Calm Carving | Making a Sculptural Lidded Tea Ceremony Cup From Wood And Hand Tools - Entire Process

Hello everyone, I am back with a new Calm Carving video and this is the most detailed project yet.

Here, I make a lidded tea ceremony cup, freehand from some fresh walnut offcuts that I have been saving, kept wrapped in plastic. I used darker heart wood to make the bottom bulbous cup and its contrasting lighter sapwood to form a sculptural lid. Together, they created such a striking juxtaposition that really celebrates the beauty of black walnut.

I began by hollowing the bulb form with a twca cam and a custom loop knife before axing the outer form with my carving axe. I really enjoy the process of using an axe to make a rough blank as close and I can scalp to the final form. I then began to work with my carving knife to rough shape the entire piece. I then used an adze, axe and a spoon knife to create a lid blank before refining further with my knife. I used an array of hand tools in this process.

I then bundled the project up and let it dry for a little while. I don't usually document the entire process but for this project, I really wanted to. The piece sat in a tote bag for about two months. This would ordinarily take about one to two weeks, but I had to work on a lot of things in the meantime and projects that over ran a lot! None the less, it actually felt great to take a big step back and revisit the carving project with fresh eyes.
The cup and lid dried wonderfully with no cracks or big signs of warping.

I then used a new hand tool. A carving knife that Thorn Wood Forge made for me. It is a dream spec knife made from 52100 steel by very talented people! I used it here for some finishing cuts on both the bowl and the lid before making a little stem for the handle of the lid. The whole piece really took shape! It Bega to look so sculptural and organic and fitted together perfectly. I really needed the finishing cuts as I had been too bust to sit and make and also felt strange about turning 31.

Once I was happy with the finishing cuts, I proceeded to lacquer the cup and oil the lid. The lacquer is a simple tree sap derived style that is used for basic urushi methods. I didn't want to document this part of the process yet because I don't understand enough about it. Out of respect for the masters in different parts of the world who have given life to preserve these methods, I cannot say that I am trained enough to reveal the process, despite following instruction from friends and Japanese guidebooks. I will travel to Japan in the fall to hopefully gain research on the subject. I do however love how this urushi method seals ring porous woods like walnut and also prevents it from cracking, even when working to a rather thin wall thickness.

The outcome was just as I wanted. It feels artistic, organic, grown and fluid. I like how it serves a sophisticated function, despite being unmeasured and worked freehand with hand tools. The colour juxtaposition reflect that of the process and use. The cup will stay with me for a while and accompany me on travels to show as a portfolio piece.

I really hope that you enjoy this start to finish documentation and that it can bring you calm.

Thank you for watching and do drop a comment if you have any feedback or questions.

Take care.

Samuel


Tools Used:
Axe - Thorn Wood Forge - Merlin Axe
Adze - Josh Burrell - 35mm Radius Adze
Adze Sheath - Old North Nature
Hook Knife - Nic Westermann - 40mm Twca Cam
Loop Knife - Belzeboo Crafts - Custom Loop Knife
Slojd Knife 1 - Nic Westermann - Turning Slojd knife
Slojd knife 2 - Thorn Wood Forge - Slojd Knife
Saw - Silky Saw - Gomboy 240
Spoon Knife - Nic Westermann - Finishing Blade


Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:52 Axe Prep
01:40 Hollowing
04:16 Axe Blank
05:59 Cup Carving
07:08 The Lid
10:10 Drying
12.44 Return From Drying
14:41 Finishing Cuts
18:16 Little Handle
19:30 Cup before treating
21:19 The Finished Cup
24:50 Hot Water Test
26:31 End