Introduction: Make a Bunch of Kitchen Utensils From a Block of Wood
Somehow every project I start ends up being more complicated than it needs to be. We needed a pair of salad tongs and I had a nice block of wood so this should be quick and easy... As it turns out, the piece of wood I wanted to use was nicer than I thought so rather than put yet another weird shaped scrap of wood back on a shelf, I made as many things as I could from this single block of wood.
I ended up making a pair of salad tongs, two wooden spatulas, a rice paddle, a pair of chopsticks with a chopstick rest, two wooden spoons, a butter knife, and a jam spoon (spoon on the front, knife on the back... scoop and spread). Not wanting to fill my house with sawdust, I made it at TechShop.
For this project you'll need:
a 3"x3"x12" piece of wood (I used what I think is quilted maple)
a band saw
a belt/disc sander
a dremel with a carving burr
some sandpaper
and a food-safe finish (I used Good Stuff, though walnut oil or salad bowl finish or something would be fine)
Let's get started!
I ended up making a pair of salad tongs, two wooden spatulas, a rice paddle, a pair of chopsticks with a chopstick rest, two wooden spoons, a butter knife, and a jam spoon (spoon on the front, knife on the back... scoop and spread). Not wanting to fill my house with sawdust, I made it at TechShop.
For this project you'll need:
a 3"x3"x12" piece of wood (I used what I think is quilted maple)
a band saw
a belt/disc sander
a dremel with a carving burr
some sandpaper
and a food-safe finish (I used Good Stuff, though walnut oil or salad bowl finish or something would be fine)
Let's get started!
Step 1: Slice Up the Wood
Draw the profile for the spatula/salad fork - straightish line for the handle, a curve at the end. Use a band saw to cut along the line. When you cut the first slice you end up with a stumpy wedge that turns out to be the perfect size for a rice paddle. Cut four slices with a similar curve. I freehanded it but would have probably gotten better results if I had drawn lines to follow.
Take the remaining chunk of wood, draw a straight line down the side, then slice it in half following the line. Take the flat piece and draw the profile of a pair of spoons (I cheated and traced a wooden spoon I like). Cut the shapes out on the band saw.
I used the remaining weirdly shaped piece of wood to make a pair of chopsticks, a butter knife (who needs a wooden butter knife?), and a jam spoon (the bastard child of a tiny wooden spoon and an offset spatula).
Take the remaining chunk of wood, draw a straight line down the side, then slice it in half following the line. Take the flat piece and draw the profile of a pair of spoons (I cheated and traced a wooden spoon I like). Cut the shapes out on the band saw.
I used the remaining weirdly shaped piece of wood to make a pair of chopsticks, a butter knife (who needs a wooden butter knife?), and a jam spoon (the bastard child of a tiny wooden spoon and an offset spatula).
Step 2: Cut the Spatulas, Rice Paddle, and Salad Forks
Draw (or trace) the shape of each utensil on a slice of wood and cut it using a band saw.
Step 3: Sanding... So Much Sanding...
Sand everything roughly into shape. Use a disc sander, use a belt sander, use sandpaper, stick the thing in a vise, hold it in your hand. Do any combination of those things, then repeat. Who thought it was a good idea to do something that required this much sanding?
Step 4: Hollow Out the Spoons
Use a carving burr in a rotary tool to roughly shape the inside of each spoon. Do a pile more sanding to smooth out the spoon, this time entirely by hand. I alternate between holding the spoon in my hand and in a vise.
Step 5: Finish Everything
Go over everything one last time with some fine sandpaper (I used 320 grit). Clean the utensils with compressed air. Apply a coat of food-safe finish. Wait for the finish to dry, then add another coat.
Once the finish is fully cured, wash everything and start using it.
Once the finish is fully cured, wash everything and start using it.