Spoon making – Methods for shaping
Try to remember throughout the processes of how we can make spoons that we are interested in investigating areas of woodworking and the goal is not to become a spoon maker unless that’s the limited sphere you want to gain to operate in. Spoon making using these different methods, tools, techniques and so on give the deeper insights we need as woodworkers for other areas of woodworking ranging from fiddle making to canoes, boats, furniture and so on and so the work gives us the deep insights all woodworkers should possess through practice.
Whether you are using the square blank or the half limb, this method works fine for both.
Starting at the high point at the shoulder of the spoon, use the 1” chisel with the bevel down to chop away the waste. This goes quickly and you must read the grain as you go because sometimes the grain will nosedive unexpectedly. If this does happen you may need to change direction and come from the opposite end.
Axe-cut method
It takes practice and care to handle an axe well. Most of us don’t usually tell that we gained more from near misses and minor cuts but I will say it here. Sharp or dull, axes can be dangerous. Be sure to judge yourself, those around you and all the more your own children rightly if you want them to use them.
To rough out the spoon using the axe you can free-hold the spoon blank with your second hand and tap-chop the axe into the wood. By this I mean place the cutting edge on the wood, angle the blank and feel for the centre of cut from the axe by lifting and dropping the axe and blank together onto the bench top (scrap wood between) or stump. This tells you whether to increase or decrease the angle your left hand is holding the blank to the bench. You want the axe to feel centred so that the axe follows the line it must take. This ‘dropping’ technique makes the axe method much safer because the second (none dominant) hand is usually to the side of the direction of cut and the spoon blank stands between the hand and the cutting edge. Taking this direction usually means that the axe will scallop into and along the axis of the grain and splits will therefor generally run the length of the blank. You can remove small or large quantities this way.
Bow saw method
It’s surprising how versatile this saw is for lopping off parts you don’t want. I even use it for crosscutting limbs for bench work as I am here. If, because of wetness, you find it binding, change depth by rotating the limb and sawing in sections. In this case I was able to saw all the way through with no problem, but different wood types will affect the saw’s passage sometimes.
I’ve ‘discovered’ your blog and videos on Youtube. Very helpful, informative and encouraging. Thank you sir.