood you're using.
Even an hours practise can make alot of difference - you don't want to be unfamiliar with the feel of a tool or how the wood carves when making important cuts.
Sorry if this is a bit late
My first one was walnut...I was sharpening my crook knife after I got it and was doin some gouging with it on a walnut block my buddy had in his shop...It turned out to be a pretty nice lookin spoon.
Hawk
Hawk
you could also try making a spatula if you're new to carving. Very simple to carve and no bowl to gouge out, but still look good. Spatulas are useful bits of kit for back woods cooking. Use for mixing bannock dough and of course the fry -up, stirring stews and soups etc.
Switch - apple does carve well and gives a great finish (I've just finished one - post a pic this week), but it is very hard when seasoned, so be prepared to sharpen your tools often during the process. The spoon I've just done has taken 3 or 4 times as long as softer woods I've used. I'd agree with birch as a first attempt and green elm seems to carve quite easily.
Good luck with it.
Good luck with it.
do you have to use a crook knife or can it be done without as i am looking to carve my very first spoon tomorrow
well ive used hawthorn, ash, beech, oak, pine, maple, redwood, well seasoned yew, and a few other varieties too, (whatever i can find lying around in the new forest) basicly , if you understand the properties of the wood and modify any design accordingly you can get a spoon out of most woods, (and feel rather smug at your achievements!!) if its a floppy wood keep the handle and section where it joins the spoons bowl quite thick. i prefer seasoned wood or something like a log from the ground, its great when you turn a useless bit of wood that would otherwise rot away into sonmething useful. seasoned wood is better becase the grain is less likely to separate when you are 90percent finished as your spoon dries out, - which can lead to annoying cracks and splits in the handle with some woods.
look for woods with a natural kink in them and split them so you get a spoonlike curve in the shape of the spoon ( a flat spoon from a totally straight log isnt as good in my experience, its no easier to carve and isnt any good for eating with, thats why real spoons have a kink in them - mass produced wooden "kitchen" spoons are flat for one reason only,,as many spoons out of one log as possible.). splitting logs reveals any flaws like knots, which depending on your skill can be an interesting feature or a nightmare. you usually find knots in the middle of the bowl section of your spoon, which isnt reallly a problem if they are small.
when collecting i tend to split on site and leave behind the "non spoon half", a bit of crude carving on site also helps if you want to collect a few "blanks" and put them in your rucksack. ,,,you dont necessarily need an axe to split the wood if you have a good knife, but it helps if you do have a small axe as splitting a say, 3inch thick log with a knife, can bend or even shatter it if you are not very careful., once a split is started you can carve wooden wedges from another bit of wood with your knife to drive them into the split to aid you in separating the two halves. use another nearby log as a hammer if you like!
when youve split the wood and flattened off the inside half of it (ie, the heartwood) mark out the plan shape of the spoon with a pencil and carve to near the lines BIT BY BIT, (you can always use another spoon as a template), youll probably want to take some material off the back of the handle and toe of the sppon to helf you at this stage. (i hope that makes sense)
..then sand with coarse and then fine fo refine the shape. then its down to your imagination and skill!
the one thing i have found is that to get something nice and elegant you need to spend quite a while sanding away to get smooth flowing curves and symetry.
below is a link to a spoon i made from pine, a knot in the bowl is visible, plus other defects, which made a rather interesting spoon, start to finish about 4 hours over a few days.
good luck!
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adam_whalley2002/detail?.dir=4659re2&.dnm=8f46re2.jpg&.src=ph
look for woods with a natural kink in them and split them so you get a spoonlike curve in the shape of the spoon ( a flat spoon from a totally straight log isnt as good in my experience, its no easier to carve and isnt any good for eating with, thats why real spoons have a kink in them - mass produced wooden "kitchen" spoons are flat for one reason only,,as many spoons out of one log as possible.). splitting logs reveals any flaws like knots, which depending on your skill can be an interesting feature or a nightmare. you usually find knots in the middle of the bowl section of your spoon, which isnt reallly a problem if they are small.
when collecting i tend to split on site and leave behind the "non spoon half", a bit of crude carving on site also helps if you want to collect a few "blanks" and put them in your rucksack. ,,,you dont necessarily need an axe to split the wood if you have a good knife, but it helps if you do have a small axe as splitting a say, 3inch thick log with a knife, can bend or even shatter it if you are not very careful., once a split is started you can carve wooden wedges from another bit of wood with your knife to drive them into the split to aid you in separating the two halves. use another nearby log as a hammer if you like!
when youve split the wood and flattened off the inside half of it (ie, the heartwood) mark out the plan shape of the spoon with a pencil and carve to near the lines BIT BY BIT, (you can always use another spoon as a template), youll probably want to take some material off the back of the handle and toe of the sppon to helf you at this stage. (i hope that makes sense)
..then sand with coarse and then fine fo refine the shape. then its down to your imagination and skill!
the one thing i have found is that to get something nice and elegant you need to spend quite a while sanding away to get smooth flowing curves and symetry.
below is a link to a spoon i made from pine, a knot in the bowl is visible, plus other defects, which made a rather interesting spoon, start to finish about 4 hours over a few days.
good luck!
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adam_whalley2002/detail?.dir=4659re2&.dnm=8f46re2.jpg&.src=ph
