By L.S. Irish
Basic Cutting Techniques Page 1: General Outline Shape
Basic Cutting Techniques Page 2: Cutting Inside Openings
Basic Cutting Techniques Page 3: Celtic Designs
Once the general shape of the outer lines have been cut it is time to remove the excess from the inside openings.
Begin by clamping your spoon blank to a scrap piece of wood. With a drill cut a hole that is slightly larger than the blade size of your saw into the center of each opening area. See the red dots on the sample to the right.
Remove the blade from your scroll saw or coping saw and feed it through the drilled hole in the spoon blank. Now reinsert the blade to the saw. You are now set to cut out the inside areas.
Remember you can remove these inside areas in several sections to create a smooth finished cut line.
At this point you are ready to begin your shaping using your bench knife, straight chisel, and round gouges.
Small openings in the spoon can also be created using the bench knife. Note the vine twist just below the heart in the carving to the right. With the bench knife the excess between these tow vines has been completely removed making each vine a separate unit.
Welsh Love Spoons Tutorial:
Welsh Love Spoons Introduction
Basic Cutting Techniques
Open Linked Chain
Ball and Cage