How to Make an Ice Cream Scoop

This is my photo essay on how to make an Ice Cream Scoop. There are multiple kits that are similar, for ice cream scoops, pizza cutters, pie servers, and other kitchen tools. In all cases, I make the handle on the lathe, then attach the metal kit.

I start with a piece of wood that’s about 1.5 by 1.5 by 6 inches.
I mount the piece of wood in the jaws of the chuck. On the other side of the lathe, I mount a drill chuck and a drill bit. Then I drill a pilot hole about 1 inch deep.
The kit includes a threaded insert that can be screwed into the hole with a hex wrench. In order to be sure it’s perfectly lined up, I generally do this while the wood is still on the lathe.
Next, I remove the four-jaw chuck and replace it with a threaded chuck that fits into the insert in the wood. Then I lock it in place with the tailstock.
Now I can turn the wood piece until it is round. This is the first step in making the final shape.
Then comes the fun part – deciding the final shape of my handle. There are lots of options, but I’ve come up with a few designs that seem comfortable to hold and show off the beauty of the wood. Note that there’s a little protrusion on the bottom where the tailstock hits it. Later, I’ll take that off.
I sand it through at least 6 grits of sandpaper, then apply a hand-rubbed oil finish.
Remember that little foot at the bottom? Now I saw it off and sand the bottom of the handle smooth. This step and the rest of the work are done without the support of the tailstock.
The last step on the lathe is to apply a finish. I use a product called Wood Turner’s Finish that gives the piece a nice shine.
After I unscrew it from the threaded chuck on lathe, there’s one last surface to deal with. Of course, it won’t show once the head of the ice cream scoop is screwed in, but I still like to sand and polish this area.
The last step is to screw on the ice cream scoop head. It has a screw at the bottom that matches the threaded insert. Later, you can remove the head from the handle, in order to clean the metal part without ruining the wood handle.
And here’s the final product, ready to go!