Thread: Hi, newbie here, please be gentle. :)

Welcome aboard Deb.

It sounds like you are trying to make the spoon using hand tools?
If so, good on you - I've made a quite a few tool handles and similar by hand and there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from doing this.

Spoons and cooking utensils also make great gifts and after a while making lots by hand becomes a chore. This is where machines and power tools come in handy.
It kinda takes some of the satisfaction out of it but I generate satisfaction in other ways such as by using wood from timber or trees that neighbours throw out on their verge during Council Clean Up weeks.

I typically cut the timber to a rough shape with a bandsaw.

For Spatulas, salad servers and some spoons I then refine the shape using a coarse grit belt on a belt sander, then switch to a fine belt and then finally hand sand. It sounds kinda kinda brutal but it's fast and it means I can use very hard, gnarly timbers that a carving knives and hand tools would struggle with.

The sauce spoons are made from Sheoak and the salad servers are from thickish tea tree branches rescued off the verge.
The neighbours were right chuffed to receive these.
Spoons.jpg

For some spoons I use a lathe to turn a round handle and then use an Arbortech power tool to hog out and sand the inside of the bowl.
So if you want to get into these in a bigger way you might find this info useful.

These are Olive wood - I think this is the most perfect timber for cooking utensils.
It has wonderful tactile feel when finely sanded and a decent density so if feels like you are holding something substantial and not just a flimsy bit of pine
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This olive wood spoon is nearly 1/2 m long was made for my SIL who helps run a sort of a communal camp kitchen where they use large saucepans and pots.

BigSpoon.jpg

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Deb".
There are a stack members across the Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane areas plus the rest of the country.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork......
Cheers crowie

PS - Keep an eye out for a get together for the Sydney & Melbourne area forum members....great way to met & make friends.

Hey Deb, big welcome (well, I've been absent for a few months over Chrissie so maybe accept the welcome from the others first )

Scrapers were your specific question. I'm no expert, pretty green on them too, but I did see this VERY helpful instructional the other day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPfiKO-hkJM

The reason for me was that previously I've apparently worked too hard at forming that hook on the scraper, and using it wrong too, makes the hands tired real quick.

One go at the method shown and WOW, a pleasure to use the thing. As for the size of the scraper, no experience myself but I reckon if you are going to use tiny ones, then take this guy's advice on sharpening.

I think the clip on scrapers is about half way through that link, WELL worth watching if you are going to get your head around scrapers.

Thanks for the welcome guys. I wish I could say that I do the whole process by hand, but I physically dont have the strength. My right shoulder is very painful most days. So the Husbeast allows me to use his scrollsaw and bench belt sander. He does all the bandsaw work for me as it has a broken belt and sounds very scary. So it is an electric tool and hand process.
I have made a butter knife from an apple tree as we have old orchards near us. And I have also made a cheese knife for a friend from cedar. We also have a wood mill 5 minutes up the road. So I am quite lucky that way. I will be making a bread board in the shape of a cat to go with the cheese knife.
I was working on a teardrop shaped bowl today. And slicing the thumb wasnt meant to be part of the process but its all a learning curve. (Yes I did have a thumb guard on) ��
I havent read through the forums as of yet, but its on my list of things to do. ��

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Welcome to the forum Deb.

Ross

Lovely work Deb, (just don't get blood on them )

I was very quick in moving out of the way. ��

Welcome aboard Deb

Welcome to the forum.