First post! Coffee Scoops...

[craggus2000]

Hi all,
This is my first post here, having just started turning pens, as a novice...
See the attached photos of my first efforts - Zebrano on one, and Jack Daniels barrel/Cocobolo on the other! I know the photo quality is bad, will work on a better background next time...
But I'm also looking for somewhere in the UK that I can get coffee scoop project kits from, similar to this:


So far can only find them in the US, with extortionate postage! HAving real trouble trying to locate them in the UK.
Can anyone assist please?

Many thanks,
Craig

 

[wyone]

VERY Nice

 

[monophoto]

I made a coffee scoop for myself using a kit. When the time came to make one for our son, I went kitless. It was actually a very simple project.

The simplest way to make a kitless scoop is do a small hollow form and a handle, and then glue them together. If hollowing is a challenge for you, you can always start by drilling a hole using a forstner bit, and then fine-tuning the shape to whatever you want it to be, paying particular attention to making the bottom smooth and eliminating the small divot caused by the point on the drill bit.

You can drill a hole to attach the handle after turning the cup, but it's easier to drill that hole when then blank is still square - that way, you can better control the angle of the hole. Ideally, the hole won't go all the way to the inside of the cup, but that's harder to do if you drill the hole before turning the cup. But there's nothing wrong with drilling the hole all the way through the blank, turning the cup, gluing the handle in, and then sanding the inside of the cup to smooth the end of the handle.

The handle is a simple spindle with a tenon that fits into a hole in the side of the cup.

The thing that triggered the need to make a scoop for our son (a computer geek) was that he bought himself a fancy coffee grinder, and needed to measure the quantity of whole beans that he ground to make a cup of expresso. The grinder came with a plastic scoop that supposedly would hold 12g of beans. My solution was to fill a 35mm film canister with whole beans, and then use a small digital scale to weigh those beans. Because a 35mm film canister has parallel sides, it was a simple matter to calculate the depth of beans that would weigh 12 g, and then calculate the volume that 12g of whole beans would occupy. It was then a simple matter to turn a cup with that volume.

Obviously, because he works with whole beans rather than ground coffee, there is a potential that a scoopful of beans won't weight exactly 12g - but that same problem existed with the scoop that came with his coffee grinder.

 

[rthines]

Shipping Buddy

Hi all,
This is my first post here, having just started turning pens, as a novice...
See the attached photos of my first efforts - Zebrano on one, and Jack Daniels barrel/Cocobolo on the other! I know the photo quality is bad, will work on a better background next time...
But I'm also looking for somewhere in the UK that I can get coffee scoop project kits from, similar to this:
View attachment 124894

So far can only find them in the US, with extortionate postage! HAving real trouble trying to locate them in the UK.
Can anyone assist please?

Many thanks,
Craig

I had a similar issue and found a person with a PayPal account in Israel and he would ship wood to me much cheeper than commercial prices. I took into account the cost of packaging and still saved several $$$

Looks great!

Rick

 

[craggus2000]

I had a similar issue and found a person with a PayPal account in Israel and he would ship wood to me much cheeper than commercial prices. I took into account the cost of packaging and still saved several $$$

Looks great!

Rick

Thanks!
Do you still have his details Rick?

 

[ironman123]

Very good.

 

[robutacion]

Hi all,
This is my first post here, having just started turning pens, as a novice...
See the attached photos of my first efforts - Zebrano on one, and Jack Daniels barrel/Cocobolo on the other! I know the photo quality is bad, will work on a better background next time...
But I'm also looking for somewhere in the UK that I can get coffee scoop project kits from, similar to this:
View attachment 124894

So far can only find them in the US, with extortionate postage! HAving real trouble trying to locate them in the UK.
Can anyone assist please?

Many thanks,
Craig

That is also a problem for us in Australia, for some items like that, we don't seem to have anyone selling here. I have been in that same boat of being asked for an horrendous amount of money for a small parcel from some of the big vendors in the USA mainly, and this is when I ask for someone in the USA, to acquire the items and then post them for me. I make sure I pay up front whatever the costs will be, you don't want to expect that friend to use his own money to help you out so, is OK to use a friend but is not OK to take advantage or abused of that friendship, in my books...!

I have had many USA friends assisting me with this scenario, through the years, it works well, you save some money and you then send something to that friend as a tank you, there are so many ways to "pay back"...!:wink:

If you don't know anyone in particular, and no one comes forwards to offer his/her help, you simply post and ask the question, people will then know that you are asking for help, you will be surprised how many people will be willing to help you out, that way...!:biggrin:

Good luck,

Cheers
George