Oiling Spoons

[chris_r]

Well, I was out at a local woodland park yesterday and I managed to find a fallen birch so I thought I'd harvest some of it for my introduction to bow drill fire making. After I'd shaped the bits that I needed I had some left over. Whilst I was in a whittling frame of mind I set about carving my first spoon. It's largely finished with the exception of the bowl and some oiling. I've ordered a crook knife from Ronnie Sunshine's, because I want it to be right when it's done, but I'm not sure about the oil. I've read that some folk like to use olive oil, but others say this is a bad idea because it could go off. Some folk choose to use raw linseed, not boiled, or walnut oil. I have olive oil in the kitchen and walnut oil would be quite easy to get a hold of, but I'm not sure which is best. Can anyone explain which I should go for, or maybe add some suggestions to the list?


Cheers guys.

 

[T1tch]

Personaly if you intend to use the spoon, I wouldn't bother - it'll take on a patina of it's own through use.

 

[NatG]

walnut oil works well

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Must be a couple of months since this one last came up - my cut-and-paste standard response ...

Oils that cure
Some oils cure, that is they will set in the wood, and some do not. If you use one that does not cure there is a chance it might go rancid in the wood. With an object as small as a spoon there is only a small chance - I have only seen it with larger things such as salad bowls which have been regularly oiled with olive oil and rarely washed. More of a problem is that the oil will wash out of the wood when you wash the spoon, so it will need re-oiling periodically if you want your spoon to remain protected. That is why we use and recommend oils that cure.

DIY oils
Oil is naturally quite viscous, so many oils sold for DIY use contain chemical thinners which help them penetrate the wood. The thinners are not food safe, but because the oils are not sold for food use there is no obligation for manufacturers to even state their presence on the label, let alone say they are poisonous. Whilst the amount of thinners that would go into your body through eating with a spoon coated in such an oil is minimal, it is not what I would choose to put in my mouth!

Recommended oils
For small quantities for personal use we would recommend some type of cooking oil. Walnut oil is the best; it cures quite quickly and smells lovely, but obviously is not good for nut allergy sufferers. Linseed oil sold for food use is also excellent and safe for those with allergies, health food shops sell it, often calling it flaxseed oil. Sunflower oil also cures, but it will take much longer. Olive oil does not cure, so is not recommended. We use large quantities as Robin oils bowls too, so bulk buy cold pressed linseed oil from an agricultural merchant; it is sold for feeding to horses as it makes their coats shiny!

more discussion on this thread
Nicola

 

[chris_r]

Thanks guys.

I've also read that it's wise to soak and thoroughly dry out your spoon before final sanding, to prevent a rough finish once it gets wet. Does this work?

 

[Draven]

Thanks guys.

I've also read that it's wise to soak and thoroughly dry out your spoon before final sanding, to prevent a rough finish once it gets wet. Does this work?

Yep, it does. Sanding tends to bruise and flatten fibres rather than completely cut them off, so if you don't do this, oiling will make the fibres stand on end, and it'll feel like rough flocking. It's best to do it a couple times, just to be sure, but IMO the best way to avoid this problem is to leave a tooled finish - this, however, takes a bit more practice to leave it looking good.

Hope this helps!
Pete

 

[Armleywhite]

Iv'e never bothered oiling any of the spoons I use. I use them in allsorts of cooking and when they become knackered I just tossin the compost bin and make a new one. They last anywhere between 6 months to several years, depending on how much they are used.

 

[chris_r]

Well, I'm undecided whether this one will get much use, being my first effort.

My little lad decided to stick it in his mouth after the last round of sanding and it's gone a bit rough. I'll give it a dunk tonight.

 

[ASLAN]

Hi Chris,
I just use sunflower oil from the kitchen and just renew when needed.

Try putting the spoon in a small saucepan of oil and heating on the stove. Not sure if this is recommended but it produces some interesting colouring effects as the wood gently cooks. Tried it on knife scales once which was a bit of a disaster.

Wasn't by any chance yourself and some others I saw at the car park in Chopwell Woods Sunday lunchtime? I'd been out Red Kite spotting

 

[brancho]

Personaly if you intend to use the spoon, I wouldn't bother - it'll take on a patina of it's own through use.

I agree with this

 

[weaver]

Iv'e never bothered oiling any of the spoons I use. I use them in allsorts of cooking and when they become knackered I just tossin the compost bin and make a new one. They last anywhere between 6 months to several years, depending on how much they are used.

We have some spoons I made when we first got married 24 years ago. They have been used almost everyday for cooking and canning. Still as good as the day they were made.

Back then I used kiln dried hard maple wood and finished it in hot oil. Thanks to Dr. Spoon I recently ordered some cold pressed flax oil to try on my spoons. But, I've been too busy with other work to make any new spoons.

Hoping to get back to it in the spring.

 

[chris_r]

Hi Chris,
Wasn't by any chance yourself and some others I saw at the car park in Chopwell Woods Sunday lunchtime? I'd been out Red Kite spotting

I was by myself carrying a DPM side pouch day sack. The one getting odd looks for making a brew from the river. :-D

 

[Armleywhite]

We have some spoons I made when we first got married 24 years ago. They have been used almost everyday for cooking and canning. Still as good as the day they were made.

Back then I used kiln dried hard maple wood and finished it in hot oil. Thanks to Dr. Spoon I recently ordered some cold pressed flax oil to try on my spoons. But, I've been too busy with other work to make any new spoons.

Hoping to get back to it in the spring.

It goes to show how crap I am at making spoons then..

 

[weaver]

I wouldn't say that!

Maybe it shows that we are too careful and frugal to dispose of old things.

 

[DoctorSpoon]

I wouldn't say that!

Maybe it shows that we are too careful and frugal to dispose of old things.

Yep, I'm the same. I've got many old spoons that I just keep because I've had them for so long. Same goes for Robin really

On the discussion of not oiling them, my experience is that if you use them regularly that is fine. If you don't use them that often then I've noticed that the ones that haven't been oiled tend to grow surface mold quite quickly. OK, it's not the end of the world, you can just wipe/wash it off and it won't harm you, but it's a bit unpleasant when you pull it out of the jar and it's green and furry!

Nicola