This rolling pin was made as a gift; the recipient needed a new one and it seemed odd to buy a wooden item that was custom-made for being, well, custom-made. So, needless to say, I made one.
One simplifying aspect about making a standard rolling pin is that the design is well-constrained with only a few options as to material, length and shape of handle. I also needed to avoid the TNTU syndrome where something otherwise practical is Too Nice To Use, so I chose ordinary old maple for the roller and then for a bit of contrast in the handles, the almost-as-ordinary cherry. A number of my otherwise practical projects seem to invoke this syndrome to which I have to confess that I am myself not completely immune. The
construction was about as you would expect, consisting of three wood turnings and some polyethylene bushing fabrication, with all the bits mounted to a 3/16" stainless-steel rod.
I later discovered that another relation was using a cracked rolling pin that was missing its handles, a situation that caused the woodworker in me to immediately spring into action. The second rolling pin was almost identical to the first except it received Figured Maple handles in place of the Cherry.
| Material: | #1: Maple roller, Cherry handles, HDPE bushings and stainless-steel axle |
| #2: Maple roller, Figured Maple handles, HDPE bushings and stainless-steel axle |
| Finish: | Roller: None; Handles: 3 coats Miniwax Fast-Dry Poly, Clear Satin |
| Construction: | Turned & Glued |
| Size: | Roller: 2.25" dia x 10.75" long; Overall: 17.75" long |
| Done: | #1: Dec 14, 2021 |
| #2: Jan 4, 2022 |
