Experimentation is part of the fun of woodworking—the all-important part that separates your experience’s past from its future. The other day, I was messing about in the shop, and a new ( at least to me) method of smoothing spoon bowls came to mind.
To back up a bit, I design my spoons with various bowl shapes and handles. I’ve found that people pick up a spoon, test the grip in one or two positions, and then examine the bowl. The bowl is the clincher. If it pleases, I will have a sale and a happy customer. The idea is to “bring home the bacon,” so the extra three minutes spent on the new process is worth it.
I make two styles of bowls: carbonized and natural. Some people prefer one over the other. Carbonization works best on Cherry and sets up a very attractive contrast between the cherry’s colors and the bowl’s black interior. I feel that carbonization hardens the bowl interior and gives it that distinctive look, but to the buyer, it may just be a matter of taste.
Natural bowls have a grain structure on display and must be carefully finished for smoothness and grain exposure. It’s both aesthetic and practical concern that you want to avoid irregularities that capture particles.
Now, back to that new method for smoothing bowl interiors.
I finish most of my spoons with food-safe mineral oil ( USP from the drugstore). As part of the experiment, I dribbled some mineral oil into the bowl and then began using scrapers and sandpaper to smooth the bowl. After a while, the process left a slurry that further aided in smoothing the irregular bits. After this, they can be put aside for the handles to be finished. Scrapers are always part of my process of smoothing bowls and spoons. But the oil added a slurry that, with the sandpaper, made the process better.
The source of the inspiration? An accident. During a shop cleanup, I spilled mineral oil, some splashing on spoon blanks. The proverbial light bulb lit up, and I had an idea. I pulled a scaper off the rack, scraped the bowl with the oil, and then followed up with the sandpaper. Am I the only one who uses this technique? I don’t know. It seems too good an idea not to have been independently discovered by others as well.
Will this method be just a blip on the path to finding better methods? I don’t know. But I find it interesting that even something as ancient as a wooden spoon can get production upgrades.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
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Hi, Lou
What a great post on the art of spoon making. Here in England we have people who just do that, make spoons from wood and teach other how as well. I love how blackening the wood can bring out all the beautiful grain. I feel the oiling technique is a great one too. Happy spoon carving!
Thanks, Mason. Spoon carving, as you point out is serious craftsfor many people, and be an entire craft in itself apart from other areas of carving.
I hope you are doing well in your woodwork as well!
It’s a great craft too. Perfect for honing your skills. In Wales they use handcrafted spoons carved with things relating to a person to convey their love for them.
My sales have slowed up this year. The rain has driven people from the garden and so they don’t want planters. Alas I must diversify my skills. Otherwise, I’m still enjoying the making of things, thank you.
It’s been a wet summer here too, and you are right it has driven people from the garden. I’ve avoided doing shows since I had pneumonia, but people told me that lots of the weekend shows were blighted by the rain.
Diversification is good! so few of us have single products that always dependably sell.
I woke up to a mini-monsoon this morning! The rain has been relentless for large parts of the year.
Sorry to read you had pneumonia. That’s a horrible condition isn’t it. You were right to avoid people and not be in the wet weather with that. Hope you are well again now though.
Diversification seems to be the best way to keep buyers coming. I was fed up with falling over the dogs toys a month or so ago. I made a ‘dog locker’ like an open fronted bookcase with a ball holder in the bottom, hooks for ropes and a couple shelves. The paint was drying when a customer came for some bird boxes. She though the dog locker was wonderful and bought that too. Who’d have though dog furniture is the way to go?
Have a great day!
One can never have too many spoons–at least I can’t. I don’t think I have ever seen carbonized spoons at any of the shows, but I am going to keep an eye out for them.
Or you can email me and we’ll see what Santa gets for you.
This goes straight to the Big Guy, right?! 😄🎅
Accident is the source of inspiration.
Sounds like you stumbled across a new method that works.
A happy little accident. 🥳