Great video! I love it that your video background music is the beautiful sounds of nature! Good info on green wood and I myself really like learning content videos. Even if you've done a video like it before, I think it's always worth it to post a new one, sometimes things do change. Tips and tricks are always great to watch!
Great videos Andy! I always learned something from you! How do you prevent your spoons from cracking during the drying process, does this ever happen to you? How dry is dry enough before sealing? Thanks for your channel!
The answer no-one wants to hear but is the honest truth; if your spoon cracks while drying, the problem is already there (micro cracks too close to the drying end), or you have caused them during the axing process. I would say it happens to me maybe once in every few hundred spoons these days, very rarely. I am really particular about wood choice. So you could realistically seal straight away, it is just a matter of the timber will continue to shift until it is completely dry. It's completely up to you, and all down to more time and experience with each timber!
How do you dry the spoons before you knife finish them? Just leave them sitting out? Or is there a better way? And how long would you say it roughly takes? I know you mentioned some can be finished earlier than others, but what's a rough time frame; are we talking weeks, months?
Minutes! You can carve and seal straight afterwards, you just need to be mindful that there could still be movement. The best way to know for each wood type is just to try it 🙂 a good rule of thumb is leave it overnight in a dry spot, out of direct sunlight. After that you can usually apply finishing cuts and seal
It is a really good idea to have a "finishing set" absolutely. If you don't, taking the time to sharpen everything before finishing cuts makes a massive difference
What’s your thoughts on purchasing material like maple or chary from a lumber store, with the intention of using it for carving would you then wet and store the material in water? Do you ever buy timber from a store?
So kiln dried is a completely different experience. Much, much harder on the tools, and you can't soften it by soaking, the kiln drying process completely stabilises the timber. Check my video on moisture content, it might clear a few things up!
I've always carved kiln-dried to avoid splitting in the tip of the bowl, which happened to me so many times in the beginning of my carving career. How do you avoid that? I've heard some carvers say by the time you've carved a green spoon out, it's already drying (?), or to put it in a paper or plastic bag to slow the process and prevent cracking. I have my doubts on these ideas, so would appreciate your input, thanks!
So the usual cause of cracks at the top of the spoon is honestly that there were already cracks there to begin with! I recommend trying to carve back in from the cut end a bit more so that you are working with wood that hasn't succumbed to checking. Mirco fractures tend to reveal themselves once the spoon begins to fully dry
YAY First, nice video, sadly in city i cant really afford to keep it in water or freezer no space. So it dries up in garage :| Considering a small freezer but the space is very very limited.
Great video! I love it that your video background music is the beautiful sounds of nature! Good info on green wood and I myself really like learning content videos. Even if you've done a video like it before, I think it's always worth it to post a new one, sometimes things do change. Tips and tricks are always great to watch!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Great videos Andy! I always learned something from you! How do you prevent your spoons from cracking during the drying process, does this ever happen to you? How dry is dry enough before sealing? Thanks for your channel!
The answer no-one wants to hear but is the honest truth; if your spoon cracks while drying, the problem is already there (micro cracks too close to the drying end), or you have caused them during the axing process. I would say it happens to me maybe once in every few hundred spoons these days, very rarely. I am really particular about wood choice. So you could realistically seal straight away, it is just a matter of the timber will continue to shift until it is completely dry. It's completely up to you, and all down to more time and experience with each timber!
Great information I know other wood carvers that keep their wood wet and never understood exactly but I think you explained it fairly well thank you
You're welcome, it's definitely a topic that takes a bit of getting used to, and I'm glad it helped!
How do you dry the spoons before you knife finish them? Just leave them sitting out? Or is there a better way? And how long would you say it roughly takes? I know you mentioned some can be finished earlier than others, but what's a rough time frame; are we talking weeks, months?
Minutes! You can carve and seal straight afterwards, you just need to be mindful that there could still be movement. The best way to know for each wood type is just to try it 🙂 a good rule of thumb is leave it overnight in a dry spot, out of direct sunlight. After that you can usually apply finishing cuts and seal
Thanks for the info, I would like to know if you keep a separate set of knives for finish work as compared to roughing out.
It is a really good idea to have a "finishing set" absolutely. If you don't, taking the time to sharpen everything before finishing cuts makes a massive difference
What’s your thoughts on purchasing material like maple or chary from a lumber store, with the intention of using it for carving would you then wet and store the material in water? Do you ever buy timber from a store?
So kiln dried is a completely different experience. Much, much harder on the tools, and you can't soften it by soaking, the kiln drying process completely stabilises the timber. Check my video on moisture content, it might clear a few things up!
Nice video, thanks for that Andy. I would like to ask how long do you leave a finished spoon before oiling/waxing?
I don't leave it at all! Waxed straight after finishing
Thanks Andy 👍🏻
I've always carved kiln-dried to avoid splitting in the tip of the bowl, which happened to me so many times in the beginning of my carving career. How do you avoid that? I've heard some carvers say by the time you've carved a green spoon out, it's already drying (?), or to put it in a paper or plastic bag to slow the process and prevent cracking. I have my doubts on these ideas, so would appreciate your input, thanks!
So the usual cause of cracks at the top of the spoon is honestly that there were already cracks there to begin with! I recommend trying to carve back in from the cut end a bit more so that you are working with wood that hasn't succumbed to checking. Mirco fractures tend to reveal themselves once the spoon begins to fully dry
@@andyspoons thank you!
YAY First, nice video, sadly in city i cant really afford to keep it in water or freezer no space. So it dries up in garage :| Considering a small freezer but the space is very very limited.
I lived in a bachelor apartment and kept some timber in a plastic tub full of water. You don't need much space!
The fact that you have a garage tells me you have plenty of space!