Carve a first-timer spoon - PEP BB roundwood.sand.spoon

gir bot · Apr 08, 2025 17:42:04

For the spoon, I started with a piece of Mulberry. Then split it with a hatchet and carve the handle with a pocket knife. I used a couple chisels and a pocket knife for the bowl part of the spoon, then sanded it with sandpaper.

gir bot · Apr 26, 2025 14:09:16

I started with a very green maple branch, then whittled, gouged, and sanded. It's totally functional!

gir bot · Jun 23, 2025 18:41:12

Madrone

gir bot · Sep 01, 2025 21:27:20

This was fun! And I only sliced open my fingers four times!

Minimum requirements:
- useful size and shape
- smooth
- something you might actually use
- made with hand tools only

To get certified for this BB, post three pics.

- Your chunk of wood that you are starting with
- Progress about half way through, with the hand tools you have decided to use for this
- Final product

This is a spoon that I made from an aspen. I struggled to find a branch large enough for a spoon that I was willing to part with. This branch I cut down is kind of close to a power line.

I measured it against a storebought spoon.

I started out by splitting it on the kindling cracker.

I made smaller slits with a tiny axe multitool and a mallet. I finally have a use for this thing! I just bought it because it was a silly little axe and I was really into multitools. It even has a tiny saw for the knots.

Partway through. I also got a woodcarving-specific multitool with a spoon knife in it. I also learned when it arrived that you should never pull out all the blades at the same time.

When I first started, I was trying to carve it on my crafting table and it was really putting a strain on my upper back. I then moved outside and bent over so that I could hold the spoon in my right hand with my right elbow resting on my knee and only my left arm with the blade was moving. This was a million times more ergonomic and saved my back. Sorry this picture is sideways. But this is the spoon most of the way through.

Sanding.

It's about the same length as the storebought spoon, although the bowl is smaller.

Closeup.

Here is the spoon next to the first spoon I tried carving for the BB that turned out too small.

After oiling with walnut oil five or six times. It kept absorbing it almost immediately. All done!

gir bot · Sep 09, 2025 19:39:07

wooden spoon made with saw, pocket knife, and fire:

The spoon and the other half of the stick

Burning out the bowl of the spoon

Finished spoons
https://permies.com/t/273224/a/273409/thumb-twospoons.jpg

gir bot · Sep 11, 2025 16:51:43

Ok, please ignore my submission above ...didn't quite document that one so well. This one is my 3rd spoon, and it is a serving sized spoon made from black walnut

tools used: bow saw, hand saw, vice grip, 2lb hammer, machete, channel locks, gardening trowel, and buck pocket knife.

gir bot · Dec 24, 2025 10:21:56

I made it after much adventure! Hopefully it’s good enough as there are worse spoons in my kitchen that are much loved.

gir bot · Jan 01, 2026 13:49:50

I found a better chisel and my pocket knife so that should help. I did not have them around previously and they made much difference.

However next time I would not choose willow as a wood. It is too coarse grained and soft to easily smooth.

gir bot · Feb 17, 2026 19:09:30

Here's my first attempt. I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out, but more importantly I learned some lessons.

Earlier this winter, while walking the dog, I saw some pruning work done on boulevard elm trees beneath a power line...seeing a branch in the range of 2" in diameter, I thought that could be a reasonable starting point for a spoon. After getting home, I retrieved my pruning saw and the dog and I went back to cut off the branch at a bit over 4' long. Then I needed to verify the safety of elm for such a use...the info I found notes that there have been medicinal uses of the inner bark (if I remember correctly) and some other parts, so I figured it should be safe.

We had a long weekend here, so I got at it. I cut the branch (which has something of a curve) into roughly 1' lengths, leaving the bigger end a bit longer. Using my froe, I split the branches. They didn't split as nicely as hoped. In my mind, the bigger piece may turn into an attempt at something like a ladle. I made a couple rough cuts with the pruning saw to create something of a bowl end. Next step was to use a chisel to take off some of the sides so there was less material removal with the carving tools (which I'd gotten as a gift after expressing an interest in trying this out).

Sitting on the floor with a small tarp to catch (most of) the shavings, I got at it. I was surprised how quickly things moved along. In the end, I'm sure I spent 2-3 hours on it. When I'd had enough, I gave it an initial coat of walnut oil...it took that up pretty quickly, so I gave it some more.

I first used it with water and played with measuring spoons, so I think it's just over a teaspoon in the end and is far and away the largest teaspoon in the house. Although it isn't symmetrical, I'm happy with how the bowl turned out overall. I left the handle larger in part because I like the look of the darker heartwood with the paler sapwood.

A couple lessons learned:

I should spend more time on the rough blank, perhaps using my coping saw to take off more material.

The heartwood acts more fibrous than the sapwood, so I think it will rough up more with use. Future projects should perhaps have the heartwood removed...or choose a different variety of tree to start with.

I quite enjoyed this project - while a bit taxing on my soft hands, I can see myself trying more things like this.

So, while it isn't a fabulous piece of art, I made it and am content with how it turned out, especially since I haven't done anything like whittling in decades. I humbly submit it for this Badge Bit.

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