# What are your favorite gadgets?



## Sven Svensson (Jan 13, 2022)

This seems to be an experienced and creative group. I am wondering what some of your favorite smoking/grilling/BBQ gadgets are? I’m hoping to learn something new or find a great idea that never occurred to me. Maybe you “invented” something or made something you’re proud of. Maybe you even inherited a gadget from a great-grandparent. I’d love to see it. Include photos. This is kind of an adult Show-And-Tell.


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## mr_whipple (Jan 14, 2022)

Funny, but I'm not a gadget person. I can't stand single use items or what I call one trick ponies.  That said, I don't think I could live without my egg slicer. 
I have this one and every time I look at it I laugh a little


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## indaswamp (Jan 14, 2022)

No Charcuterie in your list? My favorite gadget is my pH meter. This single tool has helped me dial in the amounts of sugars I add when making salamis so the pH does not drop too low as that halts flavor development. When I started out, I was using too much sugars. I now have a good baseline for how much it takes...but it is only through trial and error that I have learned.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jan 14, 2022)

I love my oil sprayer.  I went through several before finding one that works.


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## chopsaw (Jan 14, 2022)

Not sure about live without , just some things to make it easier .
I do really like my Pigtail flipper .





Made this rack for doing Umai . Carry the whole thing downstairs to ferment .





Then just slides into the fridge when ready . 





Made these " keepers " to control my therm wires on the MES . 
These are really handy . Keeps them out of the door latch , 
and I don't have to fight them going in and out of the smoker .


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

Liking your wood projects Chop.    

I'm a boat builder. In my spare time I carve and give away wooden spoons.

This one is roughly 3" X 14 Curly Maple


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## chopsaw (Jan 14, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> I carve and give away wooden spoons.


Love the spoon . Been wanting to make some myself , just haven't got there yet . That's all hand work after you cut the shape ? 

I got into making the Bow saw bread knives . They're handy too . Use mine all the time . 





Damn things are scary sharp , and that plastic guard is useless at best . 
So I designed a holder for them that works really well . 










Something else I was doing , but don't use a whole lot is a tortilla 
press . Handy when you need it .


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## justplainbob (Jan 14, 2022)

one eyed jack


 chopsaw
  put those things on etsy and i'll be your first customer


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## mr_whipple (Jan 14, 2022)

justplainbob said:


> one eyed jack
> 
> 
> chopsaw
> put those things on etsy and i'll be your first customer


No kidding. I'd be number two.


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## OldSmoke (Jan 14, 2022)

mr_whipple said:


> No kidding. I'd be number two.



Number three. Could have used it last night with fresh French bread.


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## tallbm (Jan 14, 2022)

Wow great creations 

 chopsaw
 and 

 one eyed jack
 !

If you ever want a project or a challenge I could use a few of this amazing little rifle vise made from wood:











I thought about contacting a 3D printer person about it but then was thinking "this may be easily made from wood". 

I own one of these and they are AWESOME but are discontinued.  I could personally pull all the dimensions.  Best little vise in the world for cleaning, bore sighting, and taking to the range to do load development for hunting season.  It fits in my range bag which is just a gym bag so it travels super well.

Was going to buy one for my brother this year and saw it got discontinued a few years back :(

Anyhow, off topic haha


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## Colin1230 (Jan 14, 2022)

There are a couple of things in the pic that I use a lot. The Vortex and the little analog timer.


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## JLeonard (Jan 14, 2022)

chopsaw
 I'd be 4th in line to buy the bread saw!
Jim


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 14, 2022)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> I love my oil sprayer.  I went through several before finding one that works.
> 
> View attachment 522047
> 
> I knew this was going to happen. Just ordered one. I’ve always had a horrible time with oil sprayers and I gave up and started using the canned stuff. Please don’t judge me. Haha. Looking forward to using the real stuff again.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Love the spoon . Been wanting to make some myself , just haven't got there yet . That's all hand work after you cut the shape ?
> 
> I got into making the Bow saw bread knives . They're handy too . Use mine all the time .
> View attachment 522069
> ...



Thanks for the compliment and the like, Chop.  I used hand tools and plenty of sandpaper on all the spoons till just after this one.   The process has been Band saw, Little grinder, (4 1/2 inch angle grinder), flat and round based spokeshave, a number of wood carving gouges various rubber sanding blocks and sandpaper.  I finished up with wet and dry sandpaper and mineral oil as a lubricant.

Couldn't get the labor under about 10 hours and decided to get a Foredom Flex shaft carver.  That has taken a couple hours off of the labor.

The labor is the reason that I've not tried to sell them.  I can't see asking $100 + for a spoon and pride won't let me sell my labor for $10 an hour.

I really like the skill and quality you put into your projects.  It's obvious that you have high skills.  (We really need help in the boat shop. )

I believe that I commented on your bread knife when you first posted it, but I might have missed it.  If I was more of a baker I'd trade you one for a spoon.

Great idea for the tortilla press.  I'd opt for wood over aluminum.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

Colin1230 said:


> There are a couple of things in the pic that I use a lot. The Vortex and the little analog timer.
> 
> View attachment 522088


Good call on the vortex Colin.  I've got one too and like it a lot.

Nice looking timer.  Have you got a link to it?


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

justplainbob said:


> one eyed jack
> 
> 
> chopsaw
> put those things on etsy and i'll be your first customer



Thanks Bob.  I appreciate the compliment.



mr_whipple said:


> No kidding. I'd be number two.


Thanks for your thought Mr. Whipple.  Truth be told;  the spoon carving is just one of several hobbies that eat up my spare time and I have enough trouble keeping up with wedding, birthday, and Christmas presents.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

I've had trouble with creosote buildup on my smoking tubes. (Using them cold smoking)   I ran across this stuff and have been happy with the results.  It works pretty well to break down the hard creosote glaze that forms on my tubes.

Paid high on Amazon but haven't found it locally.


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## motocrash (Jan 14, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> I do really like my Pigtail flipper .


Hell yeah! You beat me to it. Used to use them a lot more often when I did larger cooks. They were gifted to me in the nice box many moons ago. 
They're priceless when having to flip a lot of meat or a little for that matter.






"The most versatile kitchen and barbeque tool you'll ever own!"


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## chopsaw (Jan 14, 2022)

motocrash said:


> They're priceless when having to flip a lot of meat or a little for that matter.


No doubt about that . I got mine when I remodeled a housewares dept. at a large retail store . $1.98 . Gal said " I never knew your type like this stuff " 
LOL .


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 14, 2022)

chopsaw
 , You just completely changed my garage fridge game. I’m too embarrassed to show you how I hang stuff. That is brilliant. I never would have thought of that. Time to break out the Dewalts and get building. Thanks for the idea. Wow.


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 14, 2022)

Colin1230 said:


> There are a couple of things in the pic that I use a lot. The Vortex and the little analog timer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 14, 2022)

I should add one. Non-stick aluminum foil is completely underrated. It’s amazing. I use it all the time especially when reheating something or making Red Lobster biscuits with cubed sharp cheddar and bacon bits. When the cheese oozes out it bakes on the foil and gets crispy. Non-stick makes it effortless to remove.


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## jcam222 (Jan 14, 2022)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> I love my oil sprayer.  I went through several before finding one that works.
> 
> View attachment 522047


Where did you get it?


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## one eyed jack (Jan 14, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> I should add one. Non-stick aluminum foil is completely underrated. It’s amazing. I use it all the time especially when reheating something or making Red Lobster biscuits with cubed sharp cheddar and bacon bits. When the cheese oozes out it bakes on the foil and gets crispy. Non-stick makes it effortless to remove.
> 
> View attachment 522171


Thanks Sven.  I never knew there was such a thing.


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 14, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> Thanks Sven.  I never knew there was such a thing.


Just make sure you use the non-stick side. Only one side has it. If you ever foil a brisket or a shoulder/butt and it has stuck on the grate because of meat goo and when you pulled it off it tore a hole in the foil spilling the juice, lay this down and that won’t happen. Again, make sure you’re using the correct side.


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## Colin1230 (Jan 14, 2022)

Oops, that didn't work.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 15, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> Just make sure you use the non-stick side. Only one side has it. If you ever foil a brisket or a shoulder/butt and it has stuck on the grate because of meat goo and when you pulled it off it tore a hole in the foil spilling the juice, lay this down and that won’t happen. Again, make sure you’re using the correct side.



I gotcha.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jan 15, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Where did you get it?


Evo Sprayer on Amazon.  The red ones on sale right now.  Looking it seems to have gotten some bad reviews but mine works perfectly and had it a few years.


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## chopsaw (Jan 15, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> I really like the skill and quality you put into your projects. It's obvious that you have high skills. (We really need help in the boat shop. )


Thanks . I'm afraid I'd give a whole new meaning to " Went down with the ship " 



one eyed jack said:


> Flex shaft carver.


I have a flex shaft carver , and a couple sets of carving tools . My Dad did carving , and was pretty good at it . The 3D stuff blows my mind . 
I'm feeling motivated to make a spoon . Lol .


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## chopsaw (Jan 15, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> Non-stick aluminum foil is completely underrated. I


Yup . Use it here all the time , and it's an issue when I run out . Last year it was on the out of stock list around here . So now I have 4 boxes in the pantry and one in the cabinet .


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## one eyed jack (Jan 15, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Thanks . I'm afraid I'd give a whole new meaning to " Went down with the ship "
> 
> 
> I have a flex shaft carver , and a couple sets of carving tools . My Dad did carving , and was pretty good at it . The 3D stuff blows my mind .
> I'm feeling motivated to make a spoon . Lol .



I look forward to seeing your carved spoons.

I'd be happy to offer my opinion on the most useful "burrs" I have found for flex shaft carving, if you are interested.


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## motocrash (Jan 15, 2022)

These work great for larger concave work, they come in many styles and course to fine. They're for 4 1/2" grinders. You can weld a bolt on the end of a solid square, thread that into your grinder handle hole, and clamp assembly in a vise. Rotation away! You can see it cutting, much like a lathe. 
My metalsmith buddy uses them to make cavities in the tops/bottoms of big logs set on the floor for forming all kinds of rough shapes before he gets the intricate work done. Think leaves and petals of flowers.


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## thirdeye (Jan 15, 2022)

Another vote for the pigtail.  I bet I have given at least 20 of them away.  Before they sold to Jaccard, you could order left hand ones.  I have not seen the lefties is quite a while


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 15, 2022)

Here’s another most folks know about but it was a bacon game-changer for me. I make and gift a lot of bacon. Bacon bribery gets you everywhere. When I fry bacon I’m always bummed about the burned bits and how it curls and splatters. When I discovered baking bacon it turned out perfectly and never curled up. I think that’s why it’s called Bacon and not Frycon. I use a half sheet pan with a cooling grid in it, fits perfectly. 

But here’s my twist. I put two layers of paper towels underneath when I bake it (350). Because I paid attention in my American literature class in the 70’s I learned that paper burns at Fahrenheit 451. Those paper towels make cleanup super easy. And here’s the added bonus. If you keep those bacon grease soaked paper towels in a ziploc bag in the fridge or even freezer, you can tear one off and ball it up for the perfect charcoal starter. It even smells great while burning.


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## Steve H (Jan 16, 2022)

When I saw 

 chopsaw
 bow knife. I immediately ordered some of those blades and made one myself. He isn't kidding about how handy. And sharp. They are. Now I see a holder in my future! Great idea!
And I like the knife rack I recently made.


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## Steve H (Jan 16, 2022)

My new gadget on its way!


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## chopsaw (Jan 16, 2022)

Steve H said:


> My new gadget on its way!


LOL . I saw that the other day . That's that's awesome .


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## Bearcarver (Jan 16, 2022)

motocrash said:


> These work great for larger concave work, they come in many styles and course to fine. They're for 4 1/2" grinders. You can weld a bolt on the end of a solid square, thread that into your grinder handle hole, and clamp assembly in a vise. Rotation away! You can see it cutting, much like a lathe.
> My metalsmith buddy uses them to make cavities in the tops/bottoms of big logs set on the floor for forming all kinds of rough shapes before he gets the intricate work done. Think leaves and petals of flowers.
> View attachment 522289



I used those things for some of my Bear Carving work.
They're very handy on my Side Grinder.

Bear


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## 1MoreFord (Jan 16, 2022)

Unlike Sven, I don't use paper towels in the bottom of my sheet pan under the rack.  I collect the bacon grease in the pan and drain it into jars for storage in the fridge for future use.

I also love having a Jaccard around to tenderize tough cuts of meat.  The 45-48 blade version; not the little 18(?) blade version.


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## motocrash (Jan 16, 2022)

1MoreFord said:


> I also love having a Jaccard around to tenderize tough cuts of meat.


Damn! I forgot about my Jaccard. Yeah man!


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## mike243 (Jan 16, 2022)

Pigtail gets used daily, therms get used every other day or more. Inkbird treats me good so far.


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 16, 2022)

I completely forgot, too. Good reminder. I was skeptical about the Jaccard until I saw that a lot of very famous chefs use them. I use it before I brine chicken breasts for later grilling. Fantastic combo. For those of you who have never heard of a Jaccard, here’s a picture:


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## Steve H (Jan 17, 2022)

Yup, really like my LEM jaccard.


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## forktender (Jan 17, 2022)

Therma pen, gets used on damn near every cook, that and stainless steel hotel pans and Cambro plastic storage tubs in various shapes and sizes for either cooking in or transporting food from the grill into the house.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 17, 2022)

forktender said:


> Therma pen, gets used on damn near every cook, that and stainless steel hotel pans and Cambro plastic storage tubs in various shapes and sizes for either cooking in or transporting food from the grill into the house.




Ditto on the thermapen.  Funny, I guess I use it so much i don't even think about it.


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## JckDanls 07 (Jan 17, 2022)

forktender said:


> Therma pen, gets used on damn near every cook




I even got the wife using one in the kitchen ... She can't believe things are done (by temp) so quick after cooking all these years by time ...


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## forktender (Jan 17, 2022)

JckDanls 07 said:


> I even got the wife using one in the kitchen ... She can't believe things are done (by temp) so quick after cooking all these years by time ...


My wife can't boil water without a timer, so I cook, and she cleans, which is perfect for me. I love cooking and hate cleaning. I have at least four Therma pens, I keep one outside hanging on my smoker, and one next to the oven, and one in my camping gear box and a spare to take with me when I'm cooking away from home.
Actually five, I have one in the 5th wheel trailer as well. I'm not a fan of the Inkbird pens, they seem to be made cheaply, and they are slow and clunky too me, Therma brand all the way for me!!!


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## one eyed jack (Jan 17, 2022)

forktender said:


> Therma pen, gets used on damn near every cook, that and stainless steel hotel pans and Cambro plastic storage tubs in various shapes and sizes for either cooking in or transporting food from the grill into the house.



I've been thinking about this, since you woke me up to it.

I use mine for a "tenderness" probe, for all meats, and as a "meat hook" for chicken thighs.  (I pick up my thighs from the grate and put them on the serving platter with it.  No need to dirty a second tool.)

It's a pretty versatile tool.


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## Fueling Around (Jan 17, 2022)

forktender said:


> Therma pen, gets used on damn near every cook, that and stainless steel hotel pans and Cambro plastic storage tubs in various shapes and sizes for either cooking in or transporting food from the grill into the house.


I gave each of my kids an instant read pen (not Therma) when they went to college.  Daughter loves it.  Son hasn't found his inner cook, yet.


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## Brokenhandle (Jan 17, 2022)

Steve H said:


> My new gadget on its way!
> 
> View attachment 522369


That's an awful big new snow shovel you got coming!

Ryan


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## BurntWeenie (Jan 18, 2022)

Dremel Versa. Got it to clean the shower since it is rechargeable and water resistant. I find the extra-abrasive pads work well for grates and the last bit of burned on stuff that soaking and a wire brush won't get off.


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## clifish (Jan 18, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> I completely forgot, too. Good reminder. I was skeptical about the Jaccard until I saw that a lot of very famous chefs use them. I use it before I brine chicken breasts for later grilling. Fantastic combo. For those of you who have never heard of a Jaccard, here’s a picture:
> 
> View attachment 522525


Never heard of that,  I usually just pound the ever living sh_ _ out of the meat with a mallet,  but some times it makes it too thin.  I just ordered 2 of these.   This site is almost as bad as my Jeep forum for emptying my pocket


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## one eyed jack (Jan 19, 2022)

I spent years cleaning nasty smoker and grill grates with soap and water and various brushes and scrapers.

Read a couple posts about guys using weed burners.  Bought one.

No going back.


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## Colin1230 (Jan 19, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> Good call on the vortex Colin.  I've got one too and like it a lot.
> 
> Nice looking timer.  Have you got a link to it?




 one eyed jack

Sorry for the slow reply and thanks for asking. I purchased the timer from Ace Hardware. Looked for a link on Amazon and didn't find it there. I just love the strong magnet on the back, works great on the Performer.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 20, 2022)

Colin1230 said:


> one eyed jack
> 
> Sorry for the slow reply and thanks for asking. I purchased the timer from Ace Hardware. Looked for a link on Amazon and didn't find it there. I just love the strong magnet on the back, works great on the Performer.



Thanks for the comeback Colin.


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 20, 2022)

Here’s another one I just remembered as I went into my garage fridge. This is a computer fan. It’s small as you can see in comparison to garage fridge beer. I use it on the fridge door shelves to circulate air. It comes in handy when trying to form a pellicle or using Umai Dry bags. It’s great for dry aging beef. I never blow it directly on the meat but aim or move it elsewhere just to keep the air moving. It’s easy to close the door on the cord. Got it on Amazon. The price even went down $2 from a couple years ago. Search for “AC Infinity Axial 9238.” It’s $18. Never gets dusty because I keep it in the fridge. But it probably smells like meat and cheese.


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 22, 2022)

And, speaking of the garage fridge, another post reminded of this simple one. I use a dry erase marker to remind me of my dates and contents of projects underway. I even use the former water dispenser tray as the marker holder.


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## chopsaw (Feb 7, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> I look forward to seeing your carved spoons.


Not really where I was heading , but this is where I ended up . 
Didn't take any pics until I was a ways into it . 
Band saw and some gouge work .





It was all hand work from there . I use that little file a lot . 
Give you a feel for the curves . Shaped the handle and the bowl .










Inside was still rough , but I oiled it to see what stood out on the outside . 
After seeing it in the morning , I like it . I like the rough look in the bowl . 
I used to purposely distress tables to make them look old . 










Wasn't sure what I was going to use it for , but I checked it and it's dead on with a 1/4 cup measure . I do Pop's brine at a half cup , so this might work good for that . I'll keep it with my brine buckets . Be great for reaching into the bag of sugar .


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## Bearcarver (Feb 7, 2022)

Nice!!!
I like that it's not thin, like store-bought wooden spoons, like the ones we have, and all those I've ever seen.
Nice Job Rich!
Like.

Bear


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## GonnaSmoke (Feb 7, 2022)

Beautiful work there, chop. Almost too nice to use...


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## chopsaw (Feb 7, 2022)

Bearcarver said:


> I like that it's not thin,


Well , that's the way it started out . Got the shape cut and saw it was split on one side of the bowl . So I cut that off , flipped it up vertical and glued the 2 sides on . Kind of surprised me how nice it came out . Walnut makes anything look nice though . Thanks for the comment . 





GonnaSmoke said:


> Beautiful work there, chop. Almost too nice to use...


Thank you sir . I might use it to dry measure my brine ingredients .


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## JckDanls 07 (Feb 7, 2022)

Good stuff right there Chopsaw...  How much for a set (1/4,1/3 and 1/2 cups) ??  Thinking a whole cup would be to big eh ??


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## one eyed jack (Feb 7, 2022)

Pretty work Rich.

The Walnut looks real nice.  I haven't made a ladle style spoon yet but have thought about it some.

That 4 sided rasp is a handy tool.

Nice sanding machine you've got there.

I use a variety of thickness  rubber sanding blocks, (Differing thicknesses and flexibility), and sticky back sandpaper of varying grit.


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## chopsaw (Feb 8, 2022)

JckDanls 07 said:


> Good stuff right there Chopsaw... How much for a set (1/4,1/3 and 1/2 cups) ?? Thinking a whole cup would be to big eh ??


Thanks Keith . Yeah , there's an idea there somewhere . I need to do some thinking .


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## chopsaw (Feb 8, 2022)

one eyed jack said:


> The Walnut looks real nice. I haven't made a ladle style spoon yet but have thought about it some.


Yup . That started as a regular spoon , until I lost one side of it . I really like the way it turned out . I've got another one started .



one eyed jack said:


> I use a variety of thickness rubber sanding blocks, (Differing thicknesses and flexibility), and sticky back sandpaper of varying grit.


Did you buy those or make 'em ? I have some sponges , both those would work good .
Here's something I made up that works pretty good for stuff . Pretty messy though . 
PVC pipe and test plugs from the plumbing dept . Glue the sanding drum paper on it . Use a drill and made a handle , or just use them by hand . Works great on radius work , or larger flats . 





Sets up in the drill press too . 





Also take a section of pipe that matches a sheet of sandpaper . Rip the pipe in half , and glue the paper inside , and outside . Works great if you have a known radius that matches the ID / OD of the pipe .


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## one eyed jack (Feb 8, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Yup . That started as a regular spoon , until I lost one side of it . I really like the way it turned out . I've got another one started .
> 
> 
> Did you buy those or make 'em ? I have some sponges , both those would work good .
> ...



The boat shop that I work at buys sheets of various thickness and density from McMaster Carr and we cut to suit.

https://www.mcmaster.com/rubber-sheets/material~silicone-rubber/

Click on any of the items in the page linked and it will give you a lot of options.

(If McMaster Carr doesn't have it, you don't need it).

I will give you more specifics on the ones I use, if you need or want.

Nice idea on the PVC for your sanding mandrels.  We have several which are thick walled rubber tubes that we run lengths of all thread through with washers and nuts on each end, or long carriage bolts with washer and nut on one end. 

I look forward to seeing your #2 spoon Rich.


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## bill1 (Feb 9, 2022)

1. a non-contact IR thermometer.  Good for measuring grill temps, and other hot areas inside.  I like to use CI pans in cookers with pellets for a little extra smoke...best way to find that 450-500F surface temp you want.  

2. A lowly 10" channel-locks.  No end of hot and heavy things it can't handle.  

3. A 2-foot length of steel rain gutter...great for adding charcoal, pellets, chunks, etc to an existing fire.  Just load it up and tilt!  

4. A clock, pen, and log book 

5. Good shade in the day, good lighting at night.  Can't beat a good headlamp.


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