Tea Stained Spoon

[Schwert]

Here it is today after 14 hours in a black tea bath (18 bags/0.5L water) and a few hours drying.

This will likely lighten up on further sanding but I am liking the color.

 

[Schwert]

I spent my lunch outside sitting in the shade, a wonderful fresh breeze blowing by. sanding the tea spoon.

Most of the tea stain sanded off with the first 150 paper….but a small tinge remains. This is now sanded to 340 grit. 400 grit next then my attempt at a simple handle engraving mark.

 

[fred gordon]

Schwert
Here's what it may look like after a couple years of daily use. Regular Tetley did this!

I was getting fed up with tea spoons going missing at work and needed something long enough to fit my insulated mug If nothing else everyone knows who owns it

Help! I wonder if you look like that inside now?

 

[fred gordon]

And (just about) on the subject of the drink of the gods...

Now that's a chap with the right attitude to tea!

Now that appealed to my sense of humour. Thanks for the link bigjackbrass

 

[Schwert]

Well I tried out my engraving tool. This my “mark” on the back side of the handle. I rubbed a bit of oily coffee grounds into the cuts…and apparently the wood pores too.

This my first attempt at using the engraver. It is very easy to use as it cuts rather than follows the grain. The hardest thing is getting the two angles correct on both sides of the cut….it makes a mess to recut as can be seen in the first down stroke of my “R”.

To borrow one of my favorite of your phrases…..this engraver is the dogs bollucks for fun. I put a pencil mark on the handle and then just followed it along from the outside at about 40deg. The tool just glided through the wood about 1mm deep. I then reversed the spoon and followed the cut from the inside at about the same angle and the long sliver just lifted right out.

A bit more practice I need, but I am pretty happy with the results after this first trial. I am not going to mess up the cuts with coffee on this side. Flax oil bath tonight.

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Lovely job there! A friend was showing me how to do that last weekend and I really must have a go before I forget all the hints and tips. I really should have taken notes.
Nicola