spoon carving

[Dennis Taylor]

recommedations on hollowing out the bowl of the spoon?....I have seen a Kutzall burr and a hook knife......but neither in usage...new to carving, spoons will be my 1st attempt, and any recommendations are greating appreciated...tks in advance...Dennis

[Ashbys]

Dennis ,

What wood are you using? Different woods react a bit different, when your carving some woods don't like hand tools. So just asking for a reference.

Ash

[squbrigg]

Welcome to carving Dennis. There are several ways to do it. Power or by hand. Power....Kutzall burrs will work well, just take your time and work your way from the center out with a coarse round burr. By hand you could use a bent knife or bent blade by Warren. Stop cut around the rim of the spoon first, then work away removing wood, careful of the grain though, and use shallow cuts. Some good magazine articles done on spoon carving, take a look at some past issues and see.
Good luck,

Bob

[Dennis Taylor]

thanks for the responses, I have some basswood blanks, soft wood to start and learn with....most recommended one 1 or 2 carving tools needed, but didn't really recommend which one's.....I have only seen the Kutzall Ball in a magazine (Lee Valley) and the hook knife (lee Valley) also.... I have never carved before, but I seen a guy at a craft show carving spoons, pretty rustic, with a shave and a curved knife(hook knife), and the spoons looked great, but I am sure he has been carving them for a long time, he was able to carve and look at and talk to me while doing it..... recommendations on the the following would help:


1. Kutzall....assume I would want a course ball(sphere) shape? http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,33268&p=33268

2. hook knife...how do you sharpen it...only one I seen was in the Lee Valley catalog http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,31073&p=31073
If someone can compare items and help, it is greatly appriecated...I don't intend to carve a lot, but I really like the spoons, and they would make nice gifts...plus I can scrollsaw some of the work....Dennis Taylor

[wade clark]

Hi Dennis,
Welcome to the Forum!
You are on the early steps of a long pleasant journey, my Friend!
I'd suggest you begin by collecting catalogs. There are dozens, no hundreds, of companies selling carving tools. If you collect many tools, you'll find there's always something a little more "perfect" for the job! Collecting catalogs is free, and you can learn so much! It's only free, though, until you can't resist buying any more! But it's still the place to start.
I like Woodcraft Supply. www.woodcraft.com They're not the cheapest out there, and I prefer a brand of gouges and chisels that they don't carry (Ashley Iles), but they have a good selection of all kinds of wood working products and are good to work with. They sell a carvers spoon plane just for this kind of project for $19.99.
There are dozens of tools that are just right for spoon carving...it's mostly deciding what you want to try and how much you want to spend as you learn. Many good pocket knives would work.
Pick up a piece of wood, try something, then look in a catalog and think, "what would do this better?" If you think you want to use power tools to carve it, I'd suggest something like a dremmel tool. It's too light duty for serious carving, but it'll do anything you want to do on small projects, or large ones with more time. There are several you'll inevitably decide to upgrade to, if you really get hooked! Many of them are like a dremmel on steroids!
Home Depot sells Kutzall bits, so do all the catalogs. I'd suggest a medium and a fine grit for a small project. They eat people better than wood and I have a good scar to prove it!
Good luck! and have fun!
Wade

[Dennis Taylor]

I live within driving distance of a Woodcraft & a Rocklers store, and there are just so many choices when you are looking at them...on the other side, some of the sales staff don't carve and some just want you to buy, buy buy...so I would like to be ready & informed when I get there..... I would think that something that would scoup out the bowl would in fact be the ticket..and at Woodcraft I saw a metal looking ice cream scoop, maybe that is what it is for...don't see myself carving a indian maiden riding bareback on a horse, although I can wish, but I would like to make a few spoons....maybe someone can link me to a vendor and item....I have a small Foredom which I use mostly to drill holes in scrollsaw work and also for a small sanding wheel in Intarsia work....and have a older Dremel, but it only accepts the 1/8th bits....I am sure that you can easily rack up several hundreds of dollars in carving tools, just like turning, but just want to start simple now....Dennis

[Ron Davidson]

Dennis-Welcome aboard. what I have been using and works pretty good are scorps. The kit has three different U-shaped profiles and a V- grooved profile and comes with a strop & roll. I found it at www.woodcarverssupply.com. Good luck Ron

[wade clark]

Ron,
Dog-gone-it, look what you did! I don't have ANY of those! Cool tools! How have I lived so long without them?! They're on my list....
I would think any 3/4" to 1" wide gouge (sharp, #4,5,6 or 7 maybe even 8 or 9) would work great on the bowl of a spoon.
Wade

[Ron Davidson]

Sorry Wade I have a bad habit of thinking that everyone has to look at things the way I do. By the time I get a gouge and everything in position and realign the camera I could be done with the scorp with one hand. I really like them. Ron

[wade clark]

Ron,
I told you I've got to have them!
I guess I should thank you for showing me a better tool for the job!
Thanks!
Wade