Common mistakes and problems

A too thin bowl

In this spoon the carver has become too enthusiastic and has made one part of the bowl too thin. For some designs an almost translucent bowl will feel great in the mouth and the thin wood can be strengthened by an oxidising oil treatment such as raw linseed or walnut, but in this case the layer of wood remaining is too thin. To avoid errors such as this keep feeling the bowl with your fingers as you shape the bowl and mark any areas that should not have any more material removed with a pencil.