# spoon carving



## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I want to use a spoke shave in my spoon carving but when I put a spoon in thew vice to use the spoke shave the handle of the spoon pushes down no matter how tight the vise is, i have saeen others use a spoke in carving spoons what am I not doing or doing wrong thanks


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I assume you are clamping the bowl into the vise? If you have already shaped the bowl, the vise is probably only touching on a few small points which may not create enough friction to prevent it from slipping. You may have to use a clamp to hold it down to the bench for example. Pictures of how you have it in the vise might help.


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## RClark (Jun 1, 2012)

I've been using the end-vise on my bench to hold the workpiece. Sometimes I wrap an old rag (think cut-up t-shirt) around the bowl of the spoon and clamp that in the vise. Multiple wraps (3-4) help to spread the clamping force around more of the spoon bowl.

How sharp is your spokeshave and how much of a bite are you taking? Half of this issue may be how much force you're putting against that spoon handle.

I have a spoon-horse on my build bucket list. Might get serious about it this year. Darling wife wants me to generate some spoons and other utensils for kitchen basket and utensil gift sets.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Leave a few inches extra length on your spoon blank to use for clamping. Much easier to clamp square/rectangle stock. Then when done simply saw off the extra. Easy breezy


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

yea I got the scrap idea after I cut it away, now i am trying to get out of my mess. i might have to do it all by hand, I have done it before. here is how I am doing it now. Any ideas on a bench mount spoon mule, the are 2 .75 dog holes I can mount in


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

You can also place a strip of wood perpendicular across the jaws and use it a stop for the spoon. Just rotate the spoon until the handle hits it. Typically if you just rotate 180 in the vise jaws and put your stop in place you can work the handle in its entirety.

That said not the way typically I have done. I either leave the bowl rectangle (as others mentioned) or use Swedish lap vise approach (rope).

The rope vise I use with my Moxon vise. I tie the rope in circle then just loop the rope over the spoon bowl and pass it down through the Moxon vise jaws (just wide enough for the rope) then with your foot step in circle and apply force to hold the spoon bowl fiirm perpendicular with the vise jaws. Quicker to position the spoon than actually using a typical vise. Get the rope sized right and stretched out properly and your heel can rest on the floor and apply pressure to the rope rocking the foot forward.

If I carved a lot spoons would likely make spoon mule.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

i haven't made to many spoons so I cut out the handle and left the spoon square then came back and cut out the handle then realized I screwed up. Now I am trying to do something I no I can't do with equipment available. I'll try the rope thing. I tried it last night with a dog hole but my rope is to thick never thought of the vice


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

You might want to consider making a whittling board. One nice thing about this is that you can carve sitting down and nearly anywhere you can sit. Here is one configuration and you could turn it over for using the spokes shave on the handle.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

thanks nathan that is different I'll keep it in mind


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Also, if your spokeshave is sharp, you can just hold the wood in your non dominant hand. Thats what I did on my first spoon when I made that same mistake


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Also, a small block plane can be used instead which might be easier since you only need one hand to hold the plane so you can use the other to help secure the spoon.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I would like to suggest to give yourself a advantage and work with soft woods. Your blank looks like walnut.
Walnut ,cherry,maple and beech make nice spoons. Softer woods like Alder and basswoods make acceptable utensils.
Green woods too but that goes with saying.
Good Luck


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

i would use soft wood if I had them but walnut is easier than maple


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

Have you thought about hollowing out two spacer blocks to fit the ladle part of the spoon. This would hold the ladle portion of your spoon with the handle sticking out, to work on the handle.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

how do you mean


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

Like making a mold, that holds the ladle portion. Similar to a peacon shell holding a peacon nut. With the handle sticking out. Or similar to a lollipop. The hard candy exterior holding the center chocolate tootsie roll center (ladle) and the handle (stick) is exposed to work on, after clamping the mold blocks to a vise


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

Other option is to shape the handle first. Then shape the ladle last.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

yea do it right the 1st time. I am looking at bench top shave ponys, I found a video of a fairly simple one I am going to try to make


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Here's a spoon mule Mafe made that can be mounted on a workbench:


He links to a blog in that project post that goes into more detail too.

I'd probably just make some v-jaw inserts kinda like this to hold the spoon in your vise if it were me.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

And here is another one.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

thanks, gives me more options, gotta decide on one


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Well, i am leaving this thread wanting to build one of those whittling boards, looks really handy, especially for camping etc.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

those board look awkward to use but they have been used for a long time, the concept anyway. But I have never used one but they must work you just have to become acostume to have you work in your lap instead of in front of you. this is the one I am trying to build


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

Check out this blog from WoodshopTherapy, It shows step by step to build a benchtop shaving horse


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