My first woodwork was digging spoons, and now a lot of people start by digging spoons. And the process of making wooden spoons is very interesting, watching how a solid wooden block gradually takes shape in your hand. After patient polishing, you can't help but be deeply impressed by your ingenuity.
Main material:
Multifunctional electric grinder, wood saw, file, sandpaper, marker, rag, olive oil, etc.
Production steps:
According to the craftsmen of the carpentry circle, it usually takes 5-8 hours to make a wooden spoon by hand, and this time depends on the size, hardness and texture of the wood. Making wooden spoons with your own hands is a process of repairing wood products. Turned shape, as well as polishing and oiling wooden spoons, allow you to feel the moment of surprise when a piece of wood turns into a “work of art”.
Step 1. Select wood
Today I chose tree burls as the raw material for the spoon. Tree burls form because tree bark is a transport tissue. Once the bark is damaged, its transport is cut off and tree burls slowly form. All the nutrients are concentrated on the tumors of the trees, and the fibrous tissue inside the tumors of the trees changes to form various beautiful patterns, which we call the "biliary tree".
There are many varieties of gall tree, such as: birch gall, because of its great texture, fine texture, dense and oily. It can be used to make vases, pipes, wooden spoons and other works of art that are very popular.
Step 2: shade-dried tree burls
It is a long process for new wood, whether it is dried in the shade or soaked in the foam. According to the old masters in the carpenter's mug, when the Xinmu village is dried in the shade, the beeswax must be sealed or glued on the cut. As a general rule, it needs to be stored for more than one year and then baked for 3 days before it does not deform.
Step 3. Cut the spoon
After the wood is finished, start cutting out the shape of the spoon. First, use a hand saw to carefully cut off the excess and cut out the shape of the spoon handle from top to bottom. Don't cut too much. If you have a file you can use it to shape the handle, the file will make a round handle.
Step 4. Remove the inner spoon
Use a multi-functional electric grinder, set up a flat-bottomed woodworking cutter, and take out a rough spoon shape. Then slowly pull out part of the spoon with less force and scrape the inside wall of the spoon more evenly. This gives better control over the shape of the spoon, a flatter bottom and a better finish.
After the spoon is taken out, boil it in salt water for about an hour, let the wood inside drain out, and then take it out and dry it in the shade. During the drying process of the impregnated wood, the swelling and contraction of the wood cells are slowed down, and the internal force generated will not be excessive, so the wood does not crack.
Step 5. Sanding and oiling
First sand, smooth the surface of the spoon with sandpaper, then coarse sandpaper, then fine sandpaper. Hold the handle of the spoon with your right hand and press the pocket of the spoon with your left hand to control the grinding force and move up and down when grinding. Or sharpen in one direction left and right. For example, when turning the bottom of a spoon, you can sharpen in one direction along the arc of a semicircle at the bottom of the spoon, and sharpen up and down so that the overall line is natural.
Apply some edible oil to a small piece of cloth, then grease a spoon with it. You can use olive, sesame or walnut oil. After the spoon is oiled, you need to wait for it to dry naturally. After drying, it is ready to use!
Step 6. Done!
Using new tree burls to make wooden spoons requires a very long building period and sophisticated craftsmanship, which is unacceptable to the average enthusiast. You need to be handwriting with a deep attachment to wooden spoons and wood. A wooden spoon made in this way not only retains the feel and texture of natural wood, but also does not crack or deform. Lovers of traditional crafts and technology can try it.