Wooden Spoons
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:33 pm
I make a lot of wooden spoons. Most I give away (They make great housewarming gifts.), but I've sold a few as well. Here are a few examples:
This pair came out of a tree limb I found in my backyard. The curly figure was a fun challenge to work with.
This is a set of spoons all made from the same wood--the same log, in fact. They are pecan, which is a southern cousin of hickory. The three on the left are made from lighter sapwood, and the two on the right are heartwood. They were difficult to make, as this wood is very hard. They make briar seem soft. But once made, they're nigh unto indestructible.
I've been working in walnut lately. These are all from a tree that came down in my in-laws' yard. After working the pecan, walnut feels almost soft.
All these are usually done entirely by hand--no machines at all. I generally split the wood out of logs or limbs, plane a face flat, and then trace a template on to the face. After that, it's all work with a drawknife, a spokeshave, and card scrapers. There's a bit of sanding at the end, and a hand-rubbed oil finish. The whole shaping process takes maybe 45 minutes. Sometimes I'll use offcuts from other projects, but then I have to be more careful about grain direction. Too much grain run-out will yield a weak spoon that can break in use. Splitting out stock yields the straightest grain.
It's a fun way to use nice wood that would otherwise end up in the burn pile or the landfill, and they're a nice way to relax between bigger furniture projects.
This pair came out of a tree limb I found in my backyard. The curly figure was a fun challenge to work with.
This is a set of spoons all made from the same wood--the same log, in fact. They are pecan, which is a southern cousin of hickory. The three on the left are made from lighter sapwood, and the two on the right are heartwood. They were difficult to make, as this wood is very hard. They make briar seem soft. But once made, they're nigh unto indestructible.
I've been working in walnut lately. These are all from a tree that came down in my in-laws' yard. After working the pecan, walnut feels almost soft.
All these are usually done entirely by hand--no machines at all. I generally split the wood out of logs or limbs, plane a face flat, and then trace a template on to the face. After that, it's all work with a drawknife, a spokeshave, and card scrapers. There's a bit of sanding at the end, and a hand-rubbed oil finish. The whole shaping process takes maybe 45 minutes. Sometimes I'll use offcuts from other projects, but then I have to be more careful about grain direction. Too much grain run-out will yield a weak spoon that can break in use. Splitting out stock yields the straightest grain.
It's a fun way to use nice wood that would otherwise end up in the burn pile or the landfill, and they're a nice way to relax between bigger furniture projects.
