DIY wooden spoons (photo). History of the wooden spoon

Spoons are a very ancient cutlery, which even today no family in the whole world can do without. The history of the wooden spoon dates back to the Paleolithic era. It was then that people began to use small pieces of found wooden fragments to scoop up liquid food. In Ancient Rus' and the Scandinavian countries, it was spoons that took root. They, like other dishes, were made of wood. The first mention of this cutlery is found in the Tale of Bygone Years, in the description of the feast of Prince Vladimir, and is dated 996. They were made from different types of wood: birch, aspen and maple.

Application

Wooden cutlery is still very convenient in everyday life - they are very well suited for stirring hot food and cooking it in non-stick cookware. We should also not forget that wood is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive and widespread material. Often the handles of spoons are decorated with paintings. The carving can be primitive, or it can represent an entire work of art.

And this is not all of its advantages, because in our country wooden spoons are a unique musical instrument. The traditions of playing it have deep roots. People have long noticed that if you lightly hit these objects against each other, you can hear a very pleasant clear sound. Nowadays, this cutlery occupies an important place among the percussion instruments in any Russian folk orchestra. Ensembles of spoon players and skilled soloists make a great impression on the audience.

Varieties

The main property of food varnishes is durability; after application to the coating, they can maintain their integrity for up to 15 years. The varnishes are completely waterproof and resistant to mechanical and chemical damage. They easily withstand electrical and electrostatic influences without causing harm to the health of the consumer, since they are completely chemically inert. They are resistant to sea water, acids and alkalis, as well as aggressive gases. They are not susceptible to fungi, moss and insects, and have a wide range of operating temperatures from -30 to +60 °C.

Also, food varnishes are not subject to destruction by fire, as they have the property of self-extinguishing. After application, they dry quickly and have no residual odor, even after painting vertical surfaces; have no drips, which gives the products an aesthetic appearance.

Manufacturing

You can make wooden spoons yourself. This will require a small set of basic tools and material. Before you start, you need to prepare the following items:

Axe.
Hand-held wood saw.
Wood file.
Rounded chisel.
Rasp.
Sandpaper of different calibers.
Pencil.
Dry wood.

When choosing a material, it is better to focus on species such as linden, aspen, alder, and birch. They are easy to process and do not lint when used. For comparison: a wooden spoon made from oak yourself will crack, and an ash spoon will release lint. Conifers are not used to make items that come into contact with food, because the resins will cause the dishes to acquire a bitter taste.

Types of spoons and their purpose

Serving experts divide spoons into two large groups: main and auxiliary. The main ones include:

Dining room - it is used for eating mainly first courses, as well as porridges from deep plates. According to the generally accepted all-Union standard, which has been preserved in the CIS countries to this day, its volume is 18 milliliters.
Dessert – used for eating cakes, ice cream and other desserts from deep dessert plates and bowls. In addition, it can also be used when serving soups if they are poured into broth cups. Its volume is 10 milliliters.
Tea room - designed for stirring sugar in tea, but can be combined with dessert functions. In volume it is equal to 5 milliliters.
Coffee spoon - this spoon is used to enjoy foam on lattes and other coffee drinks. Its volume is half that of a tea – 2.45 milliliters.

Auxiliary spoons are represented by the following types:

Bar - has a long flat or spiral handle with a ball or button-shaped tip. It is needed for preparing layered cocktails, mixing ingredients, and also removing fruits or berries from jars, for example, with compote. The ball at the end is convenient to use for kneading spices or the same berries.
Bouillon – used for consuming liquid dishes. It is quite deep and often has a complex shape or decorative elements. In Pan-Asian restaurants, such spoons are often made of ceramics.
Absinthe spoon – has a complex figured shape and patterned perforation. Sugar is placed on it, after which absinthe is poured.
Grapefruit spoon - resembles a regular spoon, but its edges have serrations that make it convenient to scoop out the pulp from citrus and kiwi fruits.
Olive spoon – allows you to conveniently remove olives from the jar. It is distinguished by a long handle and a hole for draining liquid in the center.
An ice cream scoop is a small spatula.
Sauce - usually comes with a gravy boat. It has a slightly elongated shape and a spout.

There are at least several dozen more types of spoons for different purposes: for candies, for spices, for potatoes, for powdered sugar, and so on.

Step-by-step instruction

The selected piece of log must be sawed or chopped in half with an ax. On the flat side, the outline of the upcoming product is outlined with a pencil. Then the unnecessary areas are removed with a saw. Using an ax, you should first shape the outer rounded part. It is also necessary to cut a layer of wood to create the desired angle between the scoop and the handle. The place where they connect should be rounded off with a file.

The next step is sanding. To remove rough elements, you can use coarse sandpaper. And in order for a wooden spoon (it’s not so difficult to make one with your own hands) to be more pleasant to the touch, you need to complete the process with a “zero”. For greater convenience, wrap a stick in the sanding element.

Next, you should start cutting out the recess. Using a chisel, scrape out the wood in small pieces from the workpiece. Be sure to monitor the thickness so that it does not turn out too small. Next you need to clean the wood. To do this, you can attach two strips of sandpaper to a stick with a rounded end, placing them crosswise. After finishing the work, the finished wooden spoons can be soaked in vegetable oil. To improve the absorption process, the liquid is heated.

How to choose the right oil for processing and impregnation

There is no single correct answer to the question of what to soak a wooden spoon with. Different craftsmen, through trial and error, develop individual recipes and recommend this or that oil. The main rule is that the oil must be edible.

Benefits of oiling kitchen utensils:

Edible oil does not cause any harm to the body;
It has good waterproofing properties, covering even the most microscopic cracks in wood;
Makes the appearance of the product more attractive.

example of carved wooden spoons from our catalog (on the right, covered with beeswax)
The simplest option would be refined sunflower oil, which is sold in any grocery store. If you are a beginner and just trying your hand at this, this option will be optimal. One of the most popular oils for processing wooden spoons is linseed. Even in the old days, all wooden utensils were impregnated with it. It is better to buy bleached flax oil, which is sold in art stores.

When the question arises of how to coat a wooden spoon so that it acquires a beautiful shade, experts recommend sea buckthorn or pumpkin. But in general, any edible oil is suitable for impregnating a wooden spoon: olive, hemp, sesame, coconut, walnut and others.

Mass production

These days, wooden utensils are experiencing a new peak in popularity. People's eyes are drawn to these kitchen elements due to their natural origin. Individual enthusiasts or entire communities even form eco-villages; in addition, people are trying to exchange plastic cutlery for wooden spoons and plates. Therefore, entire sets turned on machines have become very popular.

To make large quantities of tableware, turning equipment, chisels, cutters, spoon knives, steel-bristled brushes, and much more are used. All this is reminiscent of tools for home work, only the equipment for working in a factory is more professional. If the production of wooden spoons went without flaws, then the product will be very convenient to use.

Wood for utensils

Many people are interested in what kind of wood wooden utensils are made from. It should be noted that different types are suitable:

for making glasses, mugs, shot glasses, it is better to use ash, hornbeam, oak and linden;
for barrels, linden and oak will be relevant;
Linden and aspen are suitable for spoons, and only the first type of wood for plates.

The most resistant to temperature influences are maple, cedar, bamboo, rowan and linden. However, in addition to the technical and operational properties, it is necessary to take into account the medicinal characteristics of wood. For example, oak has a beneficial effect on teeth, rowan ensures good blood circulation, and alder has calming properties. It should be noted that daily contact with such cooperage utensils will give a positive result.

Thread

Wooden utensils are often decorated. This can be either a simple design or intricate patterns. It all depends on the skill and desire of the master. If a person has little experience in creating ornaments, then you can turn to specialized sites. They present a large volume of materials of varying complexity.

If you know that the work will be limited to one or two products, then there is no point in purchasing many different tools. Using available materials, you can also decorate wooden spoons. Photos show various devices for professionals. These are jamb knives, flat, angular and semicircular chisels, cleavers, jigsaws, rasps. However, to make a simple pattern, a sharply sharpened knife will be enough. It is better if the blade is short and wide.

A drawing is applied to the untreated handle with a pencil (if geometric, then using a ruler) or the ornament is copied from tracing paper. Most often, the thread has a triangular recess. In order to complete it, you need to draw two auxiliary lines on the sides of the main line of the drawing, indicating the width of the cut. First, the main strip is cut strictly vertically. Then the knife is placed against the side marks and cuts are made at an angle of 45 degrees. Then the procedure is repeated on the opposite side. The cut wood should come out of the resulting groove on its own.

If the pattern is more ornate, then it is made with the same grooves, but less deep. The main cut is made along the marking line. To make side cuts it is not necessary to draw auxiliary contours. Slight fluctuations in the shape of the groove are allowed to emphasize the relief of the image.

Application technology

Before application, the surface must be dried and cleaned of various elements that may interfere with uniform coating and rapid drying of the varnish. Food coloring varnish is applied to the surface using a brush, rollers, and it is also possible to use special equipment (spray guns, air pressure sprayers). Temperature range when used is from -10 to +30 °C. Be sure to mix thoroughly before use.

Experts who constantly work with food varnishes advise, before use, to initially study the properties of the coating and its interaction with the environment that will be stored in the container or room. When applying, do not flood the surface, but distribute it evenly. To paint wooden containers or utensils, it is sometimes recommended to pre-coat them with a primer; before priming the wood, the wet sanding method is used. The workpiece is soaked in water, then the surface is rubbed with fine-grained abrasive paper until it is perfectly smooth.

To dissolve the varnish and to clean the instrument, it is recommended to use special solvents such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, amyl acetate. The use of solvents such as white spirit, turpentine, gasoline, kerosene, R-646 and R-647 is strictly prohibited.

Souvenirs

Like many other things, nowadays dishes are often used as souvenirs. Spoons and plates can be covered with traditional paintings or intricate carvings, which often deteriorate with frequent use in everyday life. To give durability to the design, painted souvenirs are coated with varnish. However, such products are not recommended for cooking or eating food. Their function is completely different - they are exclusively souvenirs and decorative items.

Caring for wooden products

If you have cooperage products in your home, then you should adhere to certain rules for storing and using wooden utensils:

It cannot be washed in the dishwasher as there is a risk of damaging the surface.
Due to the sensitivity of wood to moisture, it is advisable to store dishes in dry places to avoid mold. Also be sure to dry and wipe the product after use.
To eliminate unpleasant odors and for disinfection purposes, you can wipe with an alcohol solution.
As time passes, cooper's ware darkens. In order to restore its original color, it is recommended to wipe the surface with hydrogen peroxide.

By adhering to these simple rules, you will extend the life of wooden utensils.

Pages

Alexey Mikhailovich

Dear Travoved, can you find out more about impregnation with linseed oil. I made a spoon ^) from linden in my spare time, but there are questions about impregnation. How, what and how much? Would you be so kind as to write for beginners like me. If anyone is interested my spoon.

Travoved

Alexey Mikhailovich, the spoon is beautifully polished. And it’s very easy to soak. Now I do this. I pour a little linseed oil into the scoop and, shaking it, coat the inside of the spoon with oil. I leave it to stand for a while so that where possible it gets soaked through. After which I pour the remaining oil into my palm and rub it over the entire surface of the spoon. I put it on the battery to dry. In summer you can put it in the sun or warm it up several times with a hairdryer. After about a day, or even two, I check, if when pressing the handle with a stick the oil does not come out, I polish it with a stick or a wooden cylinder with a drill; if it comes out, I dry it. It depends on the type of tree and the ripeness of the wood. After polishing, I wipe the spoon with linseed oil again and leave it to dry on the radiator for 2-3 days. Then I hang it on a stretched net to wait for the owner. The longer the spoon hangs, the longer it will last. When you cut spoons constantly, they have time to hang for months. If I cut it to order and need to give it right away, then I dry it with a hairdryer several times, so that oil is released on the surface. After the oil stops coming out, I polish it.

Alexey Mikhailovich

THANK YOU so much,travoved. !)))Already on the battery. ++Sorry for being off-topic, ;((but I wanted to know how spoons are made from acacia trees? ?( .

Alexey Mikhailovich

Dear Travoved, are there other ways to cover? ++I have a hairdryer with a thermostat. !)));((Tell me approximately at what temperature you can dry after rubbing in the oil? ?(

Travoved

I dry the oil coating, usually at a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees, avoiding charring.

Seryoga

Dear Travoved! I heard that you can boil wooden spoons in vegetable oil. Is there any technology in this regard? What time, etc.?

Travoved

I don’t see the point in boiling spoons; just soak them in flaxseed a few times and warm the surface.

Oleg Shevtsov

But what if, for example, vacuum impregnation? What is the point in this?

Travoved

I think not, it’s not the handle of a knife or the butt. It may be suitable for ladles and spoons that will be constantly used, such as ladle and the like. Although, regular oiling of such products allows them to serve for many years.

Gavrilyuk Victor

Good evening! And I have a question, since I also cut spoons with great pleasure, spoons soaked in flaxseed oil, how do they look, because the oil has a not very pleasant smell.

Travoved

Spoons soaked in oil then need to be heated; I heat them with a hairdryer so that the oil begins to boil. It produces a pleasant smell of fried butter, reminiscent of the smell of baking.

Gavrilyuk Victor

Wow!? I'll check tomorrow. I’ll soak it and put it near the stove. (Don’t be surprised, there is a real stove in my workshop).

Skeptic

And I soak it in sunflower oil. IMHO no worse, but the smell is more pleasant ;((

Oleg Smirnov

Sunflower oil is a non-polymerizing oil. Covering it with it is a mistake; the oil never hardens completely and the product simply becomes greasy and sticky.

Alexey Brazhnikov

Over the summer I made a spoon out of a pear, soaked it in linseed oil - it gets dirty from your hands over time. I was recently in Moscow and at an exhibition I talked with a craftswoman about scheduling spoons. She said to coat it with polyurethane varnish.. What do you say about this?