In this video I explain in depth my methods for transforming a quartered log into a spoon blank. For the sake of showing consistency, I’ve taken the liberty of filming the axing out of two blanks in a row.
So many spoon carving videos showcase the craftsman's obvious skill and aesthetic without necessarily instructing the viewer. Sean carves beautifully and explains thoroughly. This is what so many of us need. There's no better axing tutorial than this. His other video "Crank explained" is equally fantastic, and should not be missed. Truly appreciated, Sean. Thank you. 👍
Gosh.... thank you very much for your comment. I try to explain things that were sources of struggle during different parts of my carving journey. I’m so glad you find these videos helpful!
I've watched dozens of spoon carving how-to videos but finally, after watching this and your spoon crank video I'm feeling like I have a good visualization of how the process works. Thanks for breaking it down into steps that are easy to understand and for drawing the "Nike swoosh" on the billet. It's a great gift to be skilled at something and also be able to communicate how it's happening. Waiting on my axe to arrive and in the meantime I'll watch this a few more times :-D. Great explanation!
I’m super glad to hear you found the video helpful! I haven’t filmed any content in quite a long time so seeing folks still watching and commenting on these makes me very happy! Good luck in your carving, friend!
It was a very clear video. I loved seeing the intelligence in your hands, as well as hearing your explanation. It was especially useful to see you carve out two different spoons in the same video.
NIIICE. A super and informative demo for us newfers and very much appreciated Sean. You teach so well via the explanations as you work. It's so helpful when a person begins! Thank you , again. I'm repeating myself, apologies there, Jeremy!
I carved my first spoon last week. I used a bandsaw but I can see a lot of advantages of using an axe and working with the natural grain directions. Thanks so much for sharing this! You are a true master.
I just picked up spoon carving, done a handful of them and am pleasantly surprised my solutions I came up with are actually used by others! Looks like I am on the right track, and appreciate learning tricks from others I had not thought of. Thanks for the great content.
It’s funny how many of the techniques we use are simply because they are the natural way of getting it done, isn’t it? I’ve found a few things along the way that I do differently and certain grips I’ve not necessarily seen used by other carvers but, on the whole, we do what we do how we do it because it’s the way it was meant to be done
I know very little about metal shaping compared to spoon carving but I have to assume, beyond the science behind the medium, it has to be a fairly organic thing
Ron MCCARTY it brings me a great deal of happiness knowing these videos are enjoyed and that maybe some folks are benefitting from them. Thanks for the comment and for watching Ron!
This my friend, is bar none the best rough out spoon carving video i have seen. enjoyed it so much, subbed your channel, looking forward to seeing more. thanks again, have a blessed weekend, dale
Heartland Outdoor Living thanks so much for the comment Dale. I do try to share what I know and do so freely. It gives me a good deal of pride knowing I can help someone achieve the results they’re looking for. I’ll be doing some axe and hook knife videos this year so be sure to look out for those. Might have to squeeze another roughing video in soon too! All the best- Sean
What an excellent presentation on spoon carving axe work. Stumbled on to this video and I have to say you have a new fan and subscriber. I am not a fan of FB, but I will go to your page to see what is there just because this video was so informative and well done. Thanks.
Thank you for the comment! I very much enjoy sharing what I do with others and have a great deal of pride in knowing I’m getting folks interested in these traditional skills
Whooow, was transfixed with your so close axe work. The 37+ minutes flew by. Some great in-depth tips for ‘new’ to the world of spoon carving. Nice to hear, with all that experience that the timber rules and inevitably if it doesn’t want to be a spoon, it’s not going to be! Well filmed, just subscribed.
Very informative tutorial!!! Are you inside on carpet? If the set up that your working on is portable or beaks down, I think all of those living in space/apartment with no garage for a shop, we all could benefit from an explanation or a "tour" of the setup. I have a shop that is insulated, but not yet heated. If I could set up something in my spare room for winter carving, I'd love to see it. Thanks and you got a new subscriber.
CrossGrain Wood Products,LTD my space is only 8’x4’ but suite my needs daily well for the time being. It’s basically just a floating floor on top of carpet. If I had to guess, I probably built the whole thing for $100 or so
Great stuff. Your stropping video helped tons. I heard the accent before I saw your channel name and knew you were from Michigan. It’s hard to find green wood downriver!
grizol I hear ya brother! I’ve gotten lucky plenty of times but sometimes I have to rely on buying wood from people or trading. Glad the stripping vid helped you out!
Would it possible to know why your ax block has these different levels and notches? Great video thank you for explaining little details during the process
Absolutely. The V-Notches serve to brace the spoon when axing certain portions of excess mass from it, namely- the portion on the shoulders of the bowl. Having multiple levels ensures the spoon is always supported from underneath so axe blows don’t cause damage
Well thank you. I like to use flexible plastic page dividers or folders. I find that regardless of the color, the ones you can see through work best. It aids you in aligning your template and avoiding knots or other bad spots when applied to your billet
Thank you for this and a couple of others I've watched of yours. I'm just barely getting into carving and this video has given me the confidence to do much more axe work than I previously felt comfortable doing. I also had a question about your chopping block. I appreciated your explanation on using the lower nook... are there other uses for that and the other one? If these are explained in the Facebook album you mentioned then I'll find my answer there but if not could you help me out? Thanks again, look forward to more videos in the future.
Colin Wood I appreciate the praise! I have another Facebook album for frequently asked questions which describes in detail how the notches in my stump are used. Hopefully you find it helpful! Happy carving!
Great video! Thanks so much! Maybe you mentioned this and I missed it, but is there a reason why you waited to put the crank in the second one until after you roughed out to your lines vs the first one when you put the crank in before roughing out to your lines? Was it because of the knots? I need to check if you already have a video on your chopping block, but if not, I'd love for you to talk about how you made it and what kind of wood it is. Thanks again.
Sandra Zern I don’t always follow the steps in order necessarily. I just kind of do whatever feels like an appropriate next step. As for my chopping block, I have an album on Facebook (I’m not sure if you have a FB page) that outlines how to make a similar one.
Just getting started carving spoons and your channel has been unbelievably helpful. Do you have any recommendations for carving axes/hatchets for beginners? Looking for a "real tool", but one that won't break the bank. Once I know what I'm doing I can always move up to one of those fancy Swedish models. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment Scott. As far as a decent axe for a decent price, Robin Wood offers an axe in two different weights. Here’s a link to the lighter of the two wood-tools.co.uk/tools/the-robin-wood-axe/
Hello. Thank you for this awesome video. When you dry it, does putting it in a ziploc bag, and sealing it work okay? How long do you leave it like that for before further carving with the knife? Thank you in advance
When aging out blanks, the goal is to keep them moist until you’re able to rough carve them with your knives. It’s isn’t until a spoon is 90% finished that I will intentionally dry them
Hi there Louise! Dry wood typically doesn’t absorb water very well. You may find that soaking dry wood will soften up a couple layers of wood, but it doesn’t usually soak in very deep.
Looks like you made some modifications to the basic carving block and added some kind of tool holder around it which I can only get a glimpse of. I'd like to see a video tour of the whole thing.
@@HuronSpoonCo, I would love to see a 360° view and a build video. I've never done any of those builds yet for anvil blocks, tool blocks for the vice etc, your carving block, etc. I need to know sizes, heights, and anything else.
The height really depends on how tall you are. I’m 5’ 10” tall and I find the main level of my chopping black being at 36” is perfect. The top level of it is about three inches taller, which allows me to support the neck of the spoon blank while axe carving certain sections of it
@@HuronSpoonCo, 6'1" with a waist at 38-39". I can stand for a while then I have to sit or go for a walk for a bit. I'm guessing the log needs to be 18-24". I've got a vice with some lag bolts and washers to secure it and a small square of plate steel maybe 4x4". Need something for an anvil though. Don't get down to the recycling yard much.
Thankyou so much,the way you decribe what your doing step by step is so informative,especially for those whome are slightly dyslexic as myself ,could you tell me how do you make your stencils ,i know you ment on a earlier post regarding using clear folder binders but how are you able to copy the shape of the spoon considering the bevel ,sorry if that sounds confusing,but thankyou again amazing skills.
Don't you worry too much about being dyslexic. It has compensations. I bet you have a marvellous memory and a great ear for music. You'd probably also make a great wine taster.
Great video, thanks for sharing. On axe maintenance - what grit do you use to keep that tool so sharp, and about how many spoons do you get before you resharpen (I appreciate this is wood dependent)?
Thank you. As for the grits I use, they’re the same whether I’m maintaining an axe or a knife. Usually I work in the following order: 600, 1000, 1500, 2000 and follow up with a coarse strop and a fine strop with two different compounds on them. As for resharpening, it really does depend on how hard you use it and the characteristics of the woods you’ve carved with a given tool. If there’s lots of knots, inclusions, or you encounter foreign materials, you may need to address the cutting edge often. Some woods are high in silica as well, which typically translates to frequent sharpening due to nicks in the cutting edge. Hope this helps!
The weight doesn’t sound like it would be a problem but the ergonomics and geometry could be. It would also need a proper scandi grind, which would likely be too thin since cleavers are much thinner than axe heads.
Leslie Ray Hunt was talking about you i am totally new to green carving i have always harvested carving stock put it up to air dry for a couple years I have done handles for axes and hatchets for years out of ash and bitter walnut which is available here in Vermont on my land i have used oak also. I am going out and harvest a cherry tree tomorrow, does it matter f the tree is young 6 to 8 inch diameter
My apologies for the late reply! I'm just now seeing a ton of comments RU-vid flagged. To answer your question- 6-8" will work great and is the size i aimed for when i first began carving spoons. Thanks so much for the comment!
802/5000 Halo HoronSpoonCo, I found your videos and I would like to carve spoons with my sons. We have axes from Gränsfors and Svante Djärv Super hand-forged knives. I have two little questions. 1. Where can I see how you made your chopping block, unfortunately I couldn't find anything on Fcebook. Maybe my problem, can you please send me a link? Second, are we not sure what the wood should be like, fresh from the forest, and if so, what time of year? Should it be fresh or does it have to be dry? I have seen that you collect some things in containers filled with water. Can you explain that to us in more detail? That would be really nice of you and we would be very happy. Many warm greetings from beautiful Brandenburg in north-east Germany Jens
Here's a link to the Stump build: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2256430837713738&type=3 As far as the material its made from, I used Ash (a very hard wood) that had been seasoned for several years and it has held up very nicely compared to stumps I have made from wood that is softer and/or still green. Hope this helps!
If you're referring to the length of the cutting edge, anything around 4" is good. Too much smaller and I'm not a fan. Too much larger and it's really not great for eating spoons IMHO.
If you’re good with resetting bevel angles and have a bit of patience, any hatchet with long bevels weighing between 1-2 lbs could be good for carving, depending on the weight you prefer. The Gransfors Bruk Wildlife Hatcher is a popular one as well, along with either of the carving axes Robin Wood makes, which can be found at wood-tools.co.uk
I began with a simple hardware store hatchet. It worked OK for 2 years. When I knew I was hooked on carving I bought a Hans Karlssan carving axe for around $300. It is more money than the Gransfors Bruks that is being used here. It is also lighter and an amazing axe. As well as spoons I also carve bowls. I would say the Gransfors Bruks is better for bowls as it is a heavier axe and it takes off more material in a wack. That can be a down side when carving smaller pieces of wood used for spoons. Either one can be used but fi you don't want to fork out $250-$300 any hatchet will do.
Bill Astell I used to use a lighter axe but found that the lack of heft translated to me having to use more force. After a year or two, I developed tendinitis in my right elbow/forearm. I found that an axe with more weight requires less force to use and thus meaning I can wield it for longer periods of time without fatigue or damage to my body. Everyone’s different though and some people prefer a smaller axe.
I've got to say you do an amazing accurate cut with the heavier axe. I'm doing a BIG bowl now and wish I had the heavier axe. Sadly I will have to make do at least for now.
Bill Astell don’t get me wrong, I’ve acquired some very nice tools over the past few years but there’s something to be said about doing the same job with tools that aren’t perfect for the job. I hollowed a whole bowl with a spoon knife once just to see if I could do it. It’s was slow, inefficient, and wreaked havoc on my hands but I was super proud when I finally finished it.
Does the axe choice matter much? Will an Estwing sportsman hatchet do? Recommendation for someone on a budget? Or is this like hand planes, just spend the damn money because you really do get what you pay for? Thanks in advance.
My personal opinion- I really do believe in putting money into good tools. The axe is the most important tool you can have for spoon carving and wood processing. It lays the foundation for every subsequent knife cut. I’ve worked with a lot of axes and would recommend buying the best one you can afford.
the idea is to keep bringing your axe straight down, and pivot your work piece, that IS how you get a consistent strike. That's how you get better at your axe work 9:10 9💯
I keep hearing reference to the "grain change". Wondering if anybody has ever explained this in a video before. What exactly does that mean, and what does it require for consideration in axing, carving, etc.?
Typically, the grain direction of a given piece of wood is quite predictable and it’s easy to be able to tell what direction to cut from based solely on which section of a spoon you’re working in. Ideally, the grain runs straight from one end to the other but sometimes irregularities in the growth of a tree cause the grain direction to change. Sometimes this can be in the form of wavy grain, curly grain, knots, and many other types of anomalies. These instances cause us to get creative with the direction we cut the wood with various tools. Even experienced carvers may not be able to fully combat these irregularities in the grain completely. But understanding why they happen and how the wood is best cut (or from what angle) is your best chance at a clean finish with your tools.
If I’m going to carve a few but can’t get to all of them right away, I’ll store a few in a ziploc bag so moisture loss and consequent end grain checking doesn’t occur while they’re waiting to be carved
Most of us in the spoon carving world prefer it this way, yes. It has separate challenges of its own when green, but easily overcome and it’s much nicer on your tools and your body when carved green.
@@HuronSpoonCo Thanks...it looks humongous and tiring. Would you have preferred lighter as a beginner or does it not matter? I would understand a heavier head in the hands of an experienced carver, but for a beginner it may call for a lot of ill placed strokes and wood splitting and wrecking and lack of control. Any thoughts before I click an order button? Sorry, im a novice here and just trying to start.
cvcoco I wish it’s something I could give out great advice on but unfortunately it really is something the user has to determine. I found that axes around 1lb were much too light and required not only more strokes to do the job but also more force- which led to me having tendinitis in my elbow. I think anything between 1.25lb to 1.5 lb is a great weight for someone less experienced and 1.5lb to 2lb may benefit more experienced carvers. Keeping in mind that everyone’s muscles are different.
@@HuronSpoonCo Good points. Its the repetition thats led to a lot of our troubles like carpal tunnel syndrome and surgery and all that. Your next vid, "Exercises to Keep the Carver Out of a Hospital." And, carving dry, aged wood is punishing. Stay on green or damp wood. Where you use an axe, others use dremels and band saws and I see why. I want to be traditional about this but have to save the body too. Its all good today, the arthritis comes later and we wont know why. I was reading that Olympians wind up in wheel chairs by 70.
cvcoco I’ve actually recently written an article regarding safety for spoons carvers, though I’m still trying to figure out the best way to share it online without having a website.
The way i see the reason to use templates is for left-right symmetry. Aside from decoration that someone chooses, to me there is nothing worse than a weird spoon or other carving that isnt square or a handsome oval or something when that was the intention. When a spoon that was supposed to be round comes out like a trapezoid its not nice and there are only so many times you can blame your 5 year old kid. But a person can draw templates in their PC and print them. The reason im taking this up is to have the kitchen spoons I really want and cant buy anywhere and because I cant stand using stainless steel forks and spoons that keep touching my fillings and making me jump off the chair. Plastic spoons dont cut it. Besides, carving is very therapeutic, you can think through a lot of crap during hours of it.
For me, it makes sense to spend time once designing a good spoon and then applying that template onto wood for repeatable results. Once you carve the same design several times, you can see the benefit in not only the large picture details but also the minuscule. Sometimes I feel like I have a hard time telling my hands what to do when drawing designs. It seems like the pencil doesn’t want to go where my mind tells it to. So rather than spending 30 minutes drawing a given design every time I carve a spoon, I draw it once and make a permanent stencil for later use.
slowfingtyper as much as I love carving outdoors, the indoor experience can be just as nice. Even more so sometimes because of how easy it is to just walk into the next room and pick up your tools. No transporting tools or prep is necessary. I love it!
Eric Armel I plan to do more in the future. It’s difficult with a full time job that requires overtime every day, parenting, being in a relationship, and taking care of everything else life throws my way. I’ll do my best to put out more videos soon!
