Man those look great....I got to delete this post now. But first, are you hooked knife folks using the leather on the dowell with the rough for honing?
Member
Man those look great....I got to delete this post now. But first, are you hooked knife folks using the leather on the dowell with the rough for honing?
I got a couple books and a DVD from Drew Langsner at Country Workshops on green wood carving for Christmas. I am waiting for him to restock some of his Hans Karlsson tools. I was planing on buying his suggested Starter Bowl Carvers Gouge and Adze selection. I live north of Atlanta on 12 acres of woods so I have lots of green wood. It sounds from this post like smaller gouges will be required for carving spoons. Drew mentions using a newer H-100, smaller, gouge for clean up, mini gouges are mentioned above....
Would anyone care to suggest a set of gouges for spoon making or even bowl making? Drew's site now lists 6 specialty or smaller gouges and lots of straight, bent and dog leg gouges.
Two of the "mini" tools are actually labeled as mortise cleaning devises. The mortise "gouges" look like they might be a more comfortable to use alternative to swan neck or Japanese mortise cleaning chisels? I am also wondering if these tools may have uses in general woodworking?
My interest in wooden spoons leans towards the larger cooking type sizes.
Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 12-31-2013 at 9:53 AM.
Member
I made a hook knife for a friend from a 1/2" square HSS lathe bit. I ground it into a hook shape and set the 1/2" square shank into a wooden handle. He said it was the best spoon knife he ever had. Should have been since it was HSS. He was showing it to some old cuss who dropped it. The hook broke. The old cuss said it couldn't have been any good since it broke!! Then,he walked off. Some people could tear up an anvil.
It wasn't a very pretty knife,and was rather "quick and dirty",but it was very effective.
Member
Mike,
I would suggest calling Drew - he's always willing to help.
Spoon knives aside, I have several Hans Karlssen gouges from Drew, but for spoons I don't think any of them match the mini spoon gouges. The leverage and hand position are perfect. I have used the H-110 bent gouge (25 mm 25 sweep) for spoons, but it's much more cumbersome. The mini gouges let you hold the blank in one hand and carve with the other.
For bowls, the starting point is a curved adze to do the majority of the work. The long handled HK one is expensive, but an incredible tool. I just added the short handled one, but haven't used it yet. The basic bowl carving gouges are:
1. H-133 (or H-135) - a big, wide bent hooped gouge to use with a hammer to do the rest of the heavy lifting and clean up the adze marks
2. H-112 or (H-113) - a flatter bent gouge to clean up the hooped gouge marks
3. H-123 a relatively flat dog leg gouge to clean up the bottom of the bowl
The extras that are nice include:
4. H-132 or H-135 - a big, wide straight hooped gouge, especially useful if the wood is hard. The straight gouge removes wood more efficiently than a bent gouge because the edge is directly in line with the hammer/mallet blow.
5. H-110 - a smaller bent gouge to work the area where the bowl walls meet the bottom and the areas where the side meet the ends of the bowl.
6. H-100, H-101, or H-102 - a smaller straight gouge for the same purpose as the bent one.
I also recently added a Log Notch Gouge from Lee Valley and really like it for bowl making. It's 1-1/2" wide with a #7 sweep and very sharp. I'm finding that the blade profile is easier to sharpen than the similar Hans Karlssen gouges. Not sure why.
Of course, you'll also want to build a bowl horse to hold the blank while going at it with the adze. Mine sits outside all year, but I bought the short handled adze with the intent of using it while the blank is secured to my bench. In the Country Workshops video Jogge Sundqvist (sp?) does that while standing on a slightly elevated platform to effectively lower the bench slightly.
Some of the gouges (especially the smaller ones) can be useful on the outside of the bowls as well, but mostly that's done with a completely different set of tools - axe, drawknife, spokeshaves, rasps, and a sloyd knife (for the rim).
I think that making spoons and bowls is a blast. Might be my favorite things to make because it's extremely physical and you never know what it's going to look like until you're done. Wood grain and knots make you adapt as you go along. That's my kind of woodworking.
Steve
Contributor
I have been contemplating a convex bottom spokeshave. Does anyone know of such?
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Originally Posted by Judson Green
Who are these people and can they help supply my habit
Symptoms of my addiction
tool catalog beside my toilet, sometimes I read them before bed.
own multiples of the same tool, and none of them get used.
have tools I don’t really know how to use or maintain.
You have tools in original boxes.
You have no wood, but recently purchased a tool.
Last edited by phil harold; 01-01-2014 at 7:55 AM.
Carpe Lignum
Steve thanks for the ideas. I have talked to Drew a couple times. He was out of stock on quite a few things. I have an order in for basic bowl kit and a froe. I think the basic set, adze, hatchet and three large gouges is more for large bowls. I believe I may have to order through Drew or look for items at the manufacturer. Either way there may be different options. I plan to call Drew again soon. I am just trying to dig up enough information to discuss options intelligently and check on other possible suppliers.
These tools are not just for me. I have a step son who is interest in green wood carving too.
Member
Assuming you were serious, Mr. Lee is Rob Lee and refers to Lee Valley Tools out of Ottawa, Canada (www.leevalley.com/us/). In addition to selling tools made by other manufacturers, Lee Valley also sells an incredible array of tools made by its manufacturing arm - Veritas Tools (www.veritastools.com). If you really haven't bought anything from them yet, be warned - Lee Valley is an addiction in and of itself. There is currently a free shipping promotion until Jan 6.
Drew refers to Drew Langsner, of Country Workshops (www.countryworkshops.org) in Marshall, NC. Country Workshops is an amazing woodworking school that Drew established in the 1970s. I believe that he is the only North American supplier of tools by Hans Karlsson and Svante Djarv, two incredible Swedish toolmakers. I think their tools may be available from some UK stores.
Hope that helps
Steve
Member
I'm envious. My first woodworking experience was a few days I spent with Drew a few years ago. Unfortunately both of my kids were grown by then. Would love to have discovered this earlier when my kids were younger. My son does some woodworking, but all power tools. My daughter has an interest in hand tools. In fact, my Father's day gift last year was that she and her husband came over to learn how to carve spoons. Very cool until they started losing blood and patience.
Steve
Member
Another fan of Del's knives. I have 2 of his hook knives and would like to get the 2 1/4" Sloyd knife. I think Ben Orford also makes some great tools. I just wish someone in the U.S. carried them for sale.
Jamie Bacon
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