Pear wood spoon help

[TjdsWorkshop]

Hi, I'm currently carving a spoon from pear wood. It's going great but the bowl is showing cut marks and I'm struggling to smooth them out. Any advice? My tools are sharp or atleast I think they are.

[TjdsWorkshop]

Very good, thanks for the help. Way to make someone feel welcome.
Incase you missed the part where I wrote 'smooth them out' that does rather imply the use of sandpaper. Nevermind. Thanks for your in sight.

[johnvansyckel]

If you are tearing into the grain and lifting it try a few very shallow gentle crossgrain cuts prior to sanding.

[TjdsWorkshop]

Thank you John.

[Kadiddle]

How about a cabinet scraper.
Carve On,
Kadiddle

[DiLeon]

This is normal for inside the bowl and the outside of the bowl. Tool cuts, tool marks, tearing the wood, potholes in the wood....from carving can mean hours and hours and hours of sanding it out and down. Is there a faster way????....no unless you use power tools and then you have to worry about taking off too much wood. It is well-known fact good sanding can take as long as the whole carving job or even longer. You need coarse sandpaper to get down to the lines and you need to keep sanding until those lines and whatever is 100 percent gone. Then go down the line with finer grits to polish it out. I wet the wood to make sure I get that line, or mark because a scratch is not visible to the eye...wet it shows up. There is also special power sand equipment for bowls and curves but it is an investment. I turn bowls and even with power tools getting those lines out can be a major pain in the rear end. So hang in there...play a favorite podcast or whatever....to help pass the time.

I was told this one until I got it....“Zen of Sanding,” and get to work. Start with 50-grit paper, sand until the issue is totally gone and then work your way through 100, 150, 180, and 220 grits. If you have any fingerprints left when you’re finished, you will probably need to go over it again.

Also, one more thing fruitwood is hard hardwood wood, so it will take longer to sand then some other kinds of wood. But for what you are making it is the best choice.

[Brian T]

What are the designs of the wood carving tools that you are using for the spoon?
There might be better shapes for a little less tear-out. Mora #162, #163 and #164 come to mind.
There are many, many alternative versions of these shapes, even a farrier's hoof trimming knife..

[TjdsWorkshop]

Thank you for all your replies. I've been sanding it all afternoon(probably longer than it took to carve you're right)with a 70 grit and then a 100 grit. Still abit more to go. Your advice has been really helpful.

[Claude]

If you have a Dremel or a Harbor Freight knock-off, get a 1/2 inch diameter ball (sphere) bit for doing the inside of the bowl. Just make sure you hold the tool so the rotation is always towards the center of the bowl so the burr won't catch and tear off a chunk of the edge.

Claude

[bowinhand]

Okay here is another tip. Let the spoon sit and dry a day or two. Strop your tools again and take light finish cuts. Burnish with a smooth stone or wood. Sand paper leaves small scratches where tool cuts don't. Small scraper also work well.

[Brian T]

I carved 70 spoons in good, hard, seasoned birch. Oven-baked olive oil finish.
The fastest tool to use was a Pfeil 9/15 gouge, the usual 20* bevel.
Final touch with a crooked knife. Kestrel 'C' bend.
Nobody sees the tool marks under the gravy.

[TjdsWorkshop]

Spoon is complete. Thanks to everyone for their advice. Especially Claude and Brian T.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Spoon is complete. Thanks to everyone for their advice. Especially Claude and Brian T.

Great job Brian!

Dave

[yolli]

Your spoon turned up great.

[Glenn Jennings]

Very nice job !! I like the touch of the hole in the top to hang it up.

I agree with Di on the sanding method. For some of my stuff I go right down to 2000 grit. But then everyone knows Im a tad crazy, BUT !!boy does that make the grain really pop when the finish goes on.