My first turned scoop

[Dominic Greco]

Hi Everyone,

Here's my first attempt at turning a scoop. I'm actually a little surprised at how much work went into something so easy looking! It's like turning a goblet, complete with deep hollowing the "vessel" portion.

Since this was my first, I used whatever wood I had on hand. I ending up using a 3" sq x 8" long piece of walnut I had laying around.

I sanded it to 320 grit on the lathe, bandsawed out the profile, and then cleaned up the cuts on my belt/disc sander. Then I just hand sanded the entire thing to 400 grit. I probably could have stopped at 220. But I just couldn't bring myself to! Weird, eh?:rolleyes:

The finish is several coats of Mineral Oil followed by buffing with Tripoli Compound, then a coat of bee's wax, and more buffing.

I initially turned this scoop in preparation for making one for my Mom. When I showed it to my wife she said, "This one's for me, right?". And without batting an eyelash I said, "Yes. Yes it is." :D

I think the next scoop I turn will be longer and deeper in the "scoop" portion. But Iguess it depends on what you want to use it for. My Mom wants it for flour, sugar, and other baking goods.

I'd also like to ask a "procedural" question about hollowing scoops like this.

After turning the exterior profile of the scoop portion between centers, I turned a tenon on the "handle" end. I removed the spur center and replaced it with my talon chuck. After it was installed in my chuck, I started to hollow it. Or tried to. I ended up getting a slight catch and knocking it off center. At that point I broke out the steady rest and hollowed the remainder of the scoop. After I finished the hollowing, I removed the steady rest and sanded the scoop interior. I then brought my tailstock up and used a wooden bull nose (with a piece of 400 grit sandpaper wedged between) on my live center to hold it in place while I turned the handle.

Does this sound like too much work? Or am I doing it correctly?

Thanks for viewing

[Jonathon Spafford]

That really looks nice!!! Wish my first turned out that nice... they do take a little more work than you'd think, which is funny! You sound like your doing it correctly. You didn't make it clear whether you do or not, but I usually rough mine down to a cylinder before chucking it to minimize the potential of jerking it out of the chuck. It doesn't seem like you would need a steady rest as most goblets I've seen are done with out one... anyway, ya did a good job. Make sure we see pics of your next one.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Dominic that is a beauty. Took me three tries to get one that good. Nice job.

[Corey Hallagan]

That is pretty cool... and I agree... it does sound like alot of work. I have turned only a couple goblets ( lot's of fun ) I would probably use a forstener bit to get the hollowing going and then switch to a scraper to get my hollowing done and put the shape on it. Looks like a bandsaw is a much for one of these. Me have no bandsaw..... any ideas how you could achieve the same result without a bandsaw?

corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Corey you could probably do it with a coping saw. I saw Dave Hout do it with one.

[Corey Hallagan]

Never thought about that Bernie. Good idea.

Corey

[Jerry Olexa]

Very nice work...Looks good!!!

[Jonathon Spafford]

Hey Corey... belt sander would also work!!!! That is how I did my first one!

[Frank Kobilsek]

Dominic
I haven't made a scoop but I would probably make it without re-chucking. Chuck your square on the flats of the jaws. Round the piece with tailstock in place. Hollow the bowl of the scoop. Now reduce the area for the handle and shape the outside of the scoop (maybe support the tailstock end with a big cone center). Finish shape the handle. Sand and seal. Last carefully part off the end of the handle. Hand sand the end of the handle.

Be very careful bandsawing round stuff. I have a turning freind that is missing a finger from a task like that.

Nice first scoop and it sounds like that item will be popular with your family and freinds.

Frank

[Jim Becker]

Scooper job! err...nice!

Ditto on Frank's caution about round things near the band saw... ;)

[Dominic Greco]

Thanks for the compliments!

[Don Emmerling]

I have been turning for about 2 years and have made several dozen scoops (certainly not vast experience). I can make a scoop in about 15 minutes that look very much like the excellent one you displayed. I will share my approach because it seem to take very little effort relative to what you discribed. These are so satisfying to me because my wife and other wives in the neighborhood really like them.

I start with a piece of wood no longer than 5 inches long. I do not preturn the wood into a spindle but leave it square just so the piece can fit in my Strong Hold chuck. I turn the projecting section into a spindle of the diameter I wish the scoop to be. Following that I mark the center of the spindle with the section most distant from the chuck designated as the open part of the scoop. I then hollow out the scoop section much like you would a box. Once I have that part completed I sand through 220 grit and then start working on the handle. Since the hollowing part is done there is little torque placed on finishing the handle, which rarely results in a twisting fracture of the handle. I finish the handle and then complete sanding the handle to 220 grit. At this point I finish the scoop with a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil. I then using a narrow parting tool to separate the handle. Only minor sanding is required to finish the handle end. The key is too do the handle last. This method does not involve the band saw other than to cut the 5 inch square piece. Let me know if you need more information and I can send you a picture of my scoops so you can see some of the variations that can be accomplished with this method.

Regards, Don Emmerling in Johnstown Ohio

[Mark Pruitt]

Welcome Don!