Honey Dippers

[Peter Blair]

I have been approached to produce a number of Honey Dippers. My client is interested in small versions about 6" long and 3/4" diameter.
My question is:
Has anyone ever fabricated a set of parting tool type cutters that would cut the grooves all at once and that would easily duplicate the spacing?
Thanks in advance for any hints or comments.
I have been toying with the idea of having a number of 'Sawsall" blades welded together with a handle but wondered if anyone might have a better idea?

[Tom Wilson66]

Might want to consider how to sharpen something like that. Would need a jig or fixture to hold it for sharpening, or it will have different lengths on the blades, which would make different depths of grooves. The cutter could be made by a machinist sort of like the rack on a rack and pinion gear, except the "teeth" on the rack would be longer and shaped like a parting tool. Make sure it has a long handle to give good leverage, considering the amount of wood being removed. Personally, I think it would be simpler to make a story board to mark the grooves, then remove them with a parting tool. How many do you need to make?

[Jeff Nicol]

Peter, I have made hundreds of them and all by hand and eye, that is what gives a hand turned dipper character. It is very easy to cut the grooves in for the honey to catch on and if they are not exactly perfectly spaced, no one will notice if they are within a 32nd+/-. I would guess that the person who wants them would have just went out and bought them from a kitchen shop for .50-$1 for the mass produced plain ones that are readily available.

Just try a few and come up with a nice design and then go to town on them. I made them from maple, cherry, birch, and a couple out of aspen and basswood. Good tight grain wood with no funky oils like exotics tend to have and may have a funny smell of taste.

Go for it and have fun, I have a video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjmHoC3msY0

Jeff

[Rick Markham]

I'm with Jeff, I think you will probably find with a nice sharp parting tool the grooves will be the easiest part. Each one being slightly unique gives it character, plus your form/design can evolve freely without specialized tooling. Now if he wants 1,000 of them I would save my sanity and get specialized tooling made!

[Greg A Jones]

Great video.

[Rick Markham]

Jeff, it's fun to watch you turn! Those are fantastic honey dippers too, wonderful shape and form you have developed for them. Great video, very easy to see what you are doing, and the audio is perfectly clear. I dig your lathe too!