# Carving a Welsh Love Spoon



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

*Designing the Spoon*

On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.










However, while I was ripping down the two sides of the spoon with my saw, it occurred to me that a caged ball and a chain were two elements often found in traditional Welsh Love Spoons, so I decided to tweak my design a bit more and try my hand at carving one of those. After far too much pontificating, I ended up with this.










For those of you who haven't heard of Welsh Love Spoons before, the tradition started in the 16th century when shy, bashful young men would hand carve a spoon as a token of their affection for one of the local hotties. They would expend a great deal of time and effort in designing and carving the spoon and many a candle lit evening would be given over to this pursuit. If the girl accepted the spoon, it signified that she was interested in 'stepping out' with the boy and a relationship would ensue. The community would then recognize them as a 'couple'. It must be remembered too that engagement and marriage were not common in rural Wales until the end of the 18th century. Most young people would just live together in a simple house where the spoon would hang on the wall much like a wedding photograph does today.

Although the carving of 'love spoons' is not unique to Wales, I don't think any other country went so far in terms of decorating their spoons. There is really only one hard and fast rule when carving the spoon which is that it must be carved from a single piece of wood. Typically, the bowl of the spoon would remain quite simple and understated, whilst the handle of the spoon would be more elaborately decorated with symbols of the young man's affection. These design elements remained pretty constant right across Wales, but the exact meaning of them seemed to vary from region to region. Here are some of the elements that you might find on a Welsh Love Spoon together with what they signify:

*Chain* = together forever

*Diamond* = wealth or good fortune

*Flower* = affection

*Cross* = faith

*Ball in a cage* = love held safe or the number of children desired

*Heart* = love

*Horseshoe* = good luck

*Key or keyhole* = security

*Celtic knotwork* = eternal love

*Lock* = security or I shall look after you

*Twisted stem* = two lives become one

*Dragon* = symbol of Wales or protection

The bowl of the spoon also symbolized that the young man would provide for the girl and the intricacy of the design and the skill with which it was executed, let the girl know that the young man was good with his hands and practical.

So if we look again at the design I'm going for, you can see that it incorporates some of the above elements.










Since the caged ball and the spoon bowl involve the most aggressive knife work, I think I'll tackle those elements first and keep the existing strength in the middle section until the heavy work is complete. So in the next episode, I'll show you how I go about carving the caged ball. I'm kind of making it up as I go along here folks, but I hope you'll find it interesting and informative and perhaps even have a go yourself.

Ok cover me, I'm going in.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


A favorite for sure and a great pictorial, thanks Andy!


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Oops double post


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Woah. This looks like quite the undertaking. I would have any idea where to begin. How big is this?


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


I just measured it Todd and it is near enough 12".


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## rilanda (Jul 2, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Looks very interesting Brit I wish you luck, I have just started a project which I am making for my wife of 55 years next month and that is two hearts that are intertwined, made from one piece and it has just taken me 2 hours to separate them although they still remain locked together if you know what I mean. I will post it when finished. Good luck with the spoon will follow it with interest.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Congrats on 55 years Bill. I'm sure your wife will love the hearts. It can take quite a while to do some of this stuff, but the results are worth it I think. I'll be doing most of this in my hotel room during the week, so it isn't like I've got anything better to do with my time.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Well done Andy


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Pretty cool, I had seen these before but didn't understand the meaning. I look forward to following along!


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Wonderful design Andy, I'm looking forward to seeing the final product. Strangely enough we have the same tradition here about suitors carving something for their intended, and spoons were one of these, but there were often other items made too depending somewhat on the skills of the suitor. The Norwegian spoons could also be very complex and detailed designs. I can imagine these traditions were perhaps more common in different countries than one might think and it would be interesting to know how they spread from place to place. Traveling merchants or journeymen perhaps.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


One of your many endearing qualities is how you set your sites so low…

This will be exciting to see your rendition come to light. Thanks for sharing with us Andy.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Very very nice. Looking forward to seeing how it comes out.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


OMG, Andy.
Looks like an advanced lesson in carving. (meaning: way past my skill level) I admire your courage, and wish you luck!


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Andy, this is going to be nice. I can't wait to see how it looks when done.

Question, if you make a mistake, do you start over?


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Andy, it's a great pattern and this is going to be very interesting.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...





> I ll be doing most of this in my hotel room during the week, so it isn t like I ve got anything better to do with my time.
> 
> - Brit


No pubs nearby? Seriously, what an interesting project to follow. You really like to challenge yourself, don't you?


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the encouragement chaps. I am stretching myself a bit with this, but nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

Mike - I googled Norwegian spoons and a few came up. Pretty fancy. You'll have to make one. )

Terry - "OMG, Andy …. way past my skill level." I don't believe that for one minute Terry.

David - "If you make a mistake, do you start over?" Most mistakes can be rectified by modifying the design, but if the mistake was catastrophic, I probably would start this one again. However since I'll be doing most of this in my hotel room, it would have to wait until the following week.

Duck - Plenty of pubs and I've been to them all many times. )


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Designing the Spoon*
> 
> On my woodworking bucket list, I've always wanted to have a go at carving a ball in a cage and a chain. With this in mind, I decided to incorporate these elements into my next spoon project (This will be my 4th spoon). So I grabbed a suitable piece of Lindenwood and sketched out my design. I went through a number of iterations before ending up with this.
> 
> ...


;-) big smile here.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

*The Caged Ball*

In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?










I reasoned that the ball needed to move up and down freely in the cage, but that there shouldn't be a lot of side to side play. So I measured the width of one of the apertures (A) and drew a quick sectional view of the cage (as if I'd sawn through it and was looking down on it). It was then obvious that the diameter was the distance between the internal corners of two diagonally opposite posts (B). Needless to say the ball I had originally drawn was too small. As luck would have it though, a 50 cent coin (Euros) from my holiday change jar was exactly the right size.










Having reassured myself that the ball was now the right diameter, I got to wondering how I'd know when I was at the right diameter once I started to chip away at the surrounding wood. So I decided to make a couple of crude templates out of an old hotel card key. The depth gauge 'D' will let me know when I'm at the right depth from each face and the arc 'C' will help me keep the ball spherical.










I decided to excavate the waste either side of the ball first and leave the ball intact for the time being. This would give me more space to maneuver my knife to shape the ball. First I made two stop cuts to sever the end grain, followed by two along the grain on each face to define each aperture.










Then I cut a knife wall so I had shoulder to slice into without cutting into any wood that should remain.










I kept deepening the stop cut as I removed more and more chips. Once the inside walls of each corner post were as deep as the width of the posts on the surface, I stopped. Notice that at the moment I am effectively treating the ball as a cylinder when viewed from any of the faces.










Repeat for the other three sides.










I was then able to get more movement on my knife and use my thumb as a fulcrum to slice through the end grain until the center piece popped out.










Finally I could see daylight. Yippee!!!










I then repeated the whole procedure for the other end.










I must give a 'shout out' to the Mora 106 woodcarving knife. When I was in the market for a good carving knife, I looked at comparable knives made by Hans Karlsson (£53), Svante Djarv (£43) and Ben Orford (£60). All good knives I'm sure. However, I read an article by Robin Wood where he extolled the virtues of the Mora 106 (£16.95). Robin makes his living from green woodworking and knows a thing or two about knives. I respect his opinion, so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did. It takes and holds a great edge, is comfortable to hold and will tackle anything from aggressive slicing cuts to paring end grain or adding fine details. Let's face it, there aren't many cheap tools these days that surprise you with their performance, but this one puts a smile on my face each time I pick it up.










I'm afraid I forgot to take any photos of my progress as I carved the ball. Basically though, I just kept chipping away at it from each side and testing my progress with my templates until the ball became separated from the cage. I have to confess that I found this harder than I thought it would be, although I'm sure I could do a better job next time. The reason I found it hard is that although I was trying to carve a perfect sphere, I couldn't actually see the whole sphere through any of the windows, so it was difficult to see where wood needed to be removed. Consequently, once the ball finally became separated from the cage, it was more like the shape below.










The other issue I found was that once the ball was no longer joined to the cage, it was difficult to hold on to it while I further refined the shape. Still, better to take off too little than too much eh? I basically just kept sneaking up on a perfect sphere until I could rotate the ball in any direction without it binding. I still have a little bit of refining left to do before I'll be happy with it. I'm so glad I decided not to carve three balls in the cage! Anyhow here is where I'm leaving it for now. I've included two photos showing the ball in different positions to prove it does actually move.



















Next I'll tackle the bowl of the spoon.

Thanks for watching!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Sorry I got some of the photos in the wrong order. Now corrected.


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## rilanda (Jul 2, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Well done Brit, very informative love the work you do.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Thanks for taking us alng on this mission Andy. Its interesting to follow.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Holy crap, Andy! You made that look easy! Sure you haven't done this before? 

Thanks for the review of the Mora knife. It looks Stainless? And very comfy to hold.

I'd love to try this same procedure along with you! Just afraid my work won't look so nice on the first attempt!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Thanks Bill and Don.

You can do it Terry.

The Mora 106 knife is made from laminated carbon steel with the core being hardened to 61-62 Rockwell. You might be interested to know that you can also buy the blade on its own, so you can make you own handle for it.


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## planepassion (Nov 24, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Most impressive work Andy. I always wondered how people did this.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


^ +1 and then some!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Thanks for this blog/tutorial, Brit, it's very interesting. I'll probably give this a try myself.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Well done Andy. You take us on some pretty cool journeys. Much appreciated.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


The templates were brilliant as was the blog explaining the process. Amazing job Andy.

+1 Terry can do it.


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## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Great blog!


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## Northwest29 (Aug 1, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Well done!! The templates were a great idea for such an endeavor. Thanks for the share -


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Nicely done Andy! I can't even draw a decent circle.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Thanks guys.

Charles - Yeah have a go.

Eugene - The templates are a good idea, although if I do it again I would allow a bit of wiggle room in the arc template because it is impossible to carve a perfect sphere. I would subtract 2mm from the diameter of the ball and cut the arc based on that circle.


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## Kiwib0y (Aug 8, 2015)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


an amazing project. What type of wood are you carving your spoon from?


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Thanks. It is Lindenwood from Germany. In the UK we call it Lime and in the US they call it Basswood.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Very nice work Andy and nicely described in your blog. I too have that very same sløyd knife. It is very useful.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

Brit said:


> *The Caged Ball*
> 
> In this episode, I show you how I tackled the caged ball section of the Welsh Love Spoon. I started by squaring the outside of the cage and transferring the aperture opening to the other three sides. I then marked the diameter of the ball on the other three sides, but whilst doing that I found myself wondering whether or not the ball I'd drawn was the right diameter. After all I just drew a ball freehand along with the rest of the spoon. Should it be a certain diameter and if so, how big?
> 
> ...


Auuuuuchhhhh Andy, if the blog stopped here I would be more than impressed.
Cool.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

*The Heart-Shaped Bowl*

Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.










I also transferred my layout lines to the side of the spoon because I didn't want to lose them either. I will need to remove wood from the top, bottom and sides of the twisted stem section also to gain better access when shaping the underside of the spoon bowl. While I had the pencil in my hand I marked the height of each section on the side of the spoon for the first time to help me visualize the spoon in three dimensions.










After roughing out the exterior of the heart shape, I pared the top surface down to its finished height and re-drew the heart on that surface.










The underside of the spoon will also need to be pared down, but I decided to do that after I had gouged out the bowl as it would allow me to exert more pressure and not have to worry about anything breaking. To carve the bowl I am using two Hans Karlsson palm gouges each with a different sweep. I also have a Hans Karlsson hook knife, but I felt the palm gouges would work better for a heart-shaped bowl like this. I started to remove wood trying to keep both sides of the heart even in depth and shape.










I took care to leave a ridge top center to cast a shadow and add some visual impact.










Having roughly shaped the bowl, I now turned my attention to the underside and pared that down to its finished height.










Next I started to shape the underside of the bowl taking care to feel which way the grain was running and to work with it. It is so easy to tear out a great chunk of wood when using lindenwood (basswood in the US) if you're not careful and once it has gone you can't put it back. To gain better access I pared the back surface of the twisted stem section too.










Then I pared the sides of the twisted stem…










...and then the top surface. I then re-drew the twisted stem to give me a reference.










All that was left to do was sand the bowl up through the grits starting at P120 grit and finishing at P800 grit. On the underside, I started at P80 grit.



















The underside of the bowl will be refined further once I've carved the twisted stem section of the spoon.

In the next episode I'll rough out the chain section and then work on the padlock. The twisted stem section is the most delicate area of the spoon, so I will tackle that last.

Thanks for watching.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Wonderful work on this spoon so far Andy, I can't wait to see it finished.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Looks beautiful, Andy! Your work is always a cut above!

Love the palm gouges…yes, I'm a tool geek.


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


So very cool to see this come along. Are those few small strips the extent of the sandpaper you used?

Thank you Andy.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys.

Tony - I used those thin strips for the bowl only and the P120 and P180 grits which are green in color are not shown there. For the outside, I used slightly bigger pieces folded in half to approximately 1 1/2" by 2 1/2" in size.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Looking good Andy!


----------



## rilanda (Jul 2, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Looking good Andy


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


You do wonderful work Andy. Does the hotel mind you leaving shavings on the floor.?

So, you're leaving the most delicate part for last. I think I would want to get the breakage over with sooner )


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


I always leave the room spotless Duck. Nobody would ever know what I've been doing. Hopefully there won't be any breakage, but I always bring a little bottle of superglue just in case )


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Heart-Shaped Bowl*
> 
> Now it is time to carve the bowl of the spoon. Since the top surface of the spoon bowl needs to be lowered somewhat and I will lose my drawing of the heart, I started by roughly shaping the perimeter of the bowl so I didn't lose the shape.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this great blog, Brit. It's very interesting.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

*Carving the Chain Section*

I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.










Work on the chain section began by paring down each of the four surfaces to the finished width of the links. Then I drew the edges of the links on each of the four faces.










Next I removed the four corners leaving me with a '+' cross-section and drew in the links on the newly exposed surfaces.










Then using a small gent's saw, I sawed either side of the waste between each link taking care not to go too deep. This step could be omitted, but it makes the next step go a lot faster…










…which was shaping the ends of the links with my knife. Now for the first time it was starting to look like a chain, albeit a very rigid one.










After that it was just a case of carefully slicing away at the waste until the first link was free to move. The sharp point of the Mora 106 knife really came into its own here. I also used a 1/16" 60 degree V-tool which you can see in one of the photos below.










As each link was released, I took the opportunity to sand any rough edges so they wouldn't catch and possibly break the chain.










Below you can see the small Peter Benson V-tool I used to help excavate the waste in the direction of the grain. Again, it could all have been done with the knife alone, but the gouge made things go a little quicker. I took great care not to slice into (and therefore weaken) any of the links. Lindenwood is quite brittle and will easily split if you exert too much pressure. I was very conscious of this fact and only used light strokes, stropping my knife to keep it razor sharp as I went along.










By the time I'd released the third link I had established a process and I thought you might be interested to see what that method was. You have to bear in mind that all of the stages involved both hands, but in the photos below I can only show one hand at a time since the other one is holding the camera. Whatever tool I was using to do the cutting, my free hand was pinching the next link as shown below. This was to both steady the work and help prevent the brittle wood from splitting as I cut.










With my other hand I either used the V-Tool to remove the waste at the side of the links…










...or used my knife to sever the grain between the links. For this step, I pushed the point in and just pulled it back slightly a few times then rotated the chain 90 degrees and repeated the action. I kept turning and cutting until the next link was free. Although I couldn't see what the knife was doing, I could feel the fibers being severed.










Here's a better photo of how I held my knife for maximum control. As you can see I really choked up on the blade, but with the handle resting on the back of my hand it was actually a very safe grip because there was no way the sharp edge could cut me. So far on this project I haven't drawn blood, but having said that I'll probably cut my finger off next week. LOL.










Eventually all the links were free and rough sanded. There is still some refining work to do on the links to shape them and equalize them, but the finish sanding will all be done in one session at the end of the project so I don't make it dirty again whilst handling it.










So there you have it, my first ever carved chain and I'm pretty relieved that I got through it without incident. Next week, I will DEFINITELY be doing the padlock and hopefully the twisted stems if I don't have to work late.










Thanks for following my hotel woodworking exploits. I hope you're finding it interesting.


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Quite impressive Andy. By now I would have had a pile of splinters, a cut or two in my fingers and a sore throat from ;-) Can't wait for the next installment.


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Nice work on that ball and chain.


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## racerglen (Oct 15, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Great work and as usual great photos to show how it's done !

Thanks Andy !


----------



## DanKrager (Apr 13, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Brit, Just stumbled onto this portable project. Very ambitious! An you are executing it with due patience and precision. Very skillful!

Spoon carving is on my bucket list, and this type of work intrigues and challenges my imagination. I'm gonna lurk…K?

DanK


----------



## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


I'm having fun watching your progress. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


*Kevin* -You do need a lot of patience to do this kind of stuff and it is frustrating at times when I know I have the ideal tool for a particular task at home but I didn't bring it with me. I do believe that there is a lot of benefit to be gained from restricting yourself to only a few tools and learning to make them do what you want.

*Don & Glen* - Thanks guys.

*Dan* - Lurk away my friend. I'm having a blast doing all these little projects that I wouldn't otherwise have time to do. I don't put any pressure on myself to get a project done by a certain time and if I don't feel like doing it one night, then I don't.

*Sras* - Thanks for looking in. Glad you're enjoying it.


----------



## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


This is really inspirational Andy, I'm really impressed at how much can be accomplished with that knife. I'd like to try the is one day.


----------



## rilanda (Jul 2, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


You are an inspiration Andy, love to watch the progress.


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Progress looks amazing, Andy!

Thanks for lessons and all the photos; I'm attempting this soon.

I cannot imagine trying what you've just accomplished for the first time sans bench, a few clamps, and all the other tools watching over my shop. Cheers to your efforts!


----------



## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Fascinating. Such a wonderful blog as well. I am really enjoying this; thank you very much Andy!


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


When I was a young boy, a friend on my dad's carved a chain for me with a hook on the end. Fascinated, I tried one on my own, but stopped after a couple of blisters appeared and never took it up again.

How much length did you gain after the chain was finished?


----------



## DanKrager (Apr 13, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


I can't wait for the responses to that last question…

DanK


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Andy, this is going to be a beautiful spoon. And thanks for the great blog on this.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


*Mauricio & Rilanda* - Glad you both feel inspired. Mauricio, this is my fourth project using that knife as the primary tool. The first project I kept cutting myself and it felt really awkward, the second project less so but I still drew blood. In the last two projects that knife has quickly become an extension of my arm and I find myself changing between the different holds without even having to think about it now. It is amazing what you can do with just a knife and a bit of imagination.

*Terry* - I can't wait to see what you come up with. With your patience and hand tool skills I just know it will be something special.

*Tony* - I'm really enjoying this project. Lots of little challenges that feel me with trepidation and then satisfaction once I've overcome them. At the end of the day though, these projects are a great way to push myself because if I screw up all it has cost me is a few hours of my time.

*Duck* - Sounds like it is time to try it again. ) The block of wood was 12" and now it is 3/16" longer. It will grow a bit more when I come to finish sand the project.

*Dan* - That made me chuckle, but I managed to keep my response clean.

*Charles* - Thanks. I'm having a blast.


----------



## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...





> I can t wait for the responses to that last question…
> 
> DanK
> 
> - Dan Krager


Haha, it would have been a perfect opener for Stef


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Yeah, Stef would have jumped on that for sure.


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## planepassion (Nov 24, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


I must say Andy. You're tackling some pretty advanced carving concepts and skills. Well done.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Thanks Brad.


----------



## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


This is simply awesome, Andy.

Your ability to tackle something new and execute it excellently, all while educating us along the way is second to none. And this isn't the first time you've done that.

Thanks for your efforts.

Now - don't mess it up.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Thanks Todd. Unfortunately I haven't been able to do any more work on the spoon this week due to other commitments. Hopefully, I'll get back to it next week.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


I love the precision of your work Andy and the quality of your work shows it. This is going to be a really great spoon when finished.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike. There's a lot of interesting little challenges in this project and they are all teaching me to visualize in three dimensions and getting me ready for a 'carving in the round' project further down the line. I bought Shawn Cipa's book 'Carving Gargoyles, Grotesques and Other Creatures of Myth' and I'm itching to have a go at one of the projects in the book.


----------



## Kiwib0y (Aug 8, 2015)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


your carving skills are impressive. do not worry about the finger, you have 7 more that have not been touched ( just like new)


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Don - Thanks but I think my ability to cut myself is what is really impressive. I thought about wearing one of those carving gloves or the individual finger protectors, but I don't think I could get on with either of them. I guess I'll just have to ensure that I keep restocking the Band Aids in my kit. )


----------



## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Andy, you bleed? Darn, I thought you were super human!

I've never been able to work with finger protectors. Try a Bandaid on your finger BEFORE you get cut. No, I'm serious…if you get a cut in the same spot from carving, try a bandage. I use this philosophy all the time when knapping instead of gloves.

Also that liquid bandage is great stuff to stop bleeding without adding a bulky appliance to your delicate working fingers. Burns a bit when applied…


----------



## gallarotti (Oct 23, 2015)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Andy, i am really impressed, alas not surprised by your level of skills in carving such a complex geometry.
I have looked at your blog and this appears to be your first carving series. Have you posted anything in the past about which tools you use and maybe easier projects to start with?
I'd like to try some simple carving, maybe on a box lid or something but have no idea what is the very basic toolset needed to start something simple…


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *Carving the Chain Section*
> 
> I was going to do the padlock next after roughing out the chain, but once I started on the chain I was enjoying myself so much that I just kept right on going. If you remember, this is how the spoon looked at the end of the last session.
> 
> ...


Francesco - I'm pretty new and inexperienced at carving. So far I have just done a few spoons which you can see in my projects. They are a great place to start. You'd be surprised how much you can learn from carving a spoon and all you need for that is a carving knife and a hook knife. I use the Mora 106 carving knife which is excellent value for money and a Hans Karlsson hook knife. There are lots of videos on YouTube about spoon carving and probably a few blogs on Lumberjocks too.

For decorating boxes, you might like to look into chip carving. In chip carving most of the cuts are done with one knife with occasional use of what's called a stab knife. Check out MyChipCarving.com. Marty who runs the site is also a member on LJs and makes the best chip carving knives too.


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

*The Twisted Stems and Padlock*

I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.

First off, I drilled a hole all the way through the padlock.










Then I pared down the thickness of the padlock to make it less of a cube and more of a rectangle when viewed from the side elevation. I probably removed about 3/16" from the front and back faces.










After defining the keyhole slot on the front and back faces of the padlock, I started to excavate the slot and also the three middle holes in the twisted stem.










I used various straight and bent gouges to work on the stem. Here you can see me using a ¼" No.3 fishtail gouge.










Along with my Peter Benson chisels I also used a set of diamond needle files in places.










A 1/16th No 18 Curved Gouge (No.9 Sweep) was a good fit for the keyhole slot.










Once I was all the way through the stem and the keyhole, I turned my attention to the outside of the stems. First I made four saw cuts into the two sides as shown.










Then I sliced away the waste either side leaving me with the rough shape of the stems. The two red dots that you see in the following photo are the only points where wood won't be removed from the top surface.










I must be honest here and say that I sat there for ages staring at this before I plucked up the courage to start turning it into a spiral. In the last episode, Todd jokingly commented "Now - don't mess it up." and that phrase kept replaying in my head. BUT after two cups of coffee, an episode of NCIS and half a packet of Oreo cookies, I was ready for the challenge. I sketched the shape of the helix on the side elevations and started to remove the wood that had no place being there.




























Check from all sides…










Once I felt I had gone deep enough everywhere, I started to knock off the corners around the spiral. I thought it would be easy to lose the shape at this point, so I drew some center lines around the stems to keep me on track.










I found out that remembering to pay attention to grain direction on a complex shape like this is a lesson quickly learned. Since it was difficult to see which direction I should be carving, I had to just feel my way as I went along and keep turning the work end to end with each twist of the stems. The last thing I needed now was to hear that terrifying splitting sound that every carver instantly recognizes when they've carved against the grain.










Finally I was happy with the shape of the twisted stems.










Just a bit of clean up needed to blend the transition between the spoon bowl and the stems.










Now back to the padlock. The more astute among you will remember that I drew three rivets on the front face of the padlock. Don't ask me why I drew 3 and not 4 because I don't have a clue. It just seemed like a good idea at the time I guess. Anyhow it's irrelevant because I decided the rivets didn't really add anything to the overall design, so I didn't bother with them. All I needed to do to the padlock was create the illusion that there was a top and bottom cover plate by recessing all the faces. This was relatively easy to do with my knife. I just had to be careful to arrest my knife before it sliced off something it shouldn't.



















The spoon still needs to be finish sanded all over and I might add a bit more detail in one or two places before applying a finish and posting it as a project, but the carving is done now. Since this blog was all about how I went about the carving, I'm calling it a 'wrap' with this episode.

I've really enjoyed this one. There have been lots of firsts for me and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I hope you've enjoyed the journey too. Thanks for tagging along.

EDIT: Here's a link to the finished project:


----------



## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


This post got me checking in on this series Brit. Let me just say: superb work good sir. What little work shaping I've done (just a couple plane totes and saw handles) I really appreciate how difficult getting that 3D shape must be.


----------



## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


But how's it do at serving mushy peas?

I'm glad I got in your head, cause the wait paid off. Excellent work , Andy - truely top notch.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Superb workmanship and patience beyond my comprehension. I would have had a redesign in blog 2.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


*Slyy* - Thanks. It was good to push myself to do this. There were many challenges but as with anything that seems insurmountable, if you break each task into manageable sub-tasks, it suddenly becomes doable.

*Todd* - Thanks for focusing my mind. I hate mushy peas though, so I won't be putting it to the test.

*Don* - That's funny. I felt like that myself when I started it, but since I'd already started the blog series I had to persevere with it and I'm glad I did now.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Very impressive, Andy! I was worried over the twisted stem portion…it looks the most difficult to me.

Hard to believe this is your first attempt at such a project, still. Not only did you pull it off with flying colours, but you also taught us how to acheive the same results!


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Andy, two cups of coffee and Oreos would have turned me into a human scroll saw! It is an outstanding bit of work too say the least. Thanks for the blow-by-blow posting.

And Terry, "colours" ? Sucking up to the Englishman are we?


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Thanks gents. I missed that Kevin. I sometimes make the effort to type in American, so I appreciate the gesture Terry made. )


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Andy, this project displays your great patience, yes. But I would also like to point out your great bravery. To start blogging about this while the outcome was still in question took some guts. One fatal slip could have led to an embarrassing result. I would have waited until the project was over and the result was certain. But you, sir, have pulled it off with unfailing excellence. Very impressive indeed.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


This is looking great. You are doing a fine job on it.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


You caught that, Old Fart?
Good on ya!


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Andy - I went through all of these and it is incredible. Something I want to make and your instructions are great.

Thank you


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


*Bob* - Thank you. Yep, it's woodworking on the edge my friend. Will Andy succeed or end up sucking seed? Seriously though, I wouldn't say I was brave. I just don't care if people know I failed.

*Charles* - Glad you like it.

*David* - I hope you do have a go David. I'd love to see what you come up with.


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Andy, great job sir. I was thinking about you and the spoon the other day and wondering when you would post again.



> I just don t care if people know I failed.
> 
> - Brit


I love that line ;-)


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Thanks Duck. I'd rather people know I'm honest than think I'm perfect.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


I just can't see how this carving could have been done better by anyone Andy. Your attention to detail and clean cutting make this complicated spoon design really shine.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Andy - I knew a guy that carved the captured ball but did three of them in graduated sizes. He did it during the war while sitting in foxholes. He said it helped think about something else.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Thank you *Mike*. I've got the next two weeks off and thought I'd start cleaning it up today. It is a slow tedious process I can tell you. Hopefully it will be worth it though.

*David* my hat is off to him. I can't imagine doing this kind of work under those conditions, but I can understand why it took his mind of the situation he was in.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Fantastic display of your mental and physical skill.

Getting my head wrapped around how you would go about the cuts was challenging from a spectator vantage, but eloquently explained by you as you executed it.

So enjoyable. Thank you Andy.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

Brit said:


> *The Twisted Stems and Padlock*
> 
> I decided to tackle the twisted stem section in parallel with the padlock and I kind of jumped between the two as I progressed.
> 
> ...


Nicely done. Makes me want return to carving. That and timbers of basswood I have been drying for 20 years.


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