Bring the wood in. Cut kindling. Check the station. Look out the window at the snow. Go into work.
It’s mid-winter, and life is very ho-hum. But January is my month for looking into new things related to woodwork and carving. So here is what I am reading.
The book on box making and the one on making mantles are background books; I don’t expect to use specific projects from either. They are background and reference library books. I bought them on the principle that it’s good always to be widening your knowledge base. I’ll read sections and then shelf them for possible future reference.
I’ll likely read cover to cover the book on collecting and studying ship portraits. Then, I’ll shelve it for reference. This title relates directly to my interest in carving portraits of ships.
Mid-winter is also the time for another home library activity: weeding the library of material I no longer need or use. This year, it’s about three to four titles on spoonmaking. I’ve stopped making spoons – everybody and their uncle Bob are making them these days, and they all look the same. When I started almost thirty years ago just a handful of us made them in any quantity. Now the market is flooded with available tools, plans, books, and videos. Of course, it was always true that it did not take a master carver to carve a nice spoon, but the market is currently over-saturated.
Some how I do not suspect that many tyro carvers will attempt complex portraiture soon.
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I do love a nice spoon, though. I have certain spoons for certain pots and certain dishes. And I noticed one of my favorites is chipped on the outside of the bowl. No Idea how that happened, but I can just sand it down a bit, right?
I don’t know the type of wood that your spoon is made from, but you shoukd generally be safe sanding down a chiped edge. Be sure to finish off with a fine grit sandpaper, and the coat with USP mineral oil. do not use vegetable, or olive oil. You do not want to seal the wood with anything that might become rancid.
If the spoon has developed a crack I advise you to throw it away. cracks and crevices are breeding placed for bacteria, and make the spoon unsafe. I hope this helps, Lois.
Thanks, Lou. I had a feeling you would advise tossing it. This does help, and much as I really do love that spoon, I think the best thing is to get rid of it. No telling that it would chip again…
Chipping is one of the reasons I only use hard woods like cherry, and maple. Lots of people use basswood, and other soft woods – they don’t hold up.