Home
Careers
Club Search
Message Board
Carver Galleries
Subscription Services
What a wonderful magazine, every issue is like Christmas!... Continue
To view the
Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board
CLICK HERE


Found th
e Fox?
Click here to enter the Fox Hunt contest!

Welcome to the Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board, an online wood carving forum community where you can join thousands of carvers from around the world discussing all things related to carving. To gain full access to the message board you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:
  • Browse over 90,000 posts.
  • Communicate privately with other carvers from around the world.
  • Post your own photos or view from 3,500 user submitted images.
  • Gain access to exclusive wood carving promotions offered by Wood Carving Illustrated and Fox Chapel Publishing.
All this and much more is available to you absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact the Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board's Support Team.

Go Back   Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board > Wood Carving > Wood Carving Tutorials
Register

Wood Carving Tutorials

Reply
 
LinkBack (2) Thread Tools Display Modes
  2 links from elsewhere to this Post. Click to view. #1  
Old 07-20-2008, 01:08 PM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Spoon carving tutorial

Hi all. I started this tutorial this spring while I was carving a gift spoon for my kids’ high school band director. I’ve had a couple of questions about spoon carving recently so I decided to quit procrastinating and post the tutorial. It’s a fairly simple design but serves to demonstrate the steps I take to make a blank and carve a spoon.
#1. Select or cut a blank that is a little longer than the pattern. We’re going to keep the waste attached at both ends while we carve the spoon.
#2. Make sure the edges are square with the surface so you’ll have no problems cutting the waste pieces on the band saw.
#3. Trace or transfer the pattern onto the front surface.
#4. Use a square to mark the ends of the spoon on the front surface.
#5. Carry those lines around the sides of the blank
Attached Thumbnails
spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-1.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-2.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-3.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-4.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-5.jpg  

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-20-2008, 01:09 PM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

#6. I use a template to draw the side (elevation) view on both sides of the blank.
#7. One side pattern will be your guide when you make your cut on the band saw; the other side pattern will let you check the far side to be sure you’re making a straight, square cut.
#8. Connect the pattern lines to show where the band saw blade will start the cut.
#9. Start the band saw cut and check the alignment to be sure the blade and blank are square.
#10. Make the back cut, stopping short of the bottom of the bowl to keep the waste attached. Make a mental note to do some maintenance on all of the tools that rusted this winter and spring in my outside shop.
Attached Thumbnails
spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-6.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-7.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-8.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-9.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-10.jpg  

Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-20-2008, 01:11 PM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

#11. Use the band saw to cut the bowl waste piece, again stopping just short of the bottom to keep the waste attached. Check the cut as before by marking the blank with the blade and checking both sides.
#12. The band saw cuts are done
#13. Keeping the waste attached gives a flat stable base for carving the spoon details and inner bowl. It also adds strength to some fragile areas that would be easily broken during carving.
#14. Drill the starter holes for scroll sawing the blind holes.
#15. A band saw or scroll saw can be used to cut the pattern. I’ve been using my scroll saw more when I have few to cut (since it’s slower) but want the perfect finish it leaves on the spoon sides. I don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning up the sides, so I cut just to the line with a 13-tooth blade.
Attached Thumbnails
spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-11.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-12.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-13.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-14.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-15.jpg  

Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-20-2008, 01:13 PM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

#16. The blank is complete and ready to carve.
#17. The scroll saw makes a smooth cut that will finish beautifully.
#18. The carving on this design is minimal; just some rounding and a few details.
#19. I like the way the profile and carving reveal the wood grain in this cypress piece. It’s almost quarter-sawn and that presents a lot of interesting wood grain in the finished carving.
#20. We’re ready to carve the inside of the bowl, and that’s much easier and safer with that waste piece still attached.
Attached Thumbnails
spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-16.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-17.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-18.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-19.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-20.jpg  

Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-20-2008, 01:19 PM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

#21. I use 3 gouges to carve the inside of the bowl and posted a series of photos in the gallery a couple of years ago on how I do this (Spoons - Wood Carving Illustrated Photo Gallery). I carve the back of the bowl last, which releases the waste pieces from the blank. Even though this spoon bowl looks pretty deep, there is a lot of wood left in the bowl. Keep checking the thickness by feel as you carve.
#22. This spoon got several coats of Tung oil rubbed out with #0000 steel wool, then a few coats of clear Bri-Wax.
#23. I like to sand and finish the back of the spoon, particularly when the wood grain and color enhance the look of a simple design.
#24. It’s “almost” quarter-sawn, but close enough to cut through a lot of growth rings and add some interest.
#25. The scroll saw cut is smooth enough to provide a sharp, clear surface for the Tung oil to expose the grain and growth rings.

The band director liked it. Good luck! Mike
Attached Thumbnails
spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-21.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-22.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-23.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-24.jpg  spoon-carving-tutorial-spoon-carving-25.jpg  

Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-20-2008, 04:05 PM
MelNM's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In a house on the hill
Posts: 1,653
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

Very good tutorial it definately will help me with my project.
Mel
__________________
A person who never makes mistakes never makes anything.

My Gallery
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-20-2008, 11:37 PM
James A's Avatar
Parker
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ardmore, Oklahoma
Posts: 126
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

What type of wood do you use for the spoon. Also, what size of peice do you use. I might have to make one for my band director for not being as good at the beginning of the year as I should sence having to have my wisdom teeth out 5 days ago.
__________________
Parker


My Gallery: http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...00/ppuser/9318
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-21-2008, 12:29 AM
Iowa Carver's Avatar
Knife Nerd
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,188
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

Wow, that is really cool. Nice and well done tutorial and carving. Thanks for posting it.

Corey
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-21-2008, 09:16 AM
mdallensr's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,044
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

James A, I started carving spoons several several years ago from basswood, then used butternut, mahogany, lacewood, cherry, aspen, walnut, cypress (in the tutorial), Alaskan yellow cedar, and some scrap, pallet wood. I think the wood grain and color add a lot of interest, so I don't use basswood much anymore (but it's the easiest to carve). Most of my blanks are about an inch thick, but I've used 3/4" stock. I've carved some spoons with curved handles that required stock 1 1/2" thick. I won't carve many more spoons from walnut; that's a struggle! Good luck Mike
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-21-2008, 09:54 AM
BobD's Avatar
Technical Editor
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Lebanon, Pa
Posts: 2,470
Default Re: Spoon carving tutorial

Nice work, Mike! Thanks for doing the tutorial!

Bob
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

LinkBacks (?)
LinkBack to this Thread: http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/f64/spoon-carving-tutorial-18328/
Posted By For Type Date
Untitled document This thread Refback 09-23-2008 11:04 AM
Woodcarving Illustrated Message Board This thread Refback 07-21-2008 01:18 PM

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
spoon carving---direction to a link ve3rin New Projects and Works in Progress (WIP) 3 07-02-2008 02:36 PM
Spoon Carving Andrew the Spoon Carver New Projects and Works in Progress (WIP) 6 06-22-2007 12:35 AM
Spoon Carving -- books for sale mackc General Wood Carving 0 01-05-2006 07:38 AM
spoon carving Dennis Taylor Wood Carving for Beginners 30 08-29-2005 08:17 PM
Spoon Carving Patterns mackc General Wood Carving 2 04-03-2003 08:41 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:14 PM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.1.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2007 Fox Chapel Publishing Co., Woodcarving Illustrated
Tell a Friend
New Carving Books
Vote for your favorite Santa now