Wooden Pie Server

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DifficultyMedium
Introduction
Our Maker in Residence Celina Muire, provided us steps to re-create her rustic and festive wooden pie servers.
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1/8" Drill Bit Dremel
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Sandpaper
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14” x 5” x 2” Hardwood (these dimensions will make two pie servers)
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Food-grade finishing oil
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Reclaimed Copper Handles with hardware
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1
Choose your wood and draw or trace the pattern onto your wood. I chose walnut as my hardwood, and laid out the handles on opposite ends of the wood. Sketch out two triangles that have roughly 5” long sides and 3” wide. I am making a traditional pie server and a quirky pie server with a vintage copper handle reclaimed from an East Austin home. For both handles, draw a ¾” wide rectangle extending from the middle of your triangle to the end of the board.
Step 2

If you have a band saw or jigsaw, cut out your triangle-shaped pieces. I didn’t have a saw that could cut boards this thick, so I used the Dremel Saw-Max to cut one side then flipped the wood and repeated the cut. You should end up with two “arrow” shaped blocks.
Step 3

Sketch an “S” shape on the sides and cut the wood. I used the wood blade attachment for my Dremel 4200 rotary tool to make this cut.
Step 4

Be sure to make liberal marks and conservative cuts for the pie servers, you can always cut away more wood but you can’t add any back!
Step 5

Attach a 60-grit sanding bit to your Dremel Rotary Tool and sand all surfaces to size. You are going to need to have the root of the handle extend close to the bottom of the pie server. This ensures that the pie server will not break from heavy usage. Tip: Round out your wood handles, but be sure to leave enough width for your metal handles to attach to the screws. Sand down the spatula where the end is thinner than the base. Be careful not to sand the tip too thin or you will risk chipping. Once you achieve the shape you are happy with, sand the pie server by hand, using at least 220 grit sandpaper.
Step 6

Attach a drill bit to your Dremel Rotary Tool to drill a hole slightly smaller than your screws for your handles.
Step 7

Once you finish sanding remove excess dust and “season” the pie servers with a food-grade oil. I use oil with a cotton rag and generously treat the wood with three coats. Give adequate time in between coats for the wood to soak up the oil. Check out the difference in the grain when walnut gets hydration!
Step 8
After oiling, screw in the handle with the appropriate hardware. Serve your pies in style ya’ll! Enjoy! I had a lot of fun making these. I wanted to make sure it had a “hand-crafted” look, so there are some minor dents and depressions in the wood, but I think it just adds to the character of a handmade kitchen utensil.
To reduce the risk of injury user must read instruction manuals for all tools used in this project. Wear eye and respiratory protection. Use clamps to support work piece whenever practical.