Thursday 21 October 2010

Big Spoons

Have been working on a couple spoons recently and found out that I am sick of doing little eating spoons all the time. Thought it was time to have ago at doing some bigger serving spoons.

Mainly because, although I do enjoy eating spoons its just that I don’t get the satisfaction of doing long planning cuts with the knife. It’s a joy to get these cuts right and see a lovely long curl of wood come of the spoon and seeing a lovely flat surface. You don’t get it as much with the little eating spoons. Plus there’s also room for more decoration which is fun :-D

These two spoons are some pieces of sycamore that was cut down at the top of my street last year. The wood as got some lovely colors running through it. Though I think I left it a tad too long as getting a good finish on these colored bits was quite difficult.

I have also been trying a different approach with the keels on the back of the spoons. wating a less sharp but still deffined feel.
I am enjoying doing big spoons so I shall see what forms take shape over the couple of months.

Saturday 9 October 2010

New Lathe in The Making

I have recently been constructing a portable pole lathe for re-enactment so that I can demonstrate bowl turning at future events. This is because I am starting to get a little bored with just fighting at events and would prefer to have to a “role” or “craft” to do when I’m not fighting.


The bed is made out of an entire trunk of birch as you can see from the white bark still present. It was the largest piece of material I had at the time and decided that I would use it for now until I find a larger piece……that is if it ever requires a new bed. The legs are ash and the poppets are made out of the ash I used for my other pole lathe (recycle recycle).


I still need to make the treadle and tool rest. I will take my time on the tool rest as I don’t want to get it wrong. Once those are sorted I need to make up a load of tools authentic for re-enactment.

All in all a lot more work to do over the winter. no rest for the wicked.