Help! slicer mandolin

[Georg]

Could anyone help me by telling me how to build a slicer mandolin for my kitchen? You know, that tool you use to slice vegetables.

Thanks,

Georg Ulvehøj [e-mail]

[Ernie Jurick]

Well, to begin with, "mandolin" is a musical instrument. "Mandoline" is the slicing tool. :-) And why on earth would you want to build one when the best are made out of steel and dirt cheap? I paid under $10 for mine in the '70s and it's still going strong.

-- Ernie

[Andy Dingley]

My mandolin is a Japanese plastic "Benriner" that cost about $35

If I wanted to make one, I'd start by buying one of these and using it to donate the blades. It includes a set of three "comb" blades for slicing into matchsticks as well as slices. Although I've seen plenty of wooden mandolins, I've never seen a twin-bladed one like this. There's no way you could make a similar set of blades without enormous investment in grinding machinery.

If I wanted to make a wooden one, I'd use quartersawn beech. I think you'll need the quartersawn to cope with moisture movement.

But I'd just buy a plastic one.

[Dave Balderstone]

I picked a wooden one up at a yard sale last year for $2. Cabbage size, never used as far as I can tell.

djb

[Dave Balderstone]

Heh. I have one of those, too. Gift from Mom when I was still young.

What about a pangolin? One of those, I'd like to find at a garage sale!

djb

[Patrick Fitzgerald]

"Ernie Jurick" wrote in news:raaZa.91515$ [e-mail]:

Cooks Illustrated rated mandolines, and the best was a Japanese plastic brand by Benriner ($33, kitchenetc.com). Also recommended was a plastic model by Progressive International ($10, amazon.com), and a stainless steel model by Bron ($158, cookswares.com).

The stainless model was the most versatile, but for $160, sheesh.

[Dave Balderstone]

Betcha to build the equivalent would cost a lot more.

djb