anybody ever make chop sticks?

[jared herbert]

I was asked by a person to make some chop sticks as a Christmas present. Was wondering if anyone could give me guidance on dimensions? I do have some birch straight grained, that I can use but rather than just going at it by trial and error, like I usually do thought maybe someone would know. Thanks in advance Jared

[John Coloccia]

I was asked by a person to make some chop sticks as a Christmas present. Was wondering if anyone could give me guidance on dimensions? I do have some birch straight grained, that I can use but rather than just going at it by trial and error, like I usually do thought maybe someone would know. Thanks in advance Jared

Who are you making them for? Japanese chopsticks are different than Chinese chopsticks, for example. I use them all the time, actually, and have several different styles here. I even have some metal chopsticks that a friend gave me, and metal was actually the most common when I went to Seoul. Chinese are usually left bare and are blunt...often square, even. Japanese are often lacquered and colored. There're often flat and come to a fine point. Sometimes they're shaped like a very finely tapered cone. Very different.

[Doug Herzberg]

Disposable chopsticks are usually split bamboo and taper from about 1/8" to 1/4" over a length just over 8". One fancier one I checked tapers from about 1/16" to about 3/8" over a length of about 9". It is also square at the fat end with rounded corners and round for the last two inches or so at the skinny end. Keeps it from rolling away on the table. It is lacquered and painted with decorations, so I don't know the wood. I think I've seen longer, but didn't find any examples.

Have fun.

[Reed Gray]

I have turned a few, and like rolling pins, there are many styles. I would start with square stock, 1/4 to 3/8 inch, and up to 12 inches long. I would grab the headstock end in extended chuck jaws that will close down to almost nothing. If you get 1/2 inch or more in the jaws, that will help reduce whipping/vibration as you turn, and help stabilize it when you part off the point end. I would predrill a small dent/hole on the tailstock end so when you engage the live center on the tailstock you don't split your blank. Note here, just enough tailstock pressure to hold it, but not enough to bend it. Most of the time, at least half of the stick is turned round. Some times a straight shaft, some times straight with the last 2 inches gently tapered down to 1/8 inch or so, or the whole thing tapered. Turn to finish, turn tailstock end finished and sand off parted end/point, turn off headstock end.

robo hippy

[Harry Robinette]

I did them buy going through the head stock and chuck then turning only an inch at a time.When you get them out about 4 or 5" bring up the tail stock,( I have a revolving drill chuck that fits the tail stock that I use for just things like this) keep the pressure light it's only there to stop the whip cause your only turning a inch at a time. I then hand sand OFF THE LATHE I've tried every way I could think to sand on the lathe and always messed something up so hand sand.

[Jamie Donaldson]

I've made several sets over the years, and my favorites are made of Brazilian Rosewood. Rather than attempting to turn them uniformly thin, about 1/4" square to round and thin on the lathe, it is much easier and faster to shape them with a large sanding disc mounted on the lathe.

[Peter Fabricius]

I have two sets in our kitchen drawer that I use sometimes. It is fun to try something different and my wife marvels at how I can pick up one grain of rice at a time when the dinner plate is almost finished.
The dimensions are 1/4" square at the upper end. It is a full 1/4" in the final finished state. They are 9 and 10.5 inches long. The rounding starts about 4 inches from the tip and the taper goes down to 1/8".
The upper part is also sanded to take the sharpness off the corners. One set is engraved with Oriental lettering and ferns? on one side of the upper parts.
I would hold the blank in my Beall Collet chuck and feed it out a couple of inches at a time, as I get it out 4 inches I would insert the small tapered end in my wooden Mandrel Saver cap that I have on my Oneway Live Center. The finished part will just keep sliding into the tailstock.
Sanding as I go along to fair out the taper and slightly sand the upper portion.
My blank would be 1" longer than needed so the chuck will have room to hold the chop stick for final sanding and finishing with Walnut Oil, Beeswax and Carnuba mixture.
Just my thoughts.
Hope this helps.
Peter F.

[jared herbert]

Thanks for all the good info. I didnt know that chop sticks could be so varied. I have eaten at chinese places and really enjoy the food but have never used chopsticks so really had nothing to draw on. Jared

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Maybe the wrong forum? I would not turn chopsticks on a lathe. Too hard. Make a shallow v-groove in a sacrificial board and use a hand plane. Faster and much less frustration with flexing, chatter, bending, what have you. The neanders may have some insight. Oh, put a stop at the end of the v-groove to keep the stick from walking. You can glue in a small block of whatever wood you're making the chopstick with. Much faster than turning it. I can make a stick in about 30 minutes including sanding. A lot of sanding. The tapering, well, you need to figure that part out. For me its hit or miss by free hand. Flip the plane over and move the chopstick. I guess if you making a lot, a tapered v-groove is the way to go.

Just my $0.02.

[jared herbert]

I had kind of decided that I would try to make them freehand either with a hand plane or belt sander or combination of the two. I have turned whippy things before on the lathe and it is sometimes more bother than it was worth. I was more interested in the dimensions than anything. Jared