Coal Burning a Spoon - A Short Tutorial

You can now follow

us on facebook!

Click on a book cover below

for more information on one

of John D. McCann's books

Coal Burning a Spoon

A Short Tutorial

By John D. McCann

I am often asked how to make a spoon using a coal from a fire. Therefore I thought I would provide a short tutorial on the process.

First... get a good fire going and make some good coals.

This fire will produce many coals that can be used for coal burning items.

Next, pick a nice piece of wood you want to turn into a spoon. Check it for cracks, etc. before you start. Get the initial shape fashioned, but don't get too fancy here. You can draw a bowl shape where you want it, and can even draw a handle. Leave room here, as it is difficult to keep the coal burning exactly where you want it. It is easier to trim around the burned bowl after the depression is burned.

You will need a straw or tube to blow through. At our school we use reed or elderberry (we push the pith out of the elderberry to make it hollow). Any small tube will work.

Now you make a set of tongs (there are many varieties) so you can lift a coal out of the fire... a set of pliers can also work here.

Once you are ready to begin, I recommend cutting a small depression in the area you want the bowl burned, with a small knife (I have also used a bow, drill & spindle to make this starter depression). This initial depression makes it easier to hold the coal in the area you want to burn.

Now... get a small stick. This will be used to hold the coal down into the depression while you blow on it with your straw. If you don't hold it with this small stick, you will blow the coal out of the depression. The stick also allows you to keep pressure on the coal so it burns down into the depression.

This shows the use of a small stick holding the coal while blowing.

Now get a coal from the fire (pull it out of the other coals to the side with a stick before trying to pick it up) If it isn't the size you want, break a smaller piece off. Place it in the initial depression you cut and hold it there with the small stick. Start blowing on the coal, trying to blow the air under the coal... not over it. This is where it seems like you need three hands. It is slow starting at first... but don't get discouraged! The inside will eventually become engulfed in flame and now... it will burn very quickly. As the inside of the bowl becomes charred all the way around... you will need to scrape the inside with a small knife. You can either finish it up... or burn some more. It is your spoon so you make it your way!

One of our students working on a spoon .

Once the depression for the bowl has burned sufficiently deep, you can often stop holding the coal with a small stick, as the coal will set in the depression by itself while blowing.

A student blowing a coal without having to hold it with a stick.

Well, basically, that is the process for coal burning a spoon. I hope this short tutorial will help those who have never made a spoon with the coal burning method...This is the same method used to make bowls... Just a bigger project... Happy Spoon Making!

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and as always, Be Prepared To Survive!

BACK TO SURVIVAL SKILLS ARTICLES & TIPS