“WOODEN TONGS” - Indoor/Outdoor Cooking Tool

by JoeF in Workshop > Tools

5256 Views, 54 Favorites, 0 Comments

“WOODEN TONGS” - Indoor/Outdoor Cooking Tool

C7E39D4E-8817-4283-8174-3887C456D4C0.jpeg
DB8131A4-E8D2-470C-AB52-57DCA018486F.jpeg
Make a tool to help you make something else! How about if we take a Large PAINT STICK and make a pair of “WOODEN TONGS” to pick up warm/hot objects from the stove, out of a pot of boiling water, toaster, toaster-oven and even a BAR-B-Q.
If you're tired of nearly burning your fingers or needing to use a metal fork trying to take your toast out of the toaster when it gets stuck, then “WOODEN TONGS” are just what you need.
They give you a safe way to remove hot toast, English muffins, or crumpets from the toaster or toaster oven as well as chicken off the bbq grill.
* Measures 10-3/8”L x 1-3/8”W x 1/4” Tk
* Two separate pieces together provide natural spring action for easy one-handed use.
* Avoid burnt fingers or electrical shocks by using these spring-loaded wood tongs to safely remove hot bread, pastries, or bagels from your toaster or toaster oven.
* Spring-loaded wooden tongs are used for griping toast, bagels, pastries, bacon, pizza, and more without burnt fingers or worse……electrical shock.
* The wood tongs tips won’t scratch your non-stick cookwares without fear of leaving a mark.
* Easy to clean, hand wash in warm soapy water and dry promptly. Do Not soak in water.
* They’re lightweight, yet strong, and will not scratch non-stick cookware or other delicate surfaces.
* Grips toasted foods securely without crushing them.
* Stores away easily in a kitchen gadget drawer. or looks great in a utensil holder on the counter and folds flat.
* Get out and get a paint stirrer and get ready for the challenge.

Supplies

* Drawing/s
* Paint Wood Stirrer stick - (FREE@ Lowes, Home Depot, Paint supplier or similar.)
LARGE 20-3/4” length.
* Nail - (one) 1, 1-1/2” 6d finishing nail
* Washers - (two) 2 - #4-40
* Pencil, rule
TOOLS and MISCELLANEOUS
* SAFETY GLASSES
* Coping Saw
* Coping Saw Assorted Blades
17PT, 19PT, and/or 21PT
* Square Wood File
* Round Wood File 1/4”
* Flat Metal File
* Orbital Sander with assorted grit
sanding discs. (180 and 220 grit)
* Hand sanding - sandpaper, can be
substituted for an orbital sander.
(180 and 220 grit)
* Drill Press
* Vise
* CA Wood Adhesive.
* Finishing Wood Oil
(Must be NSF food safe)
DO NOT USE STAIN OR PAINT AS A FINISH FOR THE WOODEN TONGS.
* PENNY (1) - (my signature)

LAYOUT

10863DB0-0228-4A7D-BD1C-D9AD12C271B4.jpeg
4D5F4A5E-005E-47BA-BD1B-005372C78856.jpeg
AF0E18E8-79CD-4E77-8E59-5378E37C309F.jpeg
Use the drawings for layout of both Part A and Part B of the wooden Tongs.

TRANSFER and CUT

9EB995AA-64F3-47D9-8750-34657EFBE5F3.jpeg
3BCF6318-2CBE-468C-B673-4AD870E3F1C6.jpeg
FF1ADEC5-35EF-4147-A915-2998EEB53876.jpeg
4AE8D1CD-9297-47DB-ACD3-EB1DC71CCFD7.jpeg
3A05C5D5-63EC-4B13-BE07-63F26BEF7539.jpeg
1FF97065-69DC-4955-B676-7D866326D9D1.jpeg
32887A36-E1A7-45B8-995B-2F1B0A1F5B4D.jpeg
856224E2-F29C-432D-A253-954CC5C9347E.jpeg
A53BBFA6-A5DD-491A-8DC4-A5C977EE9B69.jpeg
200EC0E1-8997-4154-B167-C8969A64643E.jpeg
41DE3D8A-4F70-4928-8B20-85A111D86EB8.jpeg
AC174A5E-A989-4D62-A481-A44E56AAAFF9.jpeg
B907DEB7-8228-454F-A2AA-4A2A112965E7.jpeg
88A81AC5-641E-4087-800F-90A0F39DB176.jpeg
A0BA4986-5BA1-49FA-946A-4549E719BA4C.jpeg
43495C11-64E2-41E0-8A38-26E1C8B89A4E.jpeg
4445914E-0904-4358-91DC-107DF4CCCBF2.jpeg
62C070AD-1149-4213-9EC0-33C95815BE00.jpeg
B32B0C3D-A995-4C44-B8BC-9AF77B9C4426.jpeg
7398D93A-2A88-4CD0-A3B6-18DF9E570272.jpeg
F7C64BBB-9480-4FBB-BAF8-002EB47C6685.jpeg
3AD30B99-EB74-4186-BC18-D4E569F7E0D5.jpeg
64851DFC-3F72-41B8-A56D-478DE53B852B.jpeg
5E98FFF2-250F-4821-A36F-F5FC26D87021.jpeg
BD5E77AD-16AA-4992-8494-B4268A1A57DC.jpeg
67F249E2-CE74-4D67-A9D9-A7A455CE38C0.jpeg
1C215AB1-2109-40B0-8D21-ED4B845C141E.jpeg
973B48D1-13B2-4DB8-BB4D-E9A9B6FC3479.jpeg
4AD8C334-D5D7-40B8-BA78-1354893F7934.jpeg
8DC8C823-3BCE-4F3D-B2E2-1ECE473972A7.jpeg
C9A778E4-DD13-4544-9A73-0F9660D01A72.jpeg
32049296-0A0F-4255-BE62-32E3CB473E8C.jpeg
FAE3C5FB-3087-4899-9339-E518EC6E01C9.jpeg
4877E7EF-C36D-4EE1-8A45-22E680A46E8E.jpeg
2024B5B8-63CA-4F43-B841-8DCD26D432E9.jpeg
C91DDEC9-F7CF-4477-A7B5-6E25D297DD92.jpeg
* Obtain a long/large (20-3/4”)Paint Stirrer
from your local paint supplier or big box
store. (Get a couple for practice or
make them as presents.)
* Transfer the dimensions from the
drawing to the Paint Stirrer. (Use Step
1 drawing for the following steps)
* Cut the wood stirrer in half (10-3/8”).
Adjust the half way point by
remeasuring your overall length of
the Wood stirrer then divide by 2 to get
your half way point. Measure twice,
Mark then Cut.
* Cut the half way with a 45 degree angle.
This will provide 45 degree angles on
both stirrer halves.
* Make (two) 2 cuts on Part A and Part B,
2” long.
* Part A - Remove (cut out) center section
approximately 7/16” x 2”.
* Part B - Remove (cut out) outer two
sections. Approximately 7/16” x 2”
each. Only the center section remains.
* If the 45 degree angle 📐 has not been
cut on the other end of Part A and
Part B this is the time to do this. Use a
coping saw to accomplish this.
THIS COMPLETES ALL THE SAWING FOR THE WOODEN SPRING LOADED TONGS.
* Next, use the round wood file to make
three (3) grooves each on Part A and
Part B. These grooves are for making
gripping toast etc. much easier over a
smooth surface.
* Lastly, drill a hole using 1/16” drill bit.
Use drawing to locate the location of
the holes in Part A and Part B.
This will be used for the pivot point pin.
Use the 6d 1-1/2” nail as the pin.
DO NOT ASSEMBLE THE PIN IN THIS
STEP. THE PIN WILL BE INSERTED
DURING FINAL ASSEMBLY.

FINAL FIT & FINISH

9EECEB63-FDBA-47A3-90FF-E89272C83FF1.jpeg
208A00AF-24F8-4879-AC62-6B348AB99B78.jpeg
7DB9DFA5-92F3-46F9-827E-2ACB885A190A.jpeg
C625B8FE-4375-42F9-BAFB-B5166152A872.jpeg
A0B64886-64FB-4C59-BE36-15658155677E.jpeg
F803699B-F4B1-4FA5-A277-A2280E63C583.jpeg
644D8A95-54DA-49DA-9CAF-0DF0928781B4.jpeg
3F57E8FB-FF31-4F01-B87F-4837EF11682B.jpeg
3F46D0FE-B1C3-428A-BE1E-910B5105AC38.jpeg
3846D667-CE90-46A0-A8A6-D8D351DE9AE7.jpeg
10E42C19-1F16-47B4-B241-075184BF2092.jpeg
* File and finish sanding both Part A and
Part B.
* Round over all the edges using a file.
This gets rid of the sharp wood edges.
* Check for fit. (Additional filing and
sanding if necessary.)
* Once you are happy with the fit, treat
the wood with a “NSF” food-safe oil
finish. Do Not Paint or Stain.
* Follow manufacturer’s instruction for
proper application of wood treatment.
“DO NOT PAINT, STAIN OR URETHANE
THE WOOD TONGS.”
* Allow the Tongs Part A and Part B to dry
overnight. *

FINAL STEPS (use Figure 3A & 3B)

DC065CF4-AD2B-49B4-AC19-F8D782152FD7.jpeg
0994EE25-2EC7-4BF8-A313-30E3C100102D.jpeg
76E03BDA-200B-49EA-811A-03CBC069EF3C.jpeg
07238874-39F9-4969-9C10-62F4EB5D4CCC.jpeg
4AE61AFC-13B5-4263-8850-39193F425CEF.jpeg
FA95DA72-8DE5-479F-AF23-729D6A5FC540.jpeg
EAFB23B4-19DD-4432-B272-F692F34B8543.jpeg
A7485A6D-00AE-4008-9DB4-815EF81F27AC.jpeg
6BE7CCB4-E676-4A8D-BB63-58A01AE319BD.jpeg
91E256C2-B872-48A6-961B-82B493D8BDF1.jpeg
C369597C-54B4-441D-801D-902B3DC12835.jpeg
39630611-048E-4BB4-9EF4-29B11D9E685C.jpeg
0BA278D4-AAA1-4E5C-8139-6F7EE6A14FCA.jpeg
46277ACA-1701-4041-AB17-152AA5A3E6B2.jpeg
E5210C3E-0162-4A2F-B1B0-28C4377DAE98.jpeg
9B3AE30F-1640-4B76-8869-B9A2DFF8CD32.jpeg
7D1BF17A-DF42-48A8-9BC8-A1139A2EF99B.jpeg
3E965EC0-9F08-46EE-B05D-C371B818DAF6.jpeg
0150AEA9-EFB7-4D9F-A6E2-256DF335094D.jpeg
3AACD070-F91A-401A-804A-61F4ABDE179A.jpeg
“PLEASE USE PHOTOGRAPHS AND DIAGRAMS TO ASSIST IN VISUALIZING THE FOLLOWING STEPS”
Drawing “STEP 3B”
* The center leg of Part A and the center leg of Part B have to be slightly bent in the proper direction. (Drawing 3B)
* To do this without splitting the wood; place the legs of part A and part B (approximately 5”) under warm running water for about 4 minutes.
* Immediately “for Part A” place a ruler (or piece of thin scrap wedge 1/4”thick x 2”long x 1” wide) so that the center leg is raised as indicated in Figure step-3B.
* The same process is done “for Part B.”
However, the center leg faces down as indicated in Figure step 3-B.
***** AFTER WEDGES HAVE BEEN
PLACED, DO NOT REMOVE THE WEDGES FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS. ****
then…
Drawing “STEP 3A”
* Assemble Part A and Part B as drawn in Drawing STEP 3A and photos.
* Make sure that Part A has the middle short leg angled up and that Part B has the center long leg angled down.
The grooves must be facing up.
* With the drilled 1/16” pin holes aligned, press the 4D pin through as shown (3A).
DO NOT FORGET to place two washers (4-40) during this procedure as shown.
* If the pin is too long, use a metal file to file down the excess length. I recommend that the wood tongs be covered with tape on both sides of the pin to be filed. This protects the wood.
* When satisfied with the results, remove the tape.
* Place a drop of CA glue on the ends of
the pin. Wipe off excess off the wood.
* Fold the wood tongs A and B so that the grooves face each other. When pressing together you will feel the grabbing action of your new WOODEN TONGS made from a paint stirrer.
* For Storage: fold the tongs with the grooves facing outwards. This will keep the wooden tongs flat for storage.
* LAST STEP: Adhere the PENNY as a symbol of completion.

“FINAL THOUGHTS”

884B82AD-C388-4369-B9A9-5600ED8084A0.jpeg
00B801E2-C0A1-45D7-89CA-1C97568BF489.jpeg
25C556B2-168B-45DB-B870-B1F5E1D80BEF.jpeg
DBAA04E6-CD42-489B-A6C5-3AD0AB8BD90A.jpeg
3FBD7A2E-2F42-42DD-A2B4-6C2998DCCF34.jpeg
4DDFC029-21BC-4F7D-84BD-914A02ED9602.jpeg
235C6AC6-DD9E-46EA-8EA3-40A663804603.jpeg
Safety first. Not to burn 🔥 or shock ⚡️yourself is key. By taking a paint stirrer which is available for free, into a pair of WOODEN TONGS, it becomes a kitchen utensil. Using this utensil will prevent damaging our fingers.
Enjoy your new utensil. and use it well.
BON APETIT