Shopsmith Forums

Some time ago I posted a set of plans for a set of salad tongs. I just finished making 5 pair of them out of walnut and thought I'd share what they really look like. I'm finishing them with salad bowl finish from Rocklers. These are really nice to use as they have a natural spring effect to hold them open.

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I've always wanted to make those. Nice job with the woodworking...and with the photography.

Now that I've belatedly come across the plans on your website, I hope to make my own soon. Thanks.

Tom:

Nice looking salad tongs. I haven't read your instructions yet but wonder if you used the microwave to steam them and get the spring in them.

I made several sets a couple of years ago from a pattern in Wood Magazine ( I think). The ends on mine are shape more like a spoon, but I like your square ends and depression better.



Again, good job.

John

John, no you don't have to steam these at all. The spring is built in by the 3 leaves in the back half, and when you close the tongs, it actually flexes and bends the wood. The depression was easy to do. I set the Mk5 up in vertical mode like a drill press, attached the 2-1/4" sanding drum to the quill, and put the routing/sanding table insert into the table. I extended the drum until it went into the hole of the table insert slightly. Then I could just set a pair of tongs on the table, and clamp around the drum and it sanded both sides evenly at the same time. I locked the miter gauge on the table so that I could butt the back end of the tongs against it, that way the groove was sanded at the same spot on each set of tongs.

john wrote:Tom:

Nice looking salad tongs. I haven't read your instructions yet but wonder if you used the microwave to steam them and get the spring in them.

I made several sets a couple of years ago from a pattern in Wood Magazine ( I think). The ends on mine are shape more like a spoon, but I like your square ends and depression better.

Again, good job.

John

Tom:

The way you achieved the spring effect is interesting. I must look at that.

The ones I did have the same configuration at the spring end, except that the instructions called for forcing the two ends together, wetting a couple of layers of paper towel, enclosing them in the towels, and putting them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. It created a spring effect, but one had to be carefull of the time in the microwave. Too long, and the wood would burn.

I just looked at your plans and noticed another difference. Instead of a dowel, the ones I made used a brass rod as the hinge pin. Flattening the ends so it would stay in place was a bit ticky, but the brass added a nice touch.

As I said I must try your method including the round depressions.

Thanks for the information.

John

Simple, functional -- it doesn't get any better!

tom_k/mo wrote: I set the Mk5 up in vertical mode like a drill press, attached the 2-1/4" sanding drum to the quill, and put the routing/sanding table insert into the table. I extended the drum until it went into the hole of the table insert slightly.

Could you have chucked a hole saw and drilled throgh the wood clamped together? Then I guess you would of had to sand anyway. Your way seems to do two steps in one. Its just that I don't have a sanding drum or insert.

nomoman wrote:Could you have chucked a hole saw and drilled throgh the wood clamped together? Then I guess you would of had to sand anyway. Your way seems to do two steps in one. Its just that I don't have a sanding drum or insert.

I don't think a hole saw would work. The curved cutouts I have in the tongs don't create a full circle when the tongs are closed. If you wanted to use a hole saw, you'd have to use a sacrificial waste board in between the two sides to clamp in the middle, and then you'd still have to worry if your drill was dead-center or you'd get one side deeper than the other.

Thanks Tom. It's a good thing I asked before I tryed it.