Cooking spoon

[vestlenning]

A while back we decided that all the wooden cooking utensils in our house are going to be home made ( http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131383 ). The latest addition is a cooking spoon/ladle. Made from oak, baked with walnut oil. So far it has been used a lot and is holding up well:

 

[Mesquite]

Nice sturdy looking spoon, should last you a fair few years

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice spoon, looks good.

 

[Dean]

Nice looking bit of kindling.

 

[Big G]

Very nice

 

[forginhill]

Proved by use...that's the best! Good work!

 

[Robson Valley]

I like the big handle. The baked walnut oil finish should last for years.
Nice round bowl shape, something I still struggle with. Good.
And, wooden spoons scratch nothing.

 

[Hunkyfunkster]

That looks sturdy. Nice job

 

[vestlenning]

Thank you gentlemen!

I find a modern look a lot simpler to do than more traditional lines. Not that there's anything wrong with functionalism, like it a lot.

 

[quidditys_shore]

Looks great! Might have to have a look at making my own. Never don't it before but want a hobby that's not to expensive!

 

[Dean]

Looks great! Might have to have a look at making my own. Never don't it before but want a hobby that's not to expensive!

Carving can become a very addictive hobby, just letting you know

 

[vestlenning]

Looks great! Might have to have a look at making my own. Never don't it before but want a hobby that's not to expensive!

Thank you! Just go ahead, homemade is the way!

 

[Pioneer72]

A fine useful 'poon that

Can you elaborate on your 'baked with walnut oil' process? how do you do that?

 

[Kitharode]

I too would appreciate some more info on baking with walnut oil. I'm just about to oil up my first effort at spoon making, using walnut oil, which I was just gonna spread all over (the spoon that is!). Cheers.

 

[Robson Valley]

The technique uses Charles' Law from gas physics.
Preheat your oven to no more than 325F. Slather the spoon (whatever) with the food grade oil of your choice. I use olive oil.
Now, on a cake rack over a sheet pan, into the oven for no more than 3 mins 30 sec by the clock.

What's happening:
The heat causes the wood air to expand (Charles' Law).
Out of the oven to cool, the reverse happens, the remaining wood air contracts and sucks the oil into the wood.
This means that you can't wash it off, you can't get the oil to move unless you reheat to 325+.

In hot soup, wood air expands to push off any room temp oil finish and as the spoon cools, soup is sucked into the wood.
May explain why lots of really old wooden spoons are black like the bottom of a compost bin.

Further, claims will be made that the oil finish will go rancid. Hardly likely as there's now so little air in the surface wood.
There's always the risk that this heating process will crack the wood. I carved and baked 70 spoons and 30 forks with no problems.

 

[Leshy]

The technique uses Charles' Law from gas physics.
Preheat your oven to no more than 325F. Slather the spoon (whatever) with the food grade oil of your choice. I use olive oil.
Now, on a cake rack over a sheet pan, into the oven for no more than 3 mins 30 sec by the clock.

What's happening:
The heat causes the wood air to expand (Charles' Law).
Out of the oven to cool, the reverse happens, the remaining wood air contracts and sucks the oil into the wood.
This means that you can't wash it off, you can't get the oil to move unless you reheat to 325+.

In hot soup, wood air expands to push off any room temp oil finish and as the spoon cools, soup is sucked into the wood.
May explain why lots of really old wooden spoons are black like the bottom of a compost bin.

Further, claims will be made that the oil finish will go rancid. Hardly likely as there's now so little air in the surface wood.
There's always the risk that this heating process will crack the wood. I carved and baked 70 spoons and 30 forks with no problems.

Nice explanation.
Will be trying that...
Thanks bud

 

[Pioneer72]

Thanks for oil detail I will be trying that too.

(had to convert the temperature to new money though... 325F > 163C)

 

[Robson Valley]

I've never figured out how far into metric the British have gone. With a science career, I'm bilingual.
Start with C, double it. Subtract 10% and add 32 = temp (F). eg 20 x 2 = 40. -4 = 36. 36 + 32 = 68F

The deal with the temp, if you go any hotter, the wood sugars begin to fry >>> brown, like a potato chip.
You may not see it with oak or walnut but with pale birch, the "browning" is quite obvious!

BTW, I carved an elongate dish in birch for my kitchen. Meant to hold sink stoppers, brushes, sponges and the like.
Wet most of the time. So, I painted it with bee's wax and cooked it for 5 minutes.
Cleaning up the spatter from the bee's wax was a chore that I never, ever hope to repeat.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I tried Robson's method earlier today on a couple of spoons I've made recently. I was a bit nervous to be honest, but followed his directions to the letter and it worked fine - thanks!

Sent from my E2003 using Tapatalk

 

[Dean]

Robson's method of heat treating works a treat I have been doing something similar for some months myself though I may up the temperature a little, only had a couple of spoons crack so far but I have managed to save them.