Spoon finishes?

[Rachel Aberle]

I recently turned a spoon and power carved the end of it. I went ahead and sanded and oiled the spoon.

When I went to use it at home, the grain got fuzzy.

I didn’t some research and I saw two types of reasoning:

1) never sand a spoon only carve and won’t have issues when using (has anyone done this?…seems like something to do if you’re proficient in spoon carving)

Or

2) sand, raise the grain, sand again and oil and may have to repeat this over the life of it.

 

[Jim Reynolds]

Bravo on the spoon, nicely done.

I'm very skeptical of the never sand and it won't raise the grain hypothesis. I'm confident that if you get it wet it is going to raise the grain. This is pretty easy to test. Plane a board, get it wet and see what happens. The second hypothesis seems entirely plausible. Perhaps adding some food grade wax to your oil (I'm guessing you used mineral oil) will help seal up the pores.

 

[Rachel Aberle]

Bravo on the spoon, nicely done.

I'm very skeptical of the never sand and it won't raise the grain hypothesis. I'm confident that if you get it wet it is going to raise the grain. This is pretty easy to test. Plane a board, get it wet and see what happens. The second hypothesis seems entirely plausible. Perhaps adding some food grade wax to your oil (I'm guessing you used mineral oil) will help seal up the pores.

Thank you for the compliment!

I used a mixture of walnut oil initially but this really helps clarify it.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

We use my spoons and they were sanded. Have not seen any fuzz. Some of these go back to 2008.

 

[hockenbery]

Nice spoon. Sand with 400 to get the raised grain and do another coat of walnut oil.

You should be done unless the spoon gets duller looking than you like in a few years in which case you sand with 400 and add a coat of walnut oil.

We have various wooden implements that were last walnut oiled when they went into service 20 to 30 years ago.
A couple look a bit worn but they still work.

 

[Doug Freeman]

A few things that may have contributed to the fuzzy grain, not necessarily independent of each other:

> more coarse sanding grit - finer is better
> amount of oil applied. Walnut oil (only used Mahoneys) is fairly high viscosity and takes time to absorb. Several applications over a day or 2 to really soak the fibers.
> it takes months for walnut oil to cure out at room temp. Elevated to ~ 100F it cures out in a few days.

 

[Rachel Aberle]

We use my spoons and they were sanded. Have not seen any fuzz. Some of these go back to 2008.

Thanks Gerald. Did you raise the grain and sand after? Just trying to determine the best process. Also what oil did you use on them?

 

[Rachel Aberle]

A few things that may have contributed to the fuzzy grain, not necessarily independent of each other:

> more coarse sanding grit - finer is better
> amount of oil applied. Walnut oil (only used Mahoneys) is fairly high viscosity and takes time to absorb. Several applications over a day or 2 to really soak the fibers.
> it takes months for walnut oil to cure out at room temp. Elevated to ~ 100F it cures out in a few days.

Ah interesting. Yeah patience isn’t my thing was excited to use the spoon

 

[Rachel Aberle]

Nice spoon. Sand with 400 to get the raised grain and do another coat of walnut oil.

You should be done unless the spoon gets duller looking than you like in a few years in which case you sand with 400 and add a coat of walnut oil.

We have various wooden implements that were last walnut oiled when they went into service 20 to 30 years ago.
A couple look a bit worn but they still work.

Wonderful…will try this thank you.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Thanks Gerald. Did you raise the grain and sand after? Just trying to determine the best process. Also what oil did you use on them?

I did not sand after Mahoney's Walnut oil . As a matter of fact I don't think the oil has ever been reapplied

 

[robo hippy]

I have a friend who carves spoons and spatulas. His finish is off the tool. I have had several of his implements for years, and have seen no fuzz on any of them. I don't think he put any finish on them, and I haven't either.

robo hippy

 

[Richard Coers]

I always "whisker" treenware. But for items we use at home, I put no finish on it. Finish only adds a temporary color change and requires a lot of maintenance in the future.

 

[Rachel Aberle]

Interesting on finishes, thank you.

 

[Cindy Navarro]

I do spoons, sand to 220, wet the wood and let it dry and resend then the raised grain is gone. I oil my functional wood spoons, bowls and plates when they look dry to keep the wood from cracking if it dries out too much. No problem with fuzz if re-sanded before applying oil

 

[Gord Cameron]

Rachel, I have done a fair number of spoons and this is what works for me: sand, then wet (with water) to raise the grain, sand again, then oil). I use walnut oil, which means I allocate a month or more to the oiling phase, leaving days with the spoon in a warm and sunny place between light coats. I have not found the "drench it in oil" approach to work at all, especially for walnut oil (with which a too-thick coat might never cure below the surface). I apply thin coats (apply and wipe off), maybe four or five, with days or weeks of curing in a warm place between coats. Be patient and this finish will last for years. Or, don't finish at all, which, as some have said, also makes for a nice surface on a spoon.