Class: Bowl Carving & Spoon Carving with Mike Cundall (5 Days)

Class Syllabus:

DAY ONE:

• Learn about different bowl & spoon carving tools
• Brief discussion on proper tool sharpening techniques
• Layout and carve a couple different styles of wooden spoon
• Begin carving

DAY TWO:

• Work up another spoon blank (if possible)
• Refine shape and form
• Discussion of knife techniques/safety
• Further work on spoon design
• Prep bowl blanks—discuss bowl design

DAY THREE:

• Choose design
• Layout discussion
• Work on the first bowl
• Start working on a second bowl (if student is able)

DAY FOUR:

• Work on bowl—interior and exterior
• Gouge use, safety, techniques
• Sharpening of gouges
• Bowl storage/drying and finish work (to be done by the student after the class

DAY FIVE (half day):

• Work on finish cuts for spoon
• Discussion of finish cuts, carving dry wood
• Maintenance of wooden ware
• Clean Up and Head Out

About the Instructor:

Mike Cundall builds furniture, and carves his lovely wooden bowls & spoons out of his home workshop in North Carolina. He is also a professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina A&T. He also teaches bowl and spoon carving at the John C. Campbell Folk School. He loves hanging out with his wife and three sons, and practicing the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

World-renowned Bowl & Spoon Carving Guru, David Fisher said about Mike: "Mike has carved with me on more than one occasion. He’s a wonderful guy and an accomplished carver. You’re sure to have a great time with him and learn a lot."

Below you can watch a video that we filmed of Mike in the Wood & Shop Traditional Woodworking School, talking about tools for green woodworking, specifically bowl & spoon carving:

Materials Fee:

The class material fee will be between $30-$40, and will be determined before the class. It is payable to the instructor before or on the day of the class. Students are encouraged to purchase their own bowl/spoon carving tools before this class, but a few extra sets of tools will be available for those who are unable to bring their own. Below are recommended tools:

• Short bowl carving adze (also called a “Gutter Adze”). This is a good one.
• Hook knife
• Carving knife (like a Slöjd Knife)
• Carving axe/hatchet
• Carving gouge (#7 sweep long bent gouge…between 25mm and 35mm…like this one, this one, or this one)
• Spoke shave

You can read our Green Woodworking Tool Buyer’s Guide (here). You can also read this article by David Fisher on which tools you need for bowl carving. Also, registered students of our school receive a discount from Lee Valley & Taylor Toolworks (forms will be displayed in your account after your order is complete).

How to Get Here & Where to Stay:

The address of the school is 5700 Buffalo River Rd. Earlysville, Virginia 22936 (Google Maps here). The school is convenient to quite a few hotels, stores, and restaurants, and is only 8 minutes from the Charlottesville airport. Many more details are listed on the school's main page here.

Class Policies, Liability Waiver, & Cancellations:

No students under 18 years of age are allowed. A PDF document with the full class policies and a liability waiver will be sent in the order confirmation email. All students are required to sign and return this document prior to attending the class. Anyone can cancel a class up to 2 weeks prior to the class for a full refund (minus a $25 fee that covers credit card processing fees and administrative work). Cancellations under two weeks before a class begins will be given a refund (less $25) if we can find someone else to fill the slot. If we have to cancel a class for an unforeseen emergency, inclement weather, or low number of registrations, a full refund will be given to students.

Student Tool Discounts:

After you’ve registered for a class, you are eligible for a discount from Lee Valley (Veritas) and Taylor Toolworks. Lee Valley offers a 15% discount, and a discount form PDF will be available for download in your Wood and Shop dashboard after your purchase. For a 10% discount from Taylor Toolworks fill out this form and upload a photo or screenshot of your class order email (under the “Student ID” section). The discounts may not be available after the end of the class, so try to place your orders before then.