EcrosTechWiki | Woodworking / Ice Cream Scoops

I made these with a WoodRiver hardware kit available from Woodcraft at a price of $22.99. There are two variations. I used the "Hawk Point" scoop, shown at right in its box, which is good at digging into ice cream left in the freezer until the last moment. The "Paddle" version is the usual "deep spoon" sort that requires you to take out the ice cream five or so minutes before serving.

Turning the handle is an easy spindle project. The difficult part is drilling and threading the hole into which the scoop part screws. This is also used to mount the workpiece on the lathe using a mandrel. It's tricky to get the clearance hole and the threaded part to be the right depth for first mounting on the mandrel and then screwing in the scoop. I fix the scoop using cyanoacrylate adhesive. Most of the handles are finished with urethane for water resistance. The ice cream scoop can be washed pretty much in the normal way at the end of the meal, although submersion is probably not a good idea and soaking is definitely out. The claro walnut handle is finished with butcher block oil because the recipient wanted a darker tone and the natural feel of wood (urethane feels like plastic). To keep its appearance for many years, this scoop will need to be wiped clean fairly soon after the ice cream is served and promptly toweled dry.

Ice Cream Scoop with Handle from Ice Cream Woods

This is the first ice cream scoop that I made. What I call the "ice cream woods" are maple, walnut and cherry.

Ice Cream Scoop with Curly Cherry Handle

Short handle for a small hand.

Ice Cream Scoop with Birdseye Maple Handle

Short handle for a small hand.

Ice Cream Scoop with Handle from Claro Walnut

Medium handle for an average hand. Dark color requested, so finished with butcher block, not urethane.

Another Ice Cream Scoop with Handle from Ice Cream Woods

Medium handle for an average hand.

Ice Cream Scoop with Ice Cream Woods and "Mix-Ins"

This at first seemed like a good idea to avoid making a third handle from ice cream woods. Then I began to understand how long it was going to take and it started to seem not such a good idea. I started to think it was going to look ridiculous and amateurish and regretted starting it. But, I pushed on and when I finished turning it it was a good idea again. After applying the urethane finish, I decided it was a brilliant idea. But, I'm not going to do another one. So, it's totally unique.

The "mix-in" woods, starting at the left of the right-way-up photo, are leopardwood, canarywood over purpleheart, bocote, wenge, yellowheart over a thin strip of wenge, padauk, macacauba and finally, at the right of the upside-down photo, redheart and more canarywood over purpleheart. The pale wood in between is figured maple.

Medium/large handle for an average male hand.