| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Treacodactyl |
Spoon makingHas anyone else had a go at making their own spoons? I've always fancied having a go, just for the enjoyment rather than to saves money and because we have the wood growing in our back garden. We finally tracked down a spoon knife (aka, hook or crooked knife) from these people www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=19690&name=110033 and these are my first attempts. The wood used is maple, planted when we moved in, and sycamore (3rd from the left).
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| Jamanda |
They are great. Had the wood been seasoned for any length of time? | ||
| Treacodactyl |
Sort of.  I made the 2nd from the left out of a small log before I had the spoon knife and it split a bit during use so I had to trim it and make the bowl when it had seasoned. The third from the left was fresh sycamore, still quite wet. I'll do some experiments later this year to see if there's much difference between working with seasoned wood or fresh.
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| bernie-woman |
They look great 
I wouldn't want to use them though - they look too nice
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| wellington womble |
They look really, really good. I'd love to use them (although I'd be looking for flagons and cauldrons to go with them!) I've been after a sycamore wooden spoon for ages - they are supposed to not split in the wet. | ||
| nora |
Thay look lovely, especially the little one. Is it difficult to sharpen the knife? | ||
| Sherbs |
I have. It was a long time ago now but I made a couple for re-enactment purposes.
The first I made just with a knife and it was a real slog and very crude. Then I had a go on a pole lathe and it was much easier. |
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| Treacodactyl |
They are all to be used, the left one has been used constantly for several months now and is almost as good as new. The right hand one is too small for cooking with but I just wanted to see what I could do.
I've not had to sharpen the knife yet but you can get little round diamond sharpening stones that'll be ideal. WW, I'll keep a length of sycamore for you. 
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| Jonnyboy |
Quite a skill you have there. | ||
| cinders |
really good wish i could do that | ||
| Fee |
I made one when in my first year of high school, in CDT 
Can't remember how, but it had little grooves for your fingers on the side...wonder if my Mum still has it, probably in some drawer somewhere as a memory
We spent months designing and making it, as I remember
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| Gill |
Those look like fun! Imagine how marketable they would be if you inlaid a simple motif into the bowl element of the spoon. In fact, you've given me an idea .
Gill |
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| Blacksmith |
They look great !
I had seen the carving knives advertised and been tempted to have a go. IIRC Naomi did some spoon carving last year. |
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| Treacodactyl |
If anyone else fancies a go there's an article here: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/articles/diy/spoonylicious.html
I made mine to a simpler design but the methods the same. |
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| Gill |
That's an interesting website but I reckon you'd get a much better shape compound cutting the basic blank with a fret saw or coping saw, then knocking off the sharp edges and rounding over. It would be much quicker too.
For anyone who's new to compound cutting, here's some piccies of how I cut a few Christmas tree decorations last year: 
Gill |
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| judith |
Those are lovely Gill. Do you sell them? | ||
| cab |
Gosh... The level of woodworking ability being displayed here by Treac. and Gill is quite humbling. Good work! | ||
| JB |
Those are great Gil. How long did they take? | ||
| Frewen Feltmaker |
I did that too - mine was pants though
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| sean |
You made wooden pants at school? | ||
| Treacodactyl |
Half the fun with the spoon making is the fact you can make one in the middle of the woods with just a couple of hand tools. However, I am thinking about selling home grown and made wood products one day and your Christmas decorations look great and I bet they'd sell well down here. |
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| Blacksmith |
Just got new Attleborough accesories catalogue, saw these and thougt of you...
shrunk |
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| Treacodactyl |
Can't get that link to work but I assume you mean their new range of spoon knives here: http://www.attacc.com/acatalog/JUST_ARRIVED.html | ||
| Blacksmith |
Thanks for that Treacodactyl. That's the one...... tempting 
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| Treacodactyl |
A single knife is a bit cheaper from Axminster tools and they have free delivery over £45 I think. Now that's tempting: http://www.axminster.co.uk/category-Carving-Knives-207918.htm
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| Spoon Man |
Great spoons, I'm a bit of a spoon carver myself. Heres a picture of my latest spoon.
Click to see full size image |
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| Treacodactyl |
Here's a first stab at a back scratcher, sorry, I mean pasta spoon. It doesn't quite work as the prongs need to be a little thinner and deeper but I thought I'd give it a try before I removed too much wood. It took quite a while to make but was easier than I thought it would be.
BTW, welcome to the site Spoon Man. |
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| sally_in_wales |
There were some gorgeous hand forged spoon knives at the Wilderness Gathering this weekend, quite pricey, but you could see they were a really lovely quality compared to the mass produced ones also on sale there. | ||
| Treacodactyl |
There's quite a few people who make them and although I don't think I'll ever make them to sell it's great that some people do. I find it makes me more aware of the types and quality of timber you can produce. I'm already looking at trees in a slightly different way.
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| colour it green |
oh i fancy giving that a go... what wood are you using there? | ||
| Treacodactyl |
The wood for the pasta spoon is sycamore, cut last winter. There's actually some staining in the wood as tree still had a fair bit of sap in it. |