Cutting the Basic Spoon Shape
Celtic Knot Patterns
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
Celtic patterns found in the handles of Welsh Love Spoons look complicated. However they truly are a simple design to wood carve. Vine twists and Celtic knots are created from two or more ropes that are woven one over the other. In the sample below there are four ropes used. The top heart that includes the nail hole creates two ropes and the second heart contains the other two.
In the center pattern you can see where one rope lies under another by the dark shaded areas. Once the spoon has been cut out with your band saw and the inside areas removed with the scroll saw, you are ready to use your bench knife and straight chisel to carve the ropes.
Make a stop cut at each intersection where one rope disappear under another. Now with a straight chisel slice out about one half the depth of the wood of the bottom rope. Repeat this throughout the entire Celtic pattern area.
Flip your spoon over so that you are working on the back side of the spoon. Following the paper pattern as a guide you will see that the ropes move under and over each other exactly as they did on the front of the spoon.
Again, make a stop cut along each intersection then use a straight chisel to drop the under rope one half the depth of the wood.
You are ready to use your bench knife and chisel to round over each rope.
Welsh Love Spoons Tutorial:
Welsh Love Spoons Introduction
Basic Cutting Techniques
Open Linked Chain
Ball and Cage