Why You Should NEVER Sand Your Spoons + 14 Other Pro Tips
Getting into spoon carving? Start HERE...This video is brought to you by Squarespace. For a 10% discount at launch go to www.squarespace.com/anneofall...
Are you interested in learning the art of spoon carving? Look no further! In this video, I'm going to address the top 15 questions that everyone has about spoon carving. Also, special thanks to my friend Michael from Almfab for visiting the farm last month and learning about spoon carving with me!
Check out Michael’s channel / michaelalm
Cheers!
Anne
0:00 Intro
0:32 How long does it take to carve a spoon?
1:06 What tools do I need to carve a spoon?
2:38 What kind of wood can I use to carve a spoon?
2:58 Can I use dry wood in spoon carving?
3:38 Where can I get green wood?
4:59 How "green" does the wood need to be?
6:20 Can you rehydrate dry wood?
7:21 Is cutting towards yourself dangerous?
8:03 How often do you need to sharpen your tools?
9:17 Should I sand my spoons?
9:47 What finishes should I use on my spoon?
10:07 How do I maintain the spoon?
12:59 #1 spoon carving mistake?
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MORE ABOUT ME
I'm Anne of All Trades. In NASHVILLE, I have a woodworking, blacksmithing and fabrication shop, a selection of furry friends, and an organic farm. Whether you've got the knowledge, tools, time or space to do the things you've always wanted to do, everything is "figureoutable."
I became "Anne of All Trades" out of necessity. With no background in farming or making things, I wanted to learn to raise my own food, fix things when they break and build the things I need.
8 years ago I got my first pet, planted my first seed and picked up my first tool.
My goal is to learn and share traditional techniques and skills while showing my peers how to get from where they are to where they want to go, how to do the things they are passionate about, and what can be done TODAY to engage their own community and grow deep roots.
Whether it's carving spoons, making my own hand tools, restoring my antique truck or growing heirloom tomatoes, the farm and workshop definitely keep me busy and support - whether financially through Patreon, through shopping my affiliate links, through buying merchandise, plans or project videos, or even just liking, commenting, and sharing my content with others helps me GREATLY to keep producing quality content to share.
Get a better roadmap of how to grow deep roots and live the life you want by subscribing to this channel and be sure to check out my blog for even more info anneofalltrades.com
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Great video! How do you keep spoons from cracking when the wood dries out?
That is a great question! Two tricks: remember how I said you want the wood to be 3x thicker than the spoon you want to carve? That’s because we cut the middle third, where the pith, or center of the tree is located, out and discard it. If we’re carving at least 1/2 inch, in every direction, AWAY from the pith, the chances of cracking are far smaller. Because those circles around the pith are so small, we know that’s where there’s the most tension in the wood. As that shrinks and dries, it’s the most likely part of the tree to crack. Have you ever noticed how as firewood dries, all the cracks point toward the pith? The other trick to keep from cracking is to carve to thin enough dimensions that if the wood does want to move a little as it dries, it’s flexible enough to do so without cracking. Extra wood makes for extra tension. A good rule of thumb is for the bowl of the spoon to be just fatter than 1/8th of an inch when you’re done carving.
@@AnneofAllTrades Thank you ma'am!
Another tip to everyone if you want the spoons not to crack. Hold a spoon in boiling water for 25 minutes, and it will definitely not crack. If you want to make the wood softer, then hold the blanks in water, then it will be easier to cut them with a spoon.
Something I'd add from a ZedOutdoors Kuksa video: be careful when you're doing your axe work around the bowl. A little knick on the back of the bowl might actually have done more damage and result in a split later. That's for thicker wood that moves more, though. Also, certain species tend to crack more readily, often very wet ones, though it seems like ash, which is pretty dry, crack a lot Absolutely both things Anne said, especially carving your spoons nice and thin. You might need to go thicker if you're carving something like silver maple, just to keep the strength.
Keep them oiled. The traditional oil for preserving wood is linseed oil in western carpentry (the "raw", type not the "boiled") In Eastern tradition, they use oil from the tung nut. Both are very good. Tung oil smells worderful, but it is a very poignant smell that will dominate whatever taste or smell of the food you are eating with your spoon. Linseed oil has a more neutral smell, but it is not to everyone's liking, it doesn't smell like food. Both of these can be gotten food-grade. Paraphine oil can also be used. It is totally odorless and it works well too, but you should know that it is a petroleum product. I don't know if it is considered food-grade, but it is a non-toxic substance related to vaseline. Vegetable cooking oils can be used too if you are in a pinch, but they don't penetrate as deep into the wood. Some vegetable oils, the "healthy ones" will get rancid with time. The same properties that make them healthy, is what makes them deteriorate (easier to break down) Never wash wooden utensils in a dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is a very strong alkaline that is made for dissolving fat and oil. This will leave the spoon unprotected, it will soak up water, and then dry out and crack. Now, wood will naturally soak up ambient humidity, and even "cured" wood from the lumberyard will have a certain percent of water in it. Wood does not like to be 100% dry. The cell structure can't hold together if the wood is that dry. What makes wood crack is if it is too dry, OR if the movement of water is too quick. Freshly cut wood should cure slowly outside for a while before being taken inside. "One year per inch" is a rule of thumb but this will wary locally. Oiling wood will replace the water in the cells with oil. Normally the oil will only penetrate a little under the surface, but you can force the oil to penetrate deeper by applying heat. If you submerge your spoon in linseed oil, in a baking pan, you can heat it in the oven. Go slowly on fairly low heat. You want to slowly simmer out the water from the wood. This takes some time. You don't want it as hot as a deep-fryer, just over the boiling temperature of water. (Whatever that is in Fahrenheit... It's 100 C. Easy!)
Will I ever (hand) carve a wooden spoon? No, probably not. Did I watch this vid and enjoy it? Yes, yes I did. Thanks for all you post, and thumbs up!
Hey. Go carve a spoon man. It's not like it's a model of Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Get out there. Spoon a little.
You will be surprised how easy it is. Its super fun
I never usually comment on videos or use the thumbs up button, but here I am…. This video is really useful as a starter, but above all great at inspiring me to do more carving! Thank you
The positivity you radiate is extremely encouraging, love it. I remember you posting your hardships here as well, and boy, you never lose that smile. What a champion!
That made my week. Thank you for the incredibly kind words ❤️❤️
From somebody who has been carving spoons decades before the Sloyd trend. I sand most of my spoons ending with burnishing the spoons with a cotton cloth. Roased Walnut oil which is a polymerizing or hardening oil will give a nice finish and protection. Flax oil will give your spoon more of a yellowing colour.
Sloyd is a rather funny spelling for being based on the Swedish word for handicraft, "slöjd".
I’ve been wood carving for several years and have always sanded the things I have made, [treated with oil and beeswax] so when carving spoons I have done the same, [and treated them with non-toxic wood oil and then burnished them] After watching this I carved my 1st spoon all the way to the final shape with just the flat blade and hook knife and no sanding. It was extremely satisfying, the finished item is profoundly different in its shape, the flat surfaces and sharp edges and angles completely change the way I look at a feel about the item
I‘m carving spoons for three years now, using green wood as well as dry wood. (Mostly juniper and olive wood) I always sand my spoons up to 800 grit and get a silky smooth surface after finishing with walnut oil and wax based on walnut oil, bees and carnauba wax. Happy carving
I use a little fine wet+dry paper (i use it dry) then bunish. Spoons seem fine and feel amazing.
I also sand with fine paper. Very fine sanding, contrary to rough sanding, produces a lot of fine wood powder that fills up the pores and makes is less susceptible to penetration by water, oil,...
I don't understand why one shouldn't sand their spoons. I sand mine everytime, especially when working with dry wood.
Anne, your teaching talent is evident in this instructional video and will help viewers make spoons and enjoy the process while having fun. Blessings to you.
Interesting way these two chosen to sit.
This was way more informative and useful than the popular expensive spoon carving book that pops up that i finally shelled out and bought, plus a bunch of long winded videos. Packed with information and i appreciate how you don't lay shame on sanding, just explain simply the benefits of doing otherwise. Love a post with tons of knowledge and no posturing ego, just good humor and useful info. And it was very helpful to hear that it used to take you hours but doesn't any more.. definitely a ray of light on making money with what is now a new passion.
Loved this video, loved the whimsical music in the background too. Thank You Anne for this video, Thank You Adam for your production.
Excellent presentation Anne. Thank you.
What a great video full of information! Love the question/answer format. 🥰
So glad to hear it!
*Anne, that was the most informative video.... the Q&A is great with excellent explanations... Thank you.*
So glad you thought so!!
What a great informative video! I realize now why I was having such a hard time carving dry Cherry. (old too soon, smart too late) Thank you
I love how excited she is about this!
Awesome stuff Anne! 😃👍🏻🥄👊🏻
Thank you Anne 🙌
Very cool and helpful tips for the spooncarver. Thank you!
Good that you're posting more often. Two of my favorite Instagram people! Found my Anne of All Trades tee shirt which I purchased when they came out.
Thank you so much for supporting us!!
👍
This is a very helpful and super informative video! I saved it right away so I can go back if needed.
So glad you liked it! 🙌
Quite enjoyed seeing how much you love what you do . Also found your " counter to how I carve " enjoyable, helps me to be mindful of the many paths to art . I carve dried and hardened woods , I do cut down my own trees time to time . I'll tell you , being a woodcarver first , and arborist second . Well , I have to charge a flat rate to my neighbors when I drop trees or prune for them . As with every cut, I'm also looking at what I can do with the wood if cut how . Yes , I spoon , bowl and cup carve hardwood , not ever green . And I will hand sand with upto between 6 to 9 different grits of paper. End results the piece gets so smooth it looks like they have been oiled already . Carving the dry wood, I belive . Makes sanding easier . I'll give you a fun idea to try out . Next nice dry hardwood carving , sand super smooth . Add oil , take a blowtorch , scorch the whole piece . Then sand, and sand again till smooth . What results , is a grain exposure your going to love . The usual method of traditional wood preserving via Japanese woodworking " or old farmers with fence posts " is a deep burn then an oil. But for a carving finish , sand , then oil , then burn . Then sand again , a lot . Try a walnut oil beeswax finish .. go from there . I think you will enjoy the results . I'm never one to rush my work . I take the time to take the time . It's the process of doing and being that's my joy , not so much as the having . Keep carving ! You have done well ! And I do admire how well you come across , I am not so versed on social media editing or whatnot , near zero followers , hehe , that's fine by me . But I certainly admire what others can do as well . It's always an extra inspiration to see the joy and love others have , for a craft and lifestyle which I love and gives me joy .
Awesome video, I love your enthusiasm
I just found your channel and I have literally fell in love with you and everything about you
I’ve carved a handful of spoons (never green) and found these tips helpful, thanks!
Big Mike! We see you Mike. Keep being friendly and don’t disappoint us.
He’s the best.
Nice kombo Anne and Michael. Good information. Thanks. ❤😤🇸🇪
That’s the vid I was looking for. Tnx and greetings from Belgium
fantastic skills
I plan on learning wood carving. This was very informative.
So glad it was helpful!
I've been looking for a hobby that doesn't involve sitting at the computer all day. This is giving me ideas! :)
This is a very helpful video Mrs. Anne. Your content is one of the reasons I got into spoon carving.
That makes my heart sing! Send me some pictures of your spoons!
@@AnneofAllTrades email sent!
Thanks for sharing
What are you talking about Anne? That little wombat you carved is proportionally perfect!👌
I’ve been turning bowls and vases for about 10 years and I’ve tried my hand at spoon carving, with less than stellar results😊. This video is fantastic! I’m going to try my luck with spoons again, now that I’m a lot more educated! Thanks Anne, subscribed!
You could turn the spoon handle and finish by hand!
Very useful information and quite inspirational. Thanks.
So happy to hear that!
A lot of really good tips here Anne. I wish I would have known some of these tips when I started, others it always helps to be reminded of, and what you were saying about having to think 3 dimensionally and paying attention to reduction woodworking is so true. It takes a completely different mindset. I remember reading of one of the old master sculptors, in regards to getting to his desired piece out of the medium, that he would picture the final piece, and carve away anything that wasn’t it. Seemed like a bit if a smart A** answer to me at the time, but that was breaking it down to the most basic. Everyone wants an easy answer, or a tip of how to get there more quickly, when the old adage of practice, practice, practice, is the truest advice you can get. But more than that, effective practice, is the quickest way to becoming a master. (And to bring this full circle, your tips here are designed to, and will help someone, practice more effectively!)
Another thing about 3D thinking that didn’t make the cut of the video that has really positively affected my carving and 10x’d my efficiency is that we don’t actually *need* to think in 3D, we’re better off thinking in 2d. We only carve / change one dimension at a time. We carve first a cookie cutter view of the front profile of the spoon, with perfectly square sides, and once we’re happy with that first shape, we turn it on it’s side and THEN carve the side profile. Trying to work both simultaneously involves a lot of unnecessary tail chasing and reductionist thinking that frankly just aren’t necessary. So first we make it crisp and square, and then we start rounding and blending all those lines together, not Willy Molly though, by intentionally dividing each space into quarters, then eighths, then 16ths. And by that time? You’ve got a finished spoon.
@@AnneofAllTrades that’s how I mow my grass 😂😂💡💡wait that’s how I do everything that gets completed. I think I’m on to something thanks Anne I’m suddenly inspired (until something catches my attention 😂)about how I do big projects that are almost always painful to finish if it gets finished 😂😂. Keep up the great work.
On rehydrating wood...I use steam to shape bowstaves...and have found that it's actually VERY effective in drying the wood quickly. Boiling it is even quicker. The heat drives the moisture OUT of the wood as it reaches temperature, so even though the outside of the wood is 'wet'...as you said, the heat dries that quickly, and you've evacuated much of the moisture that was inside through forced evaporation.
I’m imagining a walk-in freezer in/behind your barn filled with ziplock bags of wet wood spoon blanks now. Thanks for the great content. Can’t wait for your collab with Rex Krueger and Wood by Wright.
What a great Q & A!
So glad you liked it!
A little over 15 years ago my grandad brought me into his shop and we carved a whole dining set for camping wooden bowls cups and plates of black cherry and spreading knife and spoon of black chestnut I still use them every summer and fall around camp
Awesome stuff 🎉😮
Carving whilst sitting around the camp fire. Imagining that is bliss.
Amazing!!! Very cool!
I use only dry apple wood, but also i use chisels for gouging out the material :)
Something rarely spoken of: Fine Motor Control,which is the finesse of careful and precise movement DISAPPEARS after about 6 pounds of muscle effort: it then becomes Gross Motor Control, like when you pick up a heavy back pack, or a bale of hay. Dull cutting tools et al can put one into Gross Motor Control and THAT is when accidents happen. Sharp tools permit "finesse" and thus way more control and therefore are safer.
Well put
This was great
I so enjoy your videos!!!
Thank you! That makes me happy to know
Buen video, me encanta tu historia de como comenzaste en la arcilla
As always Anne, an informative and interesting video that’s taking everything I have to stop my adhd brain starting a new craft 😂
SQUIRREL!
Thank you. This is the video I needed. I don't consider myself a new carver, so this answered my questions.
So glad to hear it!
Two of my favorite content creators, and one of them is wearing a hat from a third.
That makes me smile huge
You're pretty cool Anne. Right on. George.
Thanks George! Glad you’re here
Holy $#!t -- Anne, you rock! Thank you for sharing! I have enjoy woodworking with my axe. This is the next level for me :D
You can also seal off the cut ends of your wood with wax. That’s how woodturners slow down the drying for less cracking
Bien joué le gode camouflé en Lama!
I think Freud would love your Alpaca.
😂😂😂😂
Tha didn't look like an alpaca at first, I thought it was a morning wood sculpture 😂
Today I may try my first. There's always relatively fresh cut wood in the park where I'm going today.
Ive been experimenting with a technique ive addapted from watching people make canoe paddles. I carve as close to a finished shape as possible and then starting with a medium/fine grit I give it a sanding, and in between grits I wipe it down with a lightly dampened cloth which takes the dust out of the pores and raises the fibers up for the next grit, move down to fine almost polishing grit and keep wiping in between. Repeat the last grit at least twice and buff/ burnish with a fine dry cloth after the finish goes on. I'll also add that when I but my oil/wax on, I rub it in kind of agressivly at first and "uphill" in the bowl to really get it in there. So far I've got spoons that water will run off of like a duck.
i exlusively use dry wood ab really enjoy carving birch wood
Carved my first spoon. Will gift it to my mom
Good video
YOU ARE SO AWESOME ❤❤❤❤
When I glanced at the screen I did NOT think that was an alpaca. The internet has ruined me.
I have to say I scrolled back also
😂. Same
thanks
Badass!
I just started spoon carving and I’d like to see more on your process of sharpening those tools. Especially the hook knife.
Check out my spoon carving playlist! Tutorials on sharpening and the whole process
@@AnneofAllTrades Oh cool! I will then. Thank you
I like to whittle spoons while sitting around the campfire. A good jackknife handles the bulk of it. A hot coal sitting on the head of the spoon will slowly burn in the cup, and then the right stone works to sand away the charred bits. It's good fun and when you're done, you've got something you can use to eat your beans.
Nicely done. The square page link sends you to a sign up page.
Two of the best!
Better to say, the harder you pull, the less control you have. Thumbs up
I found it kind of funny that Michael asked a question, I thought of what I would answer in my head -and then Anne gave more or less exactly that answer! 😄 Through the whole video! Great resource for beginners 👍
I love it when that happens! I felt that way watching the documentary “the biggest little farm” and it made my heart sing to have known the “answers”
sanding is a choice some of us make because we like fine shapes. Some of us use spoon gauges because they are not limited so much by shape as are hook knives.
Love the hoodie, who makes em?! I have to keep the wind off my neck but can't use a scarf as they can get loose and caught up in machines. I also losing them!
simping hard for the wood spoon girl
Love your video, very clear! My question is: once you put your moist wood in the freezer to prevent it from drying too quickly, is it necessary for the freezer to be switched on or not? I want to slowly dry a large piece of oak in France, where temperatures go + 10 or 20 degrees Celsius every day! Thanks in advance for answering :)
Hi Anne, I always love your videos! Where did you get those scrap sandpapers from/where might you suggest I source some for myself? Thanks!
Here’s a link :) www.amazon.com/shop/anneofalltrades/list/3EO5LOCO3XS76?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_aipsflist_aipsfanneofalltrades_8GTGPV54V3JDW46TBAAZ
So, I have Cherry logs that have been stack outside now for a year. Can the wood be wetted to induce moisture back in before I use it for spoons???
Fun fact: Sloyd, as in sloyd knife, is swedish, and means handicraft. We spell it slöjd.
Huh. So essentially a sloyd knife was pretty much the original E.D.C. ( every day carry) before the term was coined. That's pretty spiffy.
Green wood is also good for learning wood turning on a lathe.
Had to do a double take on that alpaca carving! 🤣
That was a… hilarious accident that wasn’t considered in the design process. It wasn’t until I was watching the video back in the editing process that I realized what it looked like 😂😂😂
Great video ! Q: How long do you let the green wood spoon dry before using it ?
I try to use it immediately after being cut if not sooner- with the exception of cherry, which, for whatever reason, seems to do better if cut into long lengths and then aged in the log for a couple months prior to using, but when doing that, you’ve gotta be exxxxxxtra careful not to run into accidental checks or cracks in the material
Thank you : ) @@AnneofAllTrades
Guys need to make more room in the trades for ladies. I've worked with some very talented women in my years of construction. Ladies, get out there and do this kind of thing if it interests you. Don't let the bad guys get in your way. Cheers.
I’m so glad that you clarified that it was an alpaca
👍👍👍👍👍👍great info 👋👋
Thanks Gib!
New Carver and found this video that really helped.....Hahahahaha oh and New Subber....Thanks
So glad you’re here!
I carved my first two spoons out of Osage orange wood one of the hardest woods in North America.
everything is easier after that kind of intro 😂
I live in Arizona. On my property i have Eucalyptus, Mesquite and Palo Verde are they safe wood to use to make a spoon and bowl
Just curious as a woodworker (I make folk instruments primarily), have you tried tung oil on your spoons? If so why did you settle on walnut oil? Thanks in advance!
Thank you so much for this video I learned so much! Would I be able to use a Apple tree? For spatulas
Yes of course! Apple is amazing to carve
@@AnneofAllTrades okay thank you! I’m just starting out only done red oak and Cherry so far
Anna, you are such a smart girl, always with a smile, I really like your work attitude. Make a lot of animals, just use the vise in the work, very interesting. Thank you pretty woman👐♥️💐☀️👍,..
You can wet sand the spoon. Simply dip the spoon in water and let it soak in and dry. That raises the grain. Then resand and fuzz is gone. Some furniture makers do that before they finish. I then polish it to 12000 micro mesh.
You can always boil your wood projects in bee's wax. Protects and preserves. Just be sure what kind of wood you're working with.
Paint the ends of the logs with a latex paint.stops from drying out😊
I was surprised to hear that sanding wasn’t recommended as I’ve been sanding my finished spoons with superfine sandpaper and they’ve always been great!! But recently I’ve learned how to burnish the surface with a smooth rock and that really adds an amazing lustre to the finish. Do you ever burnish your finished spoons? What are your thoughts on that process?
Cool
I rough out my spoon blanks and soak them in water and alcohol then do finishing cuts at my leisure. Without the alcohol the wood will get slimy.
Couldn’t you paint the ends of the wood/logs to help keep the moisture in?
Could you use vegetable oil on it to seal them?
Great video but gotta ask, what’s the deal with that lama?? Lol!!