The best laid plans of spoon carvers...

[tombear]

Hi All!
got back from Wales last night and just sorting kit out. I had planned to do the family a set of cawl spoons while we there were, bought a book on Whelsh spoons and even photographed every set I saw at St. Fagans and the other museums and then events over took me and I didn't even get into the woods next to the inlaws cottage to source me some green sycamore to do them!

i did manage to get in a bit of practice on a piece of gawd knows what got from the rather poor selection on the fire wood pile, first off a elongated bowl thing to get my hand in and then a prototype ( bit small in the bowl but pleasingly deep at 10mil and thin walled ) of what I wanted to do 5 of and a ladle of in sycamore. Rubbed them with some olive oil as that's all there was.

Now I'm home I can get some suitable blanks easy enough so i'll get on with them.

We made some cawl with brisket and bacon and it did inspire me, I must admit. We had to use the 15 inch bush oven as it sort of expanded while we were throwing ingredients in to more than the biggest pan in the place could take.

Ill do a copy of one of the primitive racks to go with.

atb

tom

 

[British Red]

Loving the bottom one there Tom - lovely shape.

 

[Paulm]

Those look great Tom

Cheers, Paul

 

[tombear]

Thanks for the kind words. The wood was well seasoned and rock hard so making them in green sycamore should be a doddle, especially with all the gouges, work bench and dogs i can use here. All i had there was a couple of knives, a mora spoon knife and the German chain butchers glove that i am in love with. Best sub two quid flea market buy ever! Oh yeah and some sandpaper nicked from the father inlaws toolbox.

Went for a bimble today to touch bases with the charity shop ladies who havent seen me for 2 weeks or more. Picked up something I've wanted for a while, a small glue pot.

Heres the before pic, theres plenty of metal under the rust except for the inner pans handle which may be replaced with some of my stock of piano wire (usually used for the under carts of my silly balsa and tissue planes).

currently its pickling in super strong boiling citric acid, after a quick rub with the good old wire brush. Tomorrow Ill see if its completely disolved. Cost me £3. I stillk fancy a big one as well but this is just the size for messing with resin etc.

The blanket beneath is a minter got in Crickhowell. as i loved the colour I paid £10 for it, a personal record, double what I've paid before. No label and no stray threads to check if its pure wool but what the heck, ill keep it away from fires. The bigger, thicker, labeled as 100% wool purple job we got for 7 as there was dog hairs on it. Should be easy enough to sort.

ATB

Tom

 

[Clouston98]

Cracking work Tom!

 

[Harvestman]

Nice glue pot Tom.

Here's one of mine from a while ago.

After some work.

Now all seasoned up, makes a fine winter duty one-person pot, as it hold the heat in the food while you are eating. No pics of it finished, but you get the idea.

 

[tombear]

Excellent! I hope mine turns out as well. Part of me thinks Ill be finding a bowl of brown soup tomorow.

ATB

Tom

 

[bikebum1975]

Those are both lovely but especially like the bottom one very nice work

 

[Mr.punch]

Nice spoons, I have a tiny little gluepot will try and show you a pic of it tomorrow got it at a boot sale for 20p bargain.

 

[tombear]

Oh that's nice when it happens, I've only seen complete wrecks at boots, big holes from being left to rust for 50 years.

on the spoon carving front I just rooted out a couple of big friction fire boards I made in 2009 one ivy and one holly. The ivy twisted a bit and since I've no interest in that form of firefighting ( read I'm embarrassingly bad at it) I'll dump the ivy set and the spindle for the holly one on he lads scout group. The holly board looks perfect for carving a big spoon from. It's seasoned great, the grains remarkably straight for holly and its just the right dimensions. I whish I'd made several now.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well the rust was worse than I thought and on cleaning three holes appeared. So 3 quid wasted unless some bright spark can suggest a way of filling the holes. It's cast iron.

Pah!

ATBTomATBTom

 

[British Red]

Nah thats fubar Tom

 

[tombear]

Yup, thought so.

ta

Tom

 

[cranmere]

Sell it on Ebay as one of those poncy ornaments, the pretentious faction of the country dwellers will pay a fortune for it!

 

[Dreadhead]

those spoons are lovely mate, real shame about the pot! melt it down and bash out some iron spoons?

 

[Harvestman]

Cast iron plant pot? Grow things that are tolerant of heavy metals.

 

[British Red]

Grow things that are tolerant of heavy metals.

Gunsan Roses?

 

[Macaroon]

Gunsan Roses?

Very good, I like it