We interviewed artisan Gail Clayton who creates an amazing range of hand crafted wooden spoons, knives, scoops, bowls & vases, all from recycled timber.
Please tell us a little about you and your business. We’d love to hear about how long you’ve been involved with what you’re doing and what inspired you to take this career path and when.
I have worked with timber most of my adult life. Starting with renovating several homes and learning tricks of the trade along the way, I decided to do a TAFE course to learn the basics of making furniture and my love of working with timber came alive.
After owning a homewares store for 9 years, having a break then getting itchy feet for the next stage, a friend inspired me to do a half-day spoon carving workshop. I was hooked and have been creating spoons, bowls & serving boards ever since. That was about 5 years ago.
Most of the timber I work with is recycled - old tables, TV units, chests of drawers, a billiard table, wardrobes & my parents' old kitchen cupboards made from sheoak!! People give me timber or I pick it up kerbside before going to landfill. That’s part of why I love what I do; saving some beautiful timbers and turning them into stunning pieces.
How long have you been using Gilly’s products and how did you first come across them?
Is there any particular product you prefer to work with and if so, could you explain why?
The final step of oiling and waxing my pieces is as exciting as creating them. Gilly’s food safe Orange Oil brings out the magic. I love the matt finish, showcasing the grain and colour of each piece and letting the timber do the talking. Gilly’s Food Safe Wax is used to nourish the timber - buffed to perfection with Bamboo Polishing Cloths also from Gilly’s. They are soft, non-abrasive and wash well so you can you can use them again and again and again.
Could you tell us about what you are working on right now and give us a step by step guide on how you are making it. How you are using the particular Gilly’s product(s) that you have chosen for the project?
This project is a cooking spoon made from coachwood (a hardwood timber sourced from coastal rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland). The timber comes from an old wardrobe shelf.
Cooking Spoon - A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1 - Mark out the rough shape of the spoon on the timber and then use a ‘ball gouger’ to remove the timber from the ‘bowl’ section. I then give it an initial sand with a rotary tool.
Step 2 - Using a bandsaw, I cut the outline of the spoon from the plank.
Step 3 - Lots of sanding to achieve a lovely smooth surface. Start with rough sandpaper, graduating through to fine grit size.
Step 4 - Towards the end of the sanding process, the piece is soaked in water to raise the grain of the timber which allows a smoother finish on the final sand.
Step 6 - Thoroughly dry the spoon and then apply the nourishing Orange Oil. As you can see here, I like to create an 'oil bath' for the spoons. This ensures they get a very deep feed. I make sure that any residual oil is removed, leaving a smooth, dry surface ready for the Food Safe Wax.
Step 6 - Apply the Food Safe Wax to nourish and protect. Polish back thoroughly with a lint-free cloth.
The finished spoon
Working in the shed is exciting and choosing the timber and what I am going to create often takes the longest time. It is sometimes the biggest challenge. I have my favourite timbers but one in particular is olive. I love the lightness in colour and the grain - my oh my! It’s beautiful to carve, easy to sand and always amazing when finished.
I have created 100s & 100s of spoons, I love the shapes & the curves and also the imperfections that timber throws at me. Some are not perfect but they are all perfect!!
At the end of October I will be showcasing some pieces at the Sydney Botanic Gardens for their annual Artisans in the Garden Exhibition. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this is where my passion would lead to. I have also been working on a collection of pears made from various timbers and can’t wait to see them under lights!!
Check out Gail's website or, her socials below.
