Читать книгу Notes from a Swedish Kitchen - David Western - Страница 11

Once you’ve completed a spoon, it will be time to consider whether or not to apply a finish.

Some spoons were left completely unfinished back in the old days and were allowed to develop the natural patina that comes from dust, dirt, and hand oils built up from years of handling. Others were given a variety of finish treatments ranging from beeswax or shellac to varnish or paint.

The purpose of a finish is to protect the carving against damage caused by dirt, dust, UV light, and oils. A finish can also “bring up” a wood’s colors, grain, and figure and help the piece appear more vibrant and refined.

At their most basic level, finishes occur in two main types. Film finishes sit on the surface of the wood and are generally quite hard. As the name implies, they create a thin film that can be polished to a glossy shine. This type of finish is ideal for carvings with large, smooth surfaces, but it gets a bit too heavy and cloying for carvings with fine details. For richly carved surfaces, a penetrating oil is more suitable. This type of finish soaks into the wood surface and enhances the wood’s colors more dramatically. It cannot be polished to a high gloss finish, but it can be buffed to the soft satin sheen more complementary to a detailed carving.

Whatever the finish, it will only be as good as the surface it is covering, so you must take great care to ensure the spoon has been thoroughly scraped, filed, or sanded before application. Any scratches, dents, or rough spots left on the carving will be immediately highlighted by the first coat of finish and will become very difficult to remove, so spend some time ensuring the carving is clean, crisp, and bright before finishing.

Because these spoons are not intended to be used for eating, a three- or four-coat “Danish oil” style finish (lightly sanded between coats with 1500-grit wet and dry abrasive) is a perfect finish. It protects the spoon, does not clog up fine detail work, and is easily applied and repaired. You can purchase Danish oil, or you can make a good homemade oil by combining 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 spar varnish or satin polyurethane, and 1/3 mineral spirits. Apply the finish with a small paintbrush until the entire spoon is well soaked. Leave for twenty minutes, then dry thoroughly with a clean, soft cotton rag. Repeat this process a second and third time, leaving 24 hours between each coat. After applying the final coat, lightly and gently sand the entire spoon with the 1500-grit abrasive to bring up a silky feel. Wipe dry and leave for a few days to thoroughly cure. Once the spoon is dry and the smell no longer lingers, buff the spoon with a nice finish coat of wax polish to bring up a soft sheen and impart a nice smell. Wet oil rags may spontaneously combust if not dealt with correctly, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper disposal.

For a food-safe finish, consider using mineral oil, 100% tung oil, or a commercial salad bowl preparation applied the same way as the Danish oil finish. If you want to use only a beeswax finish, be certain it is not a preparation containing potentially toxic drying/hardening agents.

Penetrating oil or beeswax polish finishes protect and enhance a finished spoon.