Bent handle ladles
Many configurations of this ladle are possible. Here I will show a basic bent handle ladle, done without steam or laminate bending, straight off of the lathe. Two copies are made at a time. They are well received as presents and if fixed with shellac may be personalized with pyrography or painted.
The stock is 2X4 lumber but hardwoods cut to equal rectangular cross sections may be used. My chuck will hold 3X3 squares nicely, so I saw off 1/4 inches from each short side of 2 pieces on one end. I use 16 inch stock and lay them side by side for the chuck to grasp
The other end is captured with hose clamps and marked for the tailstock
The bowl is at the headstock end shown by the larger circle. The smaller circle shows where a small flat place will be left on the bowl bottom when the rectangular cross section becomes round on the 2X4 edges but a spot is still untouched on the 2X4 sides.
This helps the ladle to sit level on a countertop
The bowl of the ladle is basically a ball or egg shape and each piece of stock will be a ladle the ladle will be 12 inches long
The outside of the ladle bowls is turned round or pointed on the headstock endleaving about a 1 to 1-1/2 inch tenon connecting it to the headstock and the handle end of the bowl just brought to round.
The square at the headstock must be maintained. A parting cut down to about 1-1/4 inches is made about halfway between the bowl and the end of the handles
The bottom of the bowl is joined with the parting cut with a slightly concave cut
another concave cut joins the parting tool cut with the ends of the handles
The two ladle blanks are separated, reversed, and remounted on the lathe. It is now apparent why I chose the 3X3 base for remounting.
Now the scary part. This egg beater form must be turned to form the tops of the ladle handles. Choose a speed that is fast enough so that your tool will not slip between the handles but too slow to spread the handles out
The bandsay will alter the bowl shape so that it lays flat when set on the counter.
A quick sanding will smooth the outsides of the ladle
Some sort of a jam chuck can be used to spin the ladle like a one-armed propeller. This one was cobbled up from what scraps I had in the studio. A 12 inch ladle will clear the bed of my 20 inch lathe because the center of the bowl is the pivot point. Using a smaller lathe the bowl may be hollowed out by any means at hand. I finish my ladles with mineral oil and beeswax.