Monday 11 April 2011

Fighting Wood

I'm always on the lookout for curves in branches and stems like these...

They make interesting and strong spoons.

When I spotted this lump of Birch it was saying "Take me and release the ladles and scoops that are contained within!"


I should have realised that I'd met my match when both wedges were well stuck and the split wasn't opening up...

But I sweated, swore and persevered and eventually it split into 3 ugly chunks.


From which I managed to hack out a ladle, a spoon and a scoop.


It's quite a severe challenge carving this type of wood.  The grain swerves, dips and dives and does the most  radically unpredictable things but ultimately it's quite a satisfying feeling to have won the fight with the wood.

1 comment:

Gorges Smythe said...

Challenge or no, it looks like you did well.