The standard Bushcraft cliche - my first spoon

[Toadflax]

It had to be done - you can't be a true bushcrafter until you've done a "my first spoon".

This is still a work in progress, so if anyone wants to give me any advice or comments, please feel free to do so.

This is a piece of applewood from a Bramley apple tree that died over last winter and I took down early in the Summer. I started trying to rough out the shape using my (recently sharpened) axe and nearly gave up because I just wasn't getting anywhere, thinking that I'd just have to carve it out with my knife. But then things just clicked, and the axe carving went really well.

I then carried on trimming it into shape using my knife until it was more or less the shape it is in the pictures. I have to confess that I liked the rustic look of the knife carved finish with the multitude of facets, but as I was carving I thought that I'd like to give the spoon to my wife as a Christmas present (I had intended it to be for myself) so I really do need to go for a sanded finish.

I thought I'd better take out the bowl (crook knife a birthday present from my daughter) and again, found that using this was very difficult to start with, until it just clicked. I then started sanding it, but I only had medium and fine grade paper, so I think I'm going to have to get some coarse paper to take out some of the nicks from the knife carving that are still showing.

The outside of the bowl is quite 'chunky' but I do like the shape that it is so I'd like to leave that as it is. This does mean that the inside of the bowl is going to be 'small' compared to the outside, but I think it would be too deep if I carved it out to match the outside. In the end, I don't think it really matters as long as the spoon looks good because I suspect that the spoon won't actually be used.

Thanks for looking.


Geoff

 

[Nightwalker]

A great start Geoff. Looking good.

With the bowl, and lip around it, arent you gona have to reduce the size of the lip around the bowl of the spoon? I mean it looks like it might be a pain to use at the moment with a lip like that. When you think its near ready give it a try see how it feels.

A tip with the crook knife, make sure your holding/using it correctly. When I got my first crook knife to work on my first spoon I found it difficult to use, then it just clicked, I spent the passed hour or so holding it and using it wrong. Great for making you feel stupid! The crook knife really is the tool for working that bowl, get practising and make sure you daughter see's you using it!

The sandpaper should really be for finishing, smoothing etc. I used Linseed oil aswell when finishing my first spoon. Keep up the good work and enjoy it.

 

[gorilla]

looks good Geoff - like Nightwalker said, keep at it with the crook knife - you will be able to take the bowl down to a shape you're happier with - i found that if you try to take off too much with each stroke it makes it harder - just aim for small thin shavings and before you know it you'll be there.
sanding-wise, medium and fine papers will be all you need - my tip is to get one of those rubber sanding blocks and move the spoon over the block rather than the other way round - much quicker, and easier to get a good finish

 

[Dr Onion]

Great stuff! Should be a good solid spoon for taking with you and making a brew!!

Dr O

 

[Toadflax]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your comments and suggestions. I have done some more work this morning on the bowl and the overall finish. I ended up getting some coarse sandpaper to try and take out some of the blemishes - some are still there, but I think I'm going to lose too much wood taking them out completely. I've gone over it with coarse, medium and fine sandpaper and it feels very nice to the touch.

The bowl is much more open - it is still a chunky bowl overall, but I'm regarding this as a cooking /measuring spoon, rather than one that you would eat with.

I definitely want to oil it, or treat it in some way. The apple wood is very pale, but I think would come up really nicely with some oil. I don't have linseed, so I'm tempted by someone's suggestion of olive oil. I don't know whether or not linseed is edible, but at least if I use olive then I know that the spoon could be used for food purposes.

Thanks again for any comments /suggestions.


Geoff

Please ignore the cat hair in the photos!

 

[SOAR]

You can buy edible linseed oil its called Flax seed oil this works well, if you pour it over the spoon in a container with a lid, leave it for 3 days it will bring out the grain a treat. By leaving it for 3 days the oil will soak into the wood when you remove it wipe of any excess oil with some kitchen roll and leave it to dry for a few days, the oil inside the wood drys and polymizes making it less likely to rot, just dont put it in the dishwasher as this will force water into the spoon. Olive oil can turn rancid over time so I dont use it
Heres one that I made.

Great spoon by the way.

Simon.

 

[Nightwalker]

I used to have a teaspoon of flax/linseed oil a day for while. Supposedly great for you, but soon gave it up, tastes foul! But dont worry about oiling your spoon in it, my first spoon is oiled with linseed and you cant taste the oil or anything when eating with it.

 

[SOAR]

normal linseed oil you get from the hardware store is parafin based so its not a food based oil, flaxseed oil is food based.

 

[Toadflax]

Thanks for the tips. I'm doing a Tesco order today and see that they do bottles of flax oil. Not cheap, but comparable to the prices for other online suppliers. About £5 for a 250ml bottle.

Great spoon by the way.

I assume you are referring to your masterpiece! Very nice looking piece of work, but not sure how well it would survive being crammed into my rucksack!

Something for me to aspire to being able to create one day. :notworthy




Geoff

 

[Matt Weir]

Nice job there Geoff

 

[Toadflax]

Women!

As I mentioned in my first post in this thread, I decided that I'd give my first spoon to my wife as a Christmas present. So what happened last night?

"What were you doing up the garden?"
Innocent face. "Nothing."
"You were doing something. What were you doing?"
"Nothing."
"I know you were doing something. What was it?"
"Nothing that you need know about."

So I had to take my daughter up the garden to show her what I was doing so that she could assure Mum that I wasn't doing anything that she need concern herself with.

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!



Geoff

 

[SOAR]

Thanks, Its a strong spoon as its made from dead standing Ash. I was actually remarking on yours it looks great, you will soon have more spoons than you can shake a stick at, When the spoon bug bites you.

Simon.

 

[SOAR]

You should have said "its nothing to spoon with you, I mean do with you"

 

[Toadflax]

I've got some nice bits of beech from part of an old beech hedge that died. I'm tempted towards a kuksa next. Just the right sort of diameter for a drinking vessel.


Geoff

 

[SOAR]

Never tried one myself, not yet. Let us know how you get on.

 

[gorilla]

tung oil for finishing Geoff - same stuff that's used on chopping boards and the suchlike
here's an example of what to look for - you can probably get it for less if you look around
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Liberon-Pure-...oryZ3126QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Kepis]

tung oil for finishing Geoff - same stuff that's used on chopping boards and the suchlike
here's an example of what to look for - you can probably get it for less if you look around
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Liberon-Pure-...oryZ3126QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Tung Oil is available at most of the big DIY outlets.

Here's a picture of some of the spoons i made around two years ago...

Made the bowls far to long and narrow, now im carving things like these simple ones made from birch

They have a much better bowl shape, made the one below up the woods on Sunday out of a lump of Cherry

It gets easier over time, i still look at some of the creations on here and think, wow, one day i will be able to do that

 

[Toadflax]

It gets easier over time

I think you're absolutely right there. I learned a huge amount just making this one spoon - just things like how the axe works, how the knife works, how the wood behaves. As with any skill, it takes practise.


Geoff

 

[brancho]

Nice work
Try another we all do

There is no need to oil it wooden spoons in the shops are untreated and last years

Alf

 

[mr dazzler]

I always think porridge has a tremenduos scouring effect, it cleans wood up lovely. I have also often used porridge oat's mixed with hp brown sauce to clean bronze cymbals . I think if you use oil you need to make sure 1/ its not poisonous, 2/ its going to oxidise (dry out thouroghtly), and 3/ also its not going to remain gooey and rancid and so possibly attract dust/grime/bacteria etc. I think I might just try a dose of tung oil, IIRC it is extremely hard and durable