SnackPin Scrap Wood Project

Ted Calver

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Here's an easy project that you can put to good use in the kitchen, or add to your craft show arsenal. It's my take on a clothes pin style snack keeper. I made several of these years ago. I ran across some partially completed blanks while cleaning up today and discovered I couldn't remember how I made them. Here is how I reconstructed the crime. Apologies for the iphone pics.
Pin-9 (Small).jpg
It starts with a blank about 8" long by 1-1/4" square. On the band saw, cut a 3/16" wide kerf about 4-1/2" long into one end of the blank to create the two pin legs. Cut a set of duck lips on the legs, then insert a 1-1/2" long piece of scrap the same width as the kerf into the end and tack in place with a drop of CA glue, as shown. You will be removing this later, so don't get carried away.
Pin-1 (Small).jpg
Mount the blank and turn the end that will be the the head of the pin round to fit in the small jaws of whatever chuck you have. I use a Steb center and the cone from my Oneway live center to do this. The cone centers the block. I don't want to put a lot of pressure on the waste wood at this point.
Pin-3 (Small).jpg
Mount the blank in your chuck and use the waste block to stabilize the blank with your tail stock. Rough the pin round. I'm using a cup point in the tail stock here because the oneway point was a bit large.
Pin-4 (Small).jpg
Lay out your design. I turn the body of the pin down to about 3/4".
Pin-5 (Small).jpg
And turn, turn, turn, sand, sand , sand. If you are good with a skew you won't have to do much.
Pin-6 (Small).jpg
I add a coat of Mahoney's Utility finish at this point while the lathe is spinning. Then cut the blank off and touch up the end with sand paper.
Pin-7 (Small).jpg
A twist of a small skew pops out the waste wood and a little touch up on the lips and inside the kerf with a fine file and some sand paper...
Pin-8 (Small).jpg
and she's read for snacks:) :)
Pin-10 (Small).jpg
Certainly other methods of work can achieve the same results. Do whatever works for you.

Happy snacking!
(Mods..I can't figure out how to get rid of this orphan attachment. If you can remove it, thanks.

[Got it handled - Vaughn]
 
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I've seen the plastic ones, not impressed, but I'd not seen the wooden version, very nice indeed!

I guess it is important to have straight grained wood and to choose which axis you but the slot on.

I'd love to figue out an easy way to turn the inside of the tip of your pin, it looks fine now, but that area just begs for a nice bit of work with the spindle gouge :D

Thanks for taking the tim Ted, on my list of "To Do" as well.

Cheers!
 
Thanks all for the kind comments. I had not seen any of these before, but way back when, I remember someone?? mentioning that he made a clothespin style snack keeper for craft shows and they sold well. I don't know whether his were turned or flat. Recently, we were cleaning out the MIL's house and I stumbled on her bag of wooden clothes pins and noticed several styles. In addition to the round ones, there was a flat style that caught my eye that would also lend itself to scaling up a bit and would make a good band saw/scroll saw project.
pins.jpg

....I guess it is important to have straight grained wood and to choose which axis you but the slot on.
I'd love to figue out an easy way to turn the inside of the tip of your pin, it looks fine now, but that area just begs for a nice bit of work with the spindle gouge :D....

Very important point on grain orientation Stu, thanks for bringing that up. Let us know if you figure out how to fancy up the tip.
 
Cool idea, fun thread!

Regarding the open end of the "Pin": Prior to cutting the pin off of the stock, while it is still captive in the chuck do the following. Look at pic #6. Then keep reading. Place a drill (smaller diameter than the gap in the business end of the pin) in a chuck in the tail stock. Now run the drill into the "filler" block in the pin to act as a center. Then you could turn the, soon to be open, end of the pin concave down to a diameter that is smaller than the "filler" block but larger than the drill. This would give an interesting shape to the tip and create the slope needed to slide the pins over the potato chips bag. Then remove the "filler" block to complete the process.

I would run out and try it. However, I have this 500 pound walnut crotch sitting in my way. Of necessity the above was done in my head (the one between the ears) not on the lathe.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
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....Regarding the open end of the "Pin": Prior to cutting the pin off of the stock, while it is still captive in the chuck do the following. Look at pic #6. Then keep reading. Place a drill (smaller diameter than the gap in the business end of the pin) in a chuck in the tail stock. Now run the drill into the "filler" block in the pin to act as a center. Then you could turn the, soon to be open, end of the pin concave down to a diameter that is smaller than the "filler" block but larger than the drill. This would give an interesting shape to the tip and create the slope needed to slide the pins over the potato chips bag. Then remove the "filler" block to complete the process....
Good idea Jim...I'll give it a try next time.
 
Thanks for posting this Ted not only a great idea but i learnt a great deal from the process. Always wondered about how one uses those cups on the tailstock. Excellent idea :thumb:
 
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