Spoons-making and finishing, Part 2

Ok,

Let's keep on working:

I've taken the spoon and cut out a very straight handle for it. At this point you can cut it out anyway that you want. If you intend on using it in the kitchen, a straight handle is the easiest to use and to clean up at the end of your meal. If you want something to hang on the wall to look at , well go crazy and make something visually interesting.

We will cut the plank along the flat top of the spoon:

...and along the edge. Here I've turned the spoon over on it's side and marked off with a black marker the cutting lines. Beginning with the bowl of the spoon-I line to cut the bottom of the spoon to match up with the inside edge of the spoon. This will give you a narrow edge that will fit into a pot or pan for stirring. I've also narrowed the middle of the handle and left a sizable handle at the end so it will fit in my hand comfortably. And I've rounded off the top end of the handle. This spoon will fit comfortably in the hand and if I want to stir something it won't hurt my hand to do so:

Here is a photo of the spoon after it's been cut out. It's rough but that will disappear with filing and sanding:

Here is the spoon about an hour later. I've filed it very smooth and then gone over the whole thing with sandpaper, up to 150 grit. You will need a coarse wood file to file this as it's hard wood. It also helps to have a coarse file for shaping the underside of the bowl:

This is a photo of the side of the spoon. Notice that area between the handle and the bowl is a little thicker that the middle of the handle. You want this area to be very strong so the bowl won't break off:

Here is the back of the spoon. Notice the end of the handle. Be sure and smooth off all the edges:

I like to add a little carving to my spoons to add to the visual interest of the piece:

Here is the spoon after it's been sanded down:

And this is the final photograph after the spoon has been oiled with flaxseed oil:

Now this isn't going to win any design awards but we've produced a very usable and lovely spoon that will work well in your kitchen. And if you have a lot of scrap lumber around and you're wondering what to give everyone for the holidays, this is a good way to deal with both those problems!

I've got a couple of platters to make and so those will be my last two projects for the year. So get some coffee, pull up a chair, and drop by the wood shop. We've got more adventures ahead.

Best Always,
VW