One Hour Spoon Challenge

[unit]

Nothing to win here, just an idea I had since the weather is bad enough that I can not get any of my family to join me outside for a hike.

I grabbed a piece of cedar, a knife and a timer. I set the timer to one hour, and started carving a spoon (the branch was already split).

Perhaps some of you can do it in far less time? It was a good bit of fun.

Here is what I started with:



Here is the finished product:

Have a great day.

I compiled some more photos into a video montage...nothing special, just having some fun. Watch if you like.

[youtube]JUSoMpCZleo[/youtube]

 

[mcjhrobinson]

i wish i had a full uninterupted hour to do something!

great job on that spoon. did you find any challenges or possible technique tweaks?

 

[unit]

I have had a really busy day and got a few things handled early, and a few other activities fell off the docket due to weather, so I seized the opportunity.

Honestly, I did not discover any new techniques, but next time I try and do this fast, I will probably wear a glove. Every carving project is an incremental improvement in my skills...over time perhaps I will get to a point where I think I am good at it...until then I will keep enjoying learning slowly.

I have done some in the past where I used several tools and that allow for a much nicer looking finished product (particularly when you allow use sandpaper). I think I enjoy the challenge of only a single knife and a piece of wood the best though.

 

[Mistwalker]

Nice spoon, usually when I am going for speed it comes out more as a S.L.O., (Spoon-like object) . Spoon carving is like a theropy for me, I don't time it...but I am certain I have a good bit more than an hour each in the few I have made.

 

[PDE]

Great job, I take way too much time on spoons myself.

Never worked with cedar, but it looks like it makes for a good spoon.

 

[kgd]

Unit, that is a very nice spoon given the speedy time. My spoons with lots of time end up looking worse for wear. I think the one hour spoon idea is a good one. Admittedly, I usually make chop sticks and a two pronged fork before I tackle a spoon to eat my food, but I'm a heathen who drinks his browth from the side of the pot. I look forward to more entries on this one. It'll bring out the carving guru's, of whom I've met a couple.

Maybe there should be some guidance on tools used.

 

[DennisStrickland]

ken that spydie bradley is a great choice but a knife is only as good as the man using it. looks like your ability matches the legend of the gayle bradley. hitting about 90 degrees here in austin so everyone is out trying to catch fish, love the color of thst wood we do'nt have anything like that around here. good pics but missed your son--dennis

 

[unit]

@kgd Thanks! I hope someone finds motivation from this idea. I imagine there are some who could do a better job...and faster. Regarding guidance for tools used? I am game for seeing anything, and only ask people to share a photo or list of the tools they choose to use. Perhaps the purists will find a piece of knotty pine or cedar and a (single bladed) folder of their choice. It is a fun challenge. I have this forum to thank for offering up challenges in the past!

@ Dennis Thanks brother! I appreciate the kind words...and I too missed my son. He was down stairs playing with his brothers while I carved. I really wanted to take him out into the woods, but he wasn't having it....kids these days...

The wood is some variety of cedar, I believe...it grows around here like weeds. Farmers that do now maintain their fields will find this stuff overtaking them in only a few years time. I pick up (small samples of) dead fall on hikes and toss it in the corner of my garage for projects like this. It smells heavenly and looks pretty interesting when carved. It is full of knots and knobs though, so it is tough to carve figures with unless you have lots of creativity.

Thanks again guys!

 

[kgd]

@kgd Thanks! I hope someone finds motivation from this idea. I imagine there are some who could do a better job...and faster.

Okay, I'm motivated but will probably do a crappy job. I've got some cottonwood I harvested this morning as spare bowdrill kit. I'll try starting in 5 minutes and will post my results, hopefully within the 1 hr time line

Back in a flash!

 

[unit]

Okay, I'm motivated but will probably do a crappy job. I've got some cottonwood I harvested this morning as spare bowdrill kit. I'll try starting in 5 minutes and will post my results, hopefully within the 1 hr time line

Back in a flash!

This is very cool!

I hope more people join in the challenge so far it seems limited to Kens

Respectfully,
Ken (aka unit)

 

[Cascade_mtn's]

Very cool....... not the BEST carving knife, however you did a fine right job. Great thread!

 

[kgd]

My spoon sucked, but I'm done just under 3 min. from my post. I'm posting now as a placeholder while I upload my pics to photobucket.

Started off with cottonwood harvested this morning intended for bowdrill demo's

I used two tools, my OHT-SAK and my B. Andrews bitterroot. I first trimmed the piece with the saw.

Baton split the round...

Rough shaped spoon with the bitterroot. I always start off making my bowl way too wide, and no exception today!

Began hollowing out the bowl, the worst part!

Little surprise, I was getting worried on the time, thought I'd try the partially serrated blade of the OHT. The forward serrations and more rounded profile made a much easier time of carving the bowl! WOW, what a difference!

Bowl done about as much as I was going to get it, worked on the getting the rest of the shape right....

My not-so-finished product. I still would have liked to screw around with it another 20 minutes or so. But time is of the essence in this thread!

Oh yeah, I was hoping to brag that I wouldn't cut myself in the process, but as you can see in my last shot, I drew a little blood....

Yours honestly,

KGD

 

[unit]

Very cool....... not the BEST carving knife, however you did a fine right job. Great thread!

True but it did a really good job (I like to think it is never the *knife* that is to blame for the quality of my work). I like to carve/whittle with whatever I have on me when the mood strikes.

I have a pretty good whittling knife but I am not sure how it would have held up to the harder cutting. It is a fun project!

 

[unit]

KGD, that rocks man! Great show.

You stepped up and did well...and raised the bar regarding time.

Getting that new beauty mark is just the icing on the cake...It sounded so easy when I came up with the idea. It is doable but not easy (at least for me). I did manage to avoid any cuts but I did score a blister!

Again, well done!

 

[kgd]

It was a fun challenge Unit, and got my butt off the couch. Plus I learned me something on the SAK. THANKS!!!!!

 

[siguy]

I did something similar this past fall, carving a spoon as fast as I could. I started with an axe to rough, then a knife to finish the form, and a hook knife for the inside of the bowl. If I remember correctly, I had a usable (but not terribly attractive) spoon in about 10-15 minutes.

Using the same toolkit, I can carve one of these in about 60-90 minutes:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...9I/AAAAAAAAAEE/nKdOhfwny1M/s1600/GEDC1240.JPG

Maybe I should give this another go, I haven't done a spoon in a month or two. I also commend you for only using one knife. That's a real challenge.

 

[unit]

I did something similar this past fall, carving a spoon as fast as I could. I started with an axe to rough, then a knife to finish the form, and a hook knife for the inside of the bowl. If I remember correctly, I had a usable (but not terribly attractive) spoon in about 10-15 minutes.

Using the same toolkit, I can carve one of these in about 60-90 minutes:

Maybe I should give this another go, I haven't done a spoon in a month or two. I also commend you for only using one knife. That's a real challenge.

Thanks! and thanks for contributing to the thread.

For whatever reason, I tend to generally carve with one tool start to finish...in fairness/honesty, I started with a split stick...so technically I used another tool at some point to split it a few months back. If need be I could have whittled a wedge pretty quickly to baton/split the stick with...yeah, that will be my story

I suppose I like using one knife for all the carving so I have a built in excuse for the results

 

[Hawkings]

Little surprise, I was getting worried on the time, thought I'd try the partially serrated blade of the OHT. The forward serrations and more rounded profile made a much easier time of carving the bowl! WOW, what a difference!

Yours honestly,

KGD

Ohh did you just...And say "much easier"