I knew before I opened the post that those spoons would be Lou's. I really love the ones he carved for me. He does beautiful work and he does it in a flash!

Yes he does Cathy! They are really beautiful. I remembered seeing the one he made you when we visited your home last winter. He is so very talented.

I'm waiting for him to post a picture.

The salt I made was Tricia's recipe. It turned out great!

Karen

You guys got lucky - you got finished products. All I got was a couple blanks and instructions on how make my own spoons. Pah!!!

(Just kidding, Lou, I very much appreciated the inspiration and those blanks are still in my kitchen, giving me an occasional nudge to get working on them.)

Thanks Karen:

It is the least I can do for my adopted Sister.

Here are a couple of Photo's
LOU

I had trouble with the computer, so I had to get the Photo's posted.

Karen sent me a package ( which I asked her not to do )

I will put the photo's in tonight, when the PC is working better.

Thanks everyone
LOU

Those spoons are absolutely beautiful and oh so perfect!!!!!

Great job Lou!

Rita

Great job! Lou.

Are those really salt spoons?

They look like weight-watcher's ice cream spoons to me.

dcarch :-)

Thank You, Rita.
********************

Couldn't load Photo's of the items Karen sent to me.

There was a bottle of Pure Michigan Maple Syrup.

A bottle of Silver Creek Apiaries, Pure Naturel Honey and

a bunch of Home Grown Garlic Bulbs.

The woman at the Post Office couldn't figure out what the smell was coming from the box.
She thought it might have been Italian Salami.
I have to tell her tommorrow.

LOU

Here are the 2 spoons Lou carved for me. He made them to replace the sorry excuse for a salt spoon that I had (the one in the forefront).

DC:
Now why didn't I think of that !!!

LOU

Wow Cathy, The first salt spoon looks pretty primitive but I think it's cool. Have you found another use for it?

Karen

Karen, I think that first tiny spoon was given to me by my doctor as a message not to use too much salt. LOL Unless you are talking about the primitive salt cell in the back.

Cathy, Yes, I think I'm looking at the salt cell.

What is a salt cell?

Karen

Karen, Salt cellar/salt pig/salt keeper is a holder usually by the stove to salt while cooking. My primitive keeper (not really a cellar) is one I bought at a Tuesday market in Chiusi (between Rome and Florence). I think it was made from a pod of sorts indigenous to Italy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salt Cellar

Karen, those spoons are gorgeous!
What a wonderful gift that will be!
I'd ask if I could be one of your kids,
But I'm about 50+ years too old for that!
I do love those spoons, though,
Yours and Kathy's, too.
Lou's work is absolutely amazing!
I can't help but wonder what other talents
He is hiding.

Kathy, your salt cell is really neat!
Looks 'old timey',
And I love that.

Rusty

Lou - what kind of wood do you use? We just cut down a apple tree and I wonder if you can use that wood for food items. DH is very handy and could make me some like that.
Thanks.
Clare

Lou, those spoons are beautiful.

Mustangs, your salt keeper is so unique and lovely.

Clare, Apple wood is wonderful for "food" related items. Your husband could definitely make spoons. Also makes beautiful cutting boards.

Ann

Cathy, I have learned something! Does the salt pick up moisture while sitting uncovered? Maybe it doesn't really matter. I love yours, so unique.

Karen

Thanks again Ladies:

Clare:
The spoons are made from Maple that I bought from a Retired Furniture Maker.

It is about 140 years old. You can use the Apple Wood,
to make different items but
it has to be cured first.

It is a very dense wood.
Save all the small pieces to add to your barbecue charcoal.

You can Google " Curing Apple Wood " to get ideas.
LOU

Lou - Thanks for getting back to me and the link. And I forgot to say what nice spoons they are that you made. DH loves to do things like that.
Clare

Karens :

Finally got the photo's of Karens items, she sent to me.
LOU

Way cool! I love how this forum brings people together.

Sally

aptosca, the rule of thumb for air drying milled wood is one year per inch of thickness. You also need to "sticker" the wood to allow for air circulation.

Aired dried wood is then finished off in our own kiln, bring the moisture content down to about 8% before using.

Ann

Lou, your salt spoons are beautiful and it is so thoughtful of your to share!

Ahhhhhhhh! Beauty!

Ann T - Thanks for the information about the wood. This apple wood has been drying on the wood pile for over a year. It was his brother's apple tree that fell down during a storm. We are not having good luck with apple trees. Ours died after 25 years from who knows what. We have 2.5 acres of all kinds of wood, Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, redwood and eucalyptus, at least over a hundred plus trees. None would make good wood to use with food except maybe the pine. We have been cutting up diseased or fallen trees for the last 25 years. Some have been drying for over 7 years. We have so much firewood, we will never run out. LOL
Clare

Clare, you may try this:

1. Cut the wood/logs in smaller sizes so that they can fit in the microwave.

2. Heat the logs up using microwave very low power setting.

3. Let the logs cool down outside of the microwave.

4. Do this a few times until you feel the logs are much lighter in weight.

5. Put the logs in your regular oven under low heat setting for a few hours.

The logs will be completely dry and OK for you to make things with. Some logs may crack, depending on the kind of wood, age of wood and how agressive you are in heating up the wood. It takes about a day to do this.

dcarch

dcarch - I have used my microwave for a lot of things but never to cook wood! LOL! I better do it when DH is not around or he will think I have totally lost it. (He already wonders.) Thanks for the tip.
Clare

DC:
Very good. !!! The long and low applies to other things besides Cooking.
I've never used the Micro to dry wood but it sounds good.

I have worked with all kinds of wood from Teak , Redwood,
Lignum Vitae, Tupelo, Tiger Striped Maple , etc,

For about 65 years, most of the time they were kiln dried.

That's why I said to Google it , to pick up on Ideas.

Claire can try your idea, with one piece to see how it works out.

I know Apple Wood is very hard and dense.
It may check a little.
They have used it for Bearings.

Think I'll try the micro myself.

LOU

"DC: Very good. !!! The long and low applies to other things besides Cooking.
I've never used the Micro to dry wood but it sounds good.---- Think I'll try the micro myself.
LOU"

A couple of months ago there was this huge freak snow storm which I think you still remember. Power was out for many days and many trees fell.

I had many large branches broke all over my yard.

Instead of making fire wood, I used them to make a good size chopping board for my kitchen. It took me one day to turn soaking wet "green" wood to dry wood.

One day VS. waiting four to six years for the wood to dry. :-)

dcarch

I had seen a picture of Lou's spoons before, so I had to click on this post.

Awesome spoons shown. Thanks for posting them, and the instructions for microwaving spoons.

This is a GREAT forum... even if I am not around much.

Moni

I love it all. How wonderfully this place spins around. Tricia came up with the salt recipe, Karen makes it, and Lou makes the gorgeous spoons. That's how it's done. Totally cool.

Clare, the problem with drying wood in the microwave is that you can only do small quantities. And you have to watch it carefully because it is easy to start a fire.

There are bowl turners out there that use Eucalyptus and Monterey Cypress, redwood, etc... If you have any burls you could probably sell them to local artisans. Apple is a wonderful wood to work with.

Ann

Posted by ann_t "Clare, the problem with drying wood in the microwave is that you can only do small quantities. And you have to watch it carefully because it is easy to start a fire.--------------"

Yes, do be careful. Microwave can set anything on fire, including chickens, carrots, etc. That's why I suggest the final drying should be done using your regular oven on very low setting.

You will be surprised how much wood you can "cook" in a microwave.

dcarch

Lou those spoons are amazing. Are you also a woodworker, Ann?

Microwaving wood would worry me stiff. (I crack myself up!)

We have many knowledgeable, highly creative, and inspiring members. Ann certainly knows woods. She and her husband, Moe, have a growing and thriving business creating and selling truly stunning artisan presentation and cutting boards. I'm crazy about their new magnetic knife holders. So pretty.

Scroll down within the link to see all of their lovely offerings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ann's gallery.

Gail618:

Yes I have done much woodworking, among many other things.

The list would be too long to put in here.

Among the one's I like the best is Wildfowl Artist Carvings
I use Tupelo Gum for that.
I've won many Blue Ribbons in the pro Class , in many shows,
from Virginia to Conneticut on the East Coast and 2 in Livonia, MI.

The next would be Rifle Making.

I have won Gold Hammer Awards from Popular Mechanics,
for A Pennsylvania Rifle, Minature Pennsylvania Rifle,
Grandfathers Clock and a 7 ft.Colonial Hutch.

Other woodworking would be Building Homes, Remodeling,plus
refinishing Antiques,building Kitchen Cabinets.

Other trades are Plumbing, Electrical,, Stone work Brickwork,
building Hot Rods in the 1950's ( until I was Drafted ).
had the fastest car in SW Philly
and the list goes on.

I apologise for rambling on but I only do this when someone asks.
*********************

Dcarch:
That's why I can understand your projects.

Barnmom:
Thanks for pointing out Ann's Gallery,
that is amazing.

LOU

Lou, Very impressive indeed.

To me, being a man, building and finishing a project is the closest thing to giving birth to a baby.

dcarch

Wow Lou that is so interesting. I visited the Waterfowl Museum in Virginia Beach this summer and had the opportunity to watch an artisan carving birds. He said he found carving to be very relaxing -- his work was beautiful.

To me, being a man, building and finishing a project is the closest thing to giving birth to a baby.

OMG dcarch, unless the man shoots the finished project out of a normally tight orifice, I feel compelled to label that an extremely terrible analogy!!! You got me LMAO though!

DC:
Guess I gave birth to many babies !!!

Gail618:
I was supposed to have a brick; with my name on it, when they started building the museum.

but I was working away from home for a long while and sort of put it out of mind.

LOU

Posted by foodonastump "-----OMG dcarch, unless the man shoots the finished project out of a normally tight orifice, I feel compelled to label that an extremely terrible analogy!!! You got me LMAO though!"

Well Often, I am pregnant with many crazy ideas. But I tend to labor over them again and again, then I end up aborting them.

dcarch

DC:
I'm glad you answered that one.

I had another view and didn't really know how to word it.

LOU

dcarch - How long in the microwave at what power level (1-2)?

And I will watch it. Hate to burn down my still-new-to-me 6 year old kitchen. And I am pretty use to using fire, been working with metals (silver, copper, bronze)and glass for 15 years. I have a workshop with several different kinds of torches and haven't burned that down yet. LOL
Thanks.
Clare

Clare, I will answer you on a separate thread in another day.

dcarch