Got a hook knife for Christmas. What woods work best for spoons? Being on the plains, not a lot of access to green. Suggestions for green and kiln dried would be appreciated. TIA
[OP]
Contributor
Got a hook knife for Christmas. What woods work best for spoons? Being on the plains, not a lot of access to green. Suggestions for green and kiln dried would be appreciated. TIA
Contributor
I would probably start out with Basswood. Not the best wood for spoons, Soft maple or birch would be my choices there, but Basswood is soft when dry (compared with the others) and carves beautifully. You could use any close grained hardwood, but hooked knives work best with green (softer than dry) woods. Once you've made a few out of basswood you could than look for harder woods.
DC
Contributor
I've used kiln dried ash, that's not green.
For green wood, alder & a bitter cherry is common in my back yard.
Owl Spoon.jpg
These two spoons are made of alder.
There are pages on the internet listing woods that can be used with food and those that shouldn't be used with food.
Search terms might be > wood toxicity or food safe wood chart <
Elder grows around my yard but shouldn't be used for food service.
My neighbor gave me a lot of apple that is good for use with food. Many fruit woods are safe for food service.
Are there any orchards in your area? You might be able to get wood from them when they prune the trees.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
I have a friend who was a spoon carver. He came from the upper mid west, and birch was his favorite carving wood. He would rive all of his blanks, so the buttress part of the base of the tree was excellent for any utensil with a bend in it. He moved out here to Oregon, and I gave him some wet madrone to carve with. It became his new favorite wood. Outside of that, any green wood would work, though I would opt for pear or dogwood. Beech is nice if you can find it. Cherry might also be nice. Any fruit wood could be nice, and probably the soft maples, but hard maple, if green could be great. Some day, I might get into carving, if I ever find the time....
robo hippy
Contributor
In your area, I would look for some green mesquite. It's a very hard and very dense wood, but if you get it green, it's not too difficult to cut. Plus it doesn't crack, check, or warp too much as it dries, so you can finish the whole thing at once. It might not be the best wood to learn on, but it would make a great wood for spoons and should be available locally. And so long as it's still green, it wouldn't be too terrible to carve by hand.
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Jimmy makes a good point. The best wood for you to use may be woods that grow locally.In your area, I would look for some green mesquite.
You might inquire at the lumber yards in your area to see if there are any local mills. Years ago I called one of the saw mill dealers and they gave me the names of a few local owners of saw mills.
You might also check with your local tree service/arborists.
If there is a department of public parks they likely have gardeners that trim trees now and then.
Cast a wide net any you just might pull in something
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
[OP]
Contributor
Trying a spatula from leftover walnut…
IMG_0918.jpg
Contributor
Tony, do you have a lathe?
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
[OP]
Contributor
No, I don’t have a lathe
Contributor
That is too bad, a lot of my spoons were first turned on my lathe and then cut and carved from there.Originally Posted by Tony Wilkins
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
I had not thought about starting on the lathe but that seems like an excellent suggestion. I might need to give that a try this weekend
Contributor
Pinewood Forge sells birch blanks. Air dried, and a good way to start spoon carving.
He has a suggestion to put the dried wood in a bucket of water for the better part of a week. Says it will carve nearly like green. I have tried it and it works. If a fine finish (sanded) is desired, carve till nearly done and finish when dry. Be sure to dry and oil tools when working green wood.
https://pinewoodforge.com/spoon-carving-tips/
A lot of good spoon carving information on his site.
One nice thing about spoon carving is it can be done anywhere. Some do their carving in the woods with wood harvested on site.
73,
Rick
[OP]
Contributor
End of first attempt…
IMG_0925.jpg
Contributor
Mulberry is nice if you can find it.
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Sharp solves all manner of problems.
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