Spoon Whittling

[pamela]

I like to make big wooden soup and beer making spoons when I can. I usually have sold them but like to give them away.
It could be that in the future spoon making would be a good way to make something that you would need or could use to barter with.

here's how I made my last group of spoons.

Here's me cutting a length of a basswood board I just picked an arbitrary length and cut off a piece.


Here's a picture of the 1x6 board split in half.



Next, take the half board and cut in an inch or two on either side about three or four inches from the bottom of the board.



Next, use a chisel and hammer and spit from the top to the cut on either side. It will look like a big flat spoon shape.



Next use your handy dandy cheap ass chisel to block out the bowl of the spoon.



Now your about ready to start whittling. I like to smooth out the handle a bit first before I tackle the bowl of the spoon.



Starting on the bowl. First use a realllllly sharp knife or xacto knife and scribe out the shape of the bowl.




Then begin working around the spoon. Use a u shaped push chisel or if you have one you can use a dremel tool but PP you'll want to have hand tools.
Used to be you could find an old tool called a scorp. It was a curved c shaped bladed tool that was used to make spoons and bowls. I've have yet to find one and would just love to have one for my tool box.
anyway,  keep shaping and chipping away.







eventually it starts looking spoon like.





you may want to make the handle pretty.



when you're done whittling you start sanding.
and sanding.
I have some very fine sand paper I save for last. First though wet the spoon and let it dry. This will raise up any little bits of grain that will need sanding off.
Once you get your spoon good and smooth then I use vegetable oil or you could use some other food grade oil and I oil it several times and it's ready to use.

Here's some of the last batch.





I used basswood for these but you could use maple or poplar. I had a nice sassifrass wood spoon once too.
I wouldn't use oak or pine. Oak has an open grain that could collect bits of food and pine could scent your soups or whatever you are cooking.
Now, go, make spoons! 

[Scarab]

Now, go, make spoons! 

Thank you!!! I think I will!!! You REALLY are an inspiration! Love the photos, thank you for making the time to take them and post them. Beautiful spoons! Very nice!

[pamela]

Oh thanks Scarab!
I don't have a picture of it but I made one with an extra long handle and a hole in the bowl for stirring beer mash with. hehehe

[Mage]

Olive wood is nice for wooden utensils  pamela.

Those are very awesome spoons )

[SouthLeftCoast]

Artists/sculptors: sooooo underrated. Those are spectacular, Pamela! You are such a gifted artiste

I have no usable trees nearby for anything, but I swear I will use those I do have for bean poles or something.

[Lynger]

That was a wonderful demonstration!  Thank you for taking the time to share your skills with us

[icarus]

HOLY CRAP!!!
I just noticed this forum, and this thread in particular, and I must say, Pamela, those are some great looking spoons!!!

[rara avis]

That was a great tutorial Pamela. I think we need a ton more of this kind of thing on LATOC, a "Doomiversity" of sorts.
I think it helps a lot of folks out there who want to be more self-sufficient but were never taught any useful skills.
Stocking up on hand tools is great, but at some point you need to know how to use those tools to make more tools.
This is a spoon I made years ago:



Maybe someone who knows anything about making knives can start a thread?

[pamela]

WOW!
Now that's a beautiful spoon!!!
what is the wood?
That's gorgeous!
I love things like this and I'm glad people like the spoons.
You could enlarge on this by just taking the method for the bowl part and making a soup bowl or shallow plate.
And yes, does anyone here know anything about making knives?
If you do start a thread on it.
We could have a really good source of basic info here to at the very least give people ideas of what is possible and maybe help them get started towards learning new skills.

[StrangeFire]

Pammie, those are AWESOME!!! Where do you get the tools? Is that a basic wood-working set?

And do you know anything about ash wood?

[rara avis]

WOW!
Now that's a beautiful spoon!!!
what is the wood?
That's gorgeous!
I love things like this and I'm glad people like the spoons.
You could enlarge on this by just taking the method for the bowl part and making a soup bowl or shallow plate.
And yes, does anyone here know anything about making knives?
If you do start a thread on it.
We could have a really good source of basic info here to at the very least give people ideas of what is possible and maybe help them get started towards learning new skills.

Thanks Pamela! It's a hardwood called purpleheart- I wouldn't choose an imported hardwood like that now (bad!bad!) but it is a very cool looking wood.

[motherearth]

So cool!

Is hardwood different to work with, for obvious reasons. Do you have to use different tools?

Mage, do you have any olive wood? Is it considered a hardwood?

Wooden spoons call to me; they are so beautiful!
I think I was a woodworker in a former life  Completely useless now though..
But you really made it make sense, pamela.
Thanks.
I am headed for the wood pile before winter for some projects.

Could you list some of the tools for us newbies?

[StrangeFire]

I had a great hand-whittled spoon that my great-grandfather made for my great grandmother. We had some folks stay in our house once, and the spoon disappeared. Dammit.

[rbrgs]

I've broken lots of wooden spoons (making bread); I recently got one made out of bamboo.  It's stronger than steel.

Bamboo is generally worked with machine tools, although a dremel works.

[hippieinthehills]

I carved a few Celtic lovespoons a couple of years ago. Completely useless, of course, but they're lovely. Might have to break down and carve some that are actually good for something, once my hands decide to cooperate. You're inspiring me, Pammie

Bo - I have broken more than one spoon on bread dough. Now, I just mix a really wet dough with the spoon. At the point where it becomes hard to stir, I dump it out and knead in the rest of the flour. It's messy, but it works.