Spurtle

Machine Type:

OpenBuilds LEAD Machine

Software:

Fusion 360 and Vectric's Vcarve

Electronics:

OpenBuilds BlackBox

Machine Time:

1.75 hours

Bit or Laser Size:

multiple (8mm BN roughing 3 mm BN finishing)

Feeds & Speeds:

3000mm per min for both

Materials:

Branch from a cherry tree that was felled in 2021 due to an ice storm (I actually made two of them from 2 branches).

This project was basically done for fun, and because I had not used the CNC Lathe for awhile. That, and one of the two may be used as a gag gift for my wife for Christmas.

I randomly stumbled across a "spurtle" on the internet. Curious, I researched what they were and found they are a stick for stirring porridge. Not long after that, my wife made a comment about how the oatmeal she eats won the "Golden Spurtle Award". I figured it was fate so I had to make one (or two). Also, I figured it would be a good white elephant gift.

I had saved a couple straight pieces of a cherry branch about 43mm in diameter by 340mm in length from my cherry tree that had to be removed after an ice storm in 2021. I figured these would be the perfect project to use those branches.

I found an image and the dimensions on the internet, I cropped the image so the two ends were at the extremes of the frame, then I imported that image into a rectangular sketch of that length into Fusion 360. This basically auto scales the drawing. Then, I traced around one half of the image.


After tracing it, I performed a "revolve" around the line dividing the two halves.


This results in a solid body that can be exported as an stl file.


This stl file was then imported into Vcarve where I added 3D tabs (the cones on the ends) which are just pyramid tabs rotated 90 degrees then stretched to the size I want. I did a roughing pass with an 8mm ball nose endmill and finishing with a tapered 3mm ball nose.






I rubbed the spurtle with 3 coats of hemp oil since it is food safe.