Wooden Mash Paddle.. material and finish..

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

So what is a good material choice for a wooden mash paddle?

Sealed and finished or unsealed?

If sealed and finished.. what with?

I'm gonna make one with my new CNC table, but I need these basics answered...

Garcias!
:mug:

sanch · May 11, 2011

4/4 clear hard maple. Sand to 220 grit and finish with a few coats of walnut oil. 24 hrs apart.

bengerman · May 11, 2011

you might also try Daly's Kitchen Wood Treatment, if you can find it around you.

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

What does 4/4 mean?

Mark

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

So I guess the idea is the harder and denser the wood the better.. no knots, no voids... nice and clear...

Stay away from softer woods like fir?

But oak, maple, walnut, almond, manzanita, etc.. are okay?

Or are even some hardwoods a no-no?

bengerman · May 11, 2011

Standard thickness for rough sawn lumber
Standard thickness for rough sawn lumber is expressed in quarters of an inch. For example 1" = 4⁄4.
The majority of US hardwood lumber production is sawn between 1" and 2", although other
thicknesses are available in more limited volumes. The standard thicknesses and their exact metric
equivalent are shown below.

from http://www.ahec.org/hardwoods/pdfs/IllustratedGradingGuide.pdf

sanch · May 11, 2011

four quarters = one inch rough sawn lumber dimension. After you/ someone else mills it it becomes 3/4 dimensional lumber. I leave it as thick as I can to save my blades so it doesent always get to 3/4"

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

Okay.. so that is a dimensional thing.. I can go my own way there..

Are there any hardwoods that have oils or whatever that make them a bad idea for mash paddles?

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

I would like to carve some artwork into the thing.. Any issues there?

bengerman · May 11, 2011

a quick google search says any tight-grain hardwood other than those containing toxins (this includes cherry) for general cooking utensils.

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

Don't know why I never think to check google..

Osage Orange sounds like some awesome stuff for this...

I would like to find out that manzanita would work.. still looking for info.. There's boatloads of that stuff around here..

r8rphan · May 11, 2011

I'm starting to think Manzanita will be fine.. It's a gorgeous wood, and I'm thinking that some of the stuff around here is not manzanita but Madrone.. as these are definitely 'trees'.. So I think both are local.. and both make great food utensils.. and both are a gorgeous and very dense wood...

I'm gonna need a way to resaw it... maybe I can make a deal with my buddy who has a 32' portable sawmill...

bengerman · May 11, 2011

r8rphan said:
I'm starting to think Manzanita will be fine.. It's a gorgeous wood, and I'm thinking that some of the stuff around here is not manzanita but Madrone.. as these are definitely 'trees'.. So I think both are local.. and both make great food utensils.. and both are a gorgeous and very dense wood...

I'm gonna need a way to resaw it... maybe I can make a deal with my buddy who has a 32' portable sawmill...

careful with madrone...i seem to remember something about not using it for foods.
i saw many recommendations for the orange osage, but also a couple people saying it may have some sort of toxin in it.
and oak is too porous, it absorbs liquids and flavors.

Zamial · May 11, 2011

This thread has some great info in it... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-mash-paddle-64138/

I use a white oak untreated by anything. I think the 1x4 was $7 @ Home Depot.

aperk · May 11, 2011

r8rphan said:
I would like to carve some artwork into the thing.. Any issues there?

There shouldn't be any issues with the beer, but carving is difficult and rather dangerous. If you do decide to buy some carving knives and/or chisels, be sure to sharpen them. Dull tools are your worst enemy in woodworking.

shutupjojo · May 11, 2011

Wine barrels = White oak. Don't need to treat it. Bug and moisture resistant.

nostalgia · May 11, 2011

bengerman said:
a quick google search says any tight-grain hardwood other than those containing toxins (this includes cherry) for general cooking utensils.

I've been using cherry utensils for years and a cherry mash paddle. I've never heard of toxins in cherry. I'll have to research that. Do you have a reference?

-Joe

The_Dog_42 · May 11, 2011

aperk said:
There shouldn't be any issues with the beer, but carving is difficult and rather dangerous. If you do decide to buy some carving knives and/or chisels, be sure to sharpen them. Dull tools are your worst enemy in woodworking.

Aperk,
Check out this kick a** thread. I wouldn't be too worried about the carving if I had the skills to build that...(r8rphan is building it and I'm watching it and drooling).

subwyking · May 12, 2011

r8rphan said:
Don't know why I never think to check google..

Osage Orange sounds like some awesome stuff for this...

I would like to find out that manzanita would work.. still looking for info.. There's boatloads of that stuff around here..

I'm from Osage County Oklahoma. The Osage orange is hard stuff. Super hard. The fruit that they produce, looks like a big green orange, has a toxin in it. We used to smash them with baseball bats.

Wooden Mash Paddle.. material and finish..

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