Egon
Epic Contributor
Lloyd, you just have too much spare time on your hands!
Shaving Horse/Bench
- Thread starter Lloyd_E
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forgeblast
Elite Member
Great Job!!! Love the handles on the trays.
I just bought a great book about the Swedish style of spoon carving, its back in print at Pinewood Forge Scandinavian Knives has them along with a new dvd that was just made too.
I love carving spoons too!
20 of the best wooden spoons in the world is a great post about spoons.
What are you using to seal the trays? mineral oil and beeswax?
I just bought a great book about the Swedish style of spoon carving, its back in print at Pinewood Forge Scandinavian Knives has them along with a new dvd that was just made too.
I love carving spoons too!
20 of the best wooden spoons in the world is a great post about spoons.
What are you using to seal the trays? mineral oil and beeswax?
Tollster
Veteran Member
Nice work Lloyd, that's handy to have around.
stuckmotor
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Lloyd_E
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forgeblast. The spoon thing has been on my list for a while, but I must say, your projects helped get me started - thanks! Mine aren't as creative as yours or refined but I am getting there - good tools help as well as sharp ones! egon - you must know my wife!!!!!!
Last edited:
Egon
Epic Contributor
Just be carefull Lloyd; you may end up with a "Do Now" job list that excludes enjoyable personal stuff.
forgeblast
Elite Member
Lloyd I am glad to answer any questions. I know what I did wrong in the beginning and I am still learning/refining what I do. I also can recommend tools/blades/etc. I try to carve one spoon a day, January was great I was doing 2-3 a day, but Febuary with the snow has done me in a bit. I finally found some birch to carve I made this a few weeks ago. Its pretty large, about 13'' long. Finished with organic flax seed oil. I have been moving to this since it will seal and polymerize in the wood vs staying a liquid like mineral oil.
front
front (the knots in the bowl caused a lot of issues)
back
front
front (the knots in the bowl caused a lot of issues)
back
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Lloyd_E
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egon, I have a "to do" list for "this week", "this month", "this spring", "this summer", "this year" all with a tag "will you do it now!"
fb - thanks! I do have some organic flaxseed oil! Are you carving all green wood? 1 spoon a day - are you serious. I couldn't get organized to do that let alone schedule it!
One of the biggest issues I have is always refining materials to perfect finish. The carving marks in your work speak about the wood, craftsmanship and organic nature... I need to learn to know when to stop and or go back to school! Just beautiful! Also, you "see" the piece before your carve. I spend too much time thinking about it and how to get into a time managed production run!
I looked at etsy - do you actually sell anything from the site - good venture or not?
Thanks.
fb - thanks! I do have some organic flaxseed oil! Are you carving all green wood? 1 spoon a day - are you serious. I couldn't get organized to do that let alone schedule it!
One of the biggest issues I have is always refining materials to perfect finish. The carving marks in your work speak about the wood, craftsmanship and organic nature... I need to learn to know when to stop and or go back to school! Just beautiful! Also, you "see" the piece before your carve. I spend too much time thinking about it and how to get into a time managed production run!
I looked at etsy - do you actually sell anything from the site - good venture or not?
Thanks.
forgeblast
Elite Member
Lloyd etsy is good for 3 months oct-dec. Then the rest of the year is dead, so I use it as a pointer to my website. If I was in your shoes set up an account its free but do not list anything until Sept-Oct. I would also list 6-10 items that way your not killed by fees. I was thinking of your trays. Uncommon Goods(http://www.uncommongoods.com/) just had a call for wood items, its closed now, but next year you should enter it to see if you can get picked up by the catalog. They would love them.
Refining materials: to sand or not....I first started off sanding, not one mark left and then realize what was making my work any different from a china made mass produced spoon? Nothing. So I began leaving the marks, and people were drawn to them. I myself love the light and shadows that come from it. I hold every spoon like I am going to use it and put little facets in to make a gripping point.
What I am currently working on is leaving lines in a pattern instead of just leaving them...if you know what I mean, being more in control of the line.
As for seeing the piece, a spoon is an exercise in 3d modeling with complex curves both convex and concave along with the limitations of the media such as grain etc. I do everything I can to help with seeing the spoon, It took me a year before I started getting things. Just yesterday I was trying to copy a spoon I have and learned some new things. I do a lot of template work. I cut out shapes in thick paper and work on proportion of the spoon, handle length etc..plus you can move the paper around to get the crank of the handle. Even though many of my (most if not all) spoons look different many start from the same template. I just at a point let the wood go where its going to take me. Apple is one of those that will knot and twist and take you someplace interesting. Its not easy but if you plug away you learn bit by bit.
Production wise I know (i keep spreadsheets of what I sold how many etc) what i need to have carved for the summer craft fair season, I also know I want to keep adding new items to my product line. So winter means cracking the whip and carving. What I do is rough out blanks with my ax, (they are frozen at this point) in the morning before I go to work, when I come home and after dinner I carve the blanks are still chilly but green (yes green carving if carving when dry please wear a dust mask the irritation is horrible) and I carve while my daughter and dog run through the shavings :0 then i put them in a pie tin with wood shavings to slowly dry, by Saturday I can go back in with my knife to clean up anything I then sand with 400 grit, knocking down the edges and leaving the facets and Sunday I oil. If I need to paint I paint then too. Its just finding a rhythm, yesterday I was able to carve 2 ladles, 2 serving spoons, and 80 plant markers.
Most of the production pro's that I talked to carve 6-8 a day...but they don't have another job.
Sorry for the long reply but I really like carving.
Refining materials: to sand or not....I first started off sanding, not one mark left and then realize what was making my work any different from a china made mass produced spoon? Nothing. So I began leaving the marks, and people were drawn to them. I myself love the light and shadows that come from it. I hold every spoon like I am going to use it and put little facets in to make a gripping point.
What I am currently working on is leaving lines in a pattern instead of just leaving them...if you know what I mean, being more in control of the line.
As for seeing the piece, a spoon is an exercise in 3d modeling with complex curves both convex and concave along with the limitations of the media such as grain etc. I do everything I can to help with seeing the spoon, It took me a year before I started getting things. Just yesterday I was trying to copy a spoon I have and learned some new things. I do a lot of template work. I cut out shapes in thick paper and work on proportion of the spoon, handle length etc..plus you can move the paper around to get the crank of the handle. Even though many of my (most if not all) spoons look different many start from the same template. I just at a point let the wood go where its going to take me. Apple is one of those that will knot and twist and take you someplace interesting. Its not easy but if you plug away you learn bit by bit.
Production wise I know (i keep spreadsheets of what I sold how many etc) what i need to have carved for the summer craft fair season, I also know I want to keep adding new items to my product line. So winter means cracking the whip and carving. What I do is rough out blanks with my ax, (they are frozen at this point) in the morning before I go to work, when I come home and after dinner I carve the blanks are still chilly but green (yes green carving if carving when dry please wear a dust mask the irritation is horrible) and I carve while my daughter and dog run through the shavings :0 then i put them in a pie tin with wood shavings to slowly dry, by Saturday I can go back in with my knife to clean up anything I then sand with 400 grit, knocking down the edges and leaving the facets and Sunday I oil. If I need to paint I paint then too. Its just finding a rhythm, yesterday I was able to carve 2 ladles, 2 serving spoons, and 80 plant markers.
Most of the production pro's that I talked to carve 6-8 a day...but they don't have another job.
Sorry for the long reply but I really like carving.
