This week I will be mostly making ladles...

[tombear]

Last year I saw a serving spoon/ ladle in a museum in Wales in association with a bunch of cawl spoons and rack. I can't find the photos we took but when we got home I cut out a blank from part seasoned sycamore and a year later it's as ready as it will ever be.

Anyroad with the craft fair/ display I was volunteered for, again, looming I'm trying to churn out some treen so it actually looks like I've done something in the last year.

I've temporally killed the band saw ( I need to find one bigger than the old one small bolt and cut a new thread in the mild steel I stripped over tightening the original bolt ) so the only power tool I used was my beloved Makita power file for some of the roughing out, the rest was done with a couple of gouges, small saw, surforms, permagrits, carving knife, sand paper and the big mallet I made from a knackered bowls ball. The heavier mallet is a great improvement, it's making removing big lumps of wood quickly much easier. Ignore the belt sander on the floor in the pic above, that was out for another job!

To be honest I could have made half a dozen spoons in the time it took to hollow this sucker but there's something satisfying about doing ladles. The wood being seasoned rather than green made it more difficult of course but at least I don't have to worry about cracking as it dries out.

It's had two coats of walnut oil so far. The general consensus is upside down it looks like a cross between the top of a Dalek and a revolver.

Any more I do this week I'll tack onto this thread rather than start a new one.

Oh yeah, a size helps! 14.5 inches long and 5 wide at the bowl.

ATB

Tom








K

 

[Mesquite]

That's a great bit of spoonage Tom

Look forward to seeing any more you make

 

[Madriverrob]

Looks great , you've inspired me to finish an eating spoon I have on the go and then look for a suitable ladle blank ......

 

[tombear]

Cheers folks! I've a couple more ladle blanks and a whole lot of spoon ones that I cut out last year or before when the band saw was still a novelty.

ATB

Tom

 

[Pioneer72]

5" bowl - its a whopper
Very nicely done, especially like the handle attaching low down on the bowl rather than flush with the top of it.

 

[Big G]

I know nothing about carving spoons and the like, but that is a work of art...

 

[forginhill]

Nice spoon work there! Amazing transition between stem and bowl...

 

[Robson Valley]

Beautiful designs far beyond what I could imagine.

 

[Kitharode]

I'm impressed and yes, I'm also a bit jealous. Nice work.

 

[tombear]

Thanks for the very kind words!

The handle to bowl bit wasn't too bad, some accurate saw cuts and a bit of persistence with some large permagrit needle files did the job.

http://www.permagrit.com/product.php?products_id=339

a bit expensive ( herself went barmy on the permagrit store At Monmouth county show an bought me a load) but have more than paid for themselves.

Sadly I don't have a original bone in my body but I'm getting quite good at copying stuff that's been developed pretty much to perfection over the centuries.

i can't actually see why the handle had to be so thin apart from it looks nice and was way of showing your skill.

Heres the blanks I've had in a pot on the window sill, a mix of sycamore, spalted sycamore and incredibly hard holly ( I was told by the bloke who gave it to me ). I'll see how many I can finish in the next week and a half.

ATB

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

Replicas. Huh. So this is likely the sizes and shapes of their kitchen kit.
I can respect and accept that window into the past.
Certainly a diversity of blanks. Hope we get to see the finished bunch.

 

[stonehippo]

I thought the title said ladies! Imagine my disappointment.

 

[tombear]

Only a couple of the blanks are based on historical examples, the rest I'll be free styling so to speak, I'll see where the wood wants to go. Which for me is remarkably hippy! The wife's favourite spoon is one where a knot fell out of the handle as I was carving it so rTher than discard it I carved a S curve into it.ATBTom

 

[forrestdweller]

i hope it's not a stupid question......: why is the handle coming out of the bottom of the bowl and not the top?! is that for practical reasons or just personal taste?!

 

[tombear]

Not a stupid question at all. The ladles I've done so far are based on 18th and 19th century examples in various museums.

The bowls of the originals were turned not carved out as a general rule and a handle at the top , like a modern sauce pan sort of thing, would mean you could only turn the inside of the bowl, the the handle at the bottom you can, with care, turn the outside as far down as the handle ( I've done it once on a electric lathe, making a short handled dipper, when I tried it with a long handled ladle, even at the slowest setting the whole thing , which weighs a vast amount, tried to take off and chase me around the room! What I need is a pole lathe with enough clearance for a handle to rotate between points which is firmly embedded in the ground. I found a photo from the 1950s where you can see such a lathe, with a rest to work from the front which wouldn't foul the swinging arm. ). On the originals you can usually see the distinctive tool marks inside.

Theres also a valid mechanical reason to have it join at the bottom, it's much stronger than on the rim or on the side. On the originals I've got to grope the bases are all quite thick compared to the sides, as thick as the handle in most cases.

ATB

Tom

 

[forrestdweller]

aahhh-- that explains it very well to me

my ladles/large spoons/scoops are all made with hand tools, but should i have access to a pole lathe one day i might try this style.....

 

[tombear]

Here's today's effort, not based on anything, just messed about with a ladle blank cut because it looked vaguely ladle like . Sycamore again, 15 inches long.

More tomorrow if I get home early enough to start banging about.

ATB

Tom

 

[Leshy]

Seriously, you're just showing off now...


That is just so cool, love all the curves, and the little fold on the top just makes it look like it was bent in and needs prying open again...
Brilliant.
It actually makes you think its made of some type of "pliable" soft wood...
Top job again
👍

 

[tombear]

Cheers! I'm not sure what it could be used for, ladling out very strong punch? I wish it was soft, the first bent neck gouge I used had too fine a bevel to it and after a few taps I lost I great chunk from the edge so I need to grind it down and put on something less acute (?) Oops.

'Think ill do the big chunky dipper blank next, I've something similar that I managed to turn part of that we hang by the sink in the shed for quick drinks , the way I did that one was a bit iffy safety wise so I'll hack this one out with gouges. I may try to remove some of the material with a brace and bitt, I've some without the screw at the bottom or if I'm feeling brave the morticer!

atb

tom

 

[forginhill]

Now that's some fancy carving! Whew....