Gorgeous Gourds
(Page 3 of 5)
April/May 2005
By Barbara Pleasant
Curing, Cleaning and Cutting
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Most hard-shell gourds begin to lose their green color as they mature. Still, it’s best to leave them in the garden as long as possible — until frost, or until the vines die back on their own. In dry climates, mature gourds can be left outside to cure, a process that takes from three to six months. Or, you can cut them with stems attached and take them into a barn or other dry place. Let them dry slowly until you can hear seeds rattle when you pick up the gourd and shake it
Cured, ready-to-craft gourds often are blotched with mold, so the first step is to clean them. You can clean one or two indoors at the kitchen sink, but if you have several, move the operation outdoors. Fill a tub, wheelbarrow or watering trough with water, toss in the gourds and then cover them with a sopping-wet towel. Let them soak for at least an hour, and then start scrubbing.avid Wuttke, who with his gourd-artist wife, Ronna, owns Turtle Feathers, a provider of gourd crafting supplies in Waynesville, N.C., recommends using a copper dish scrubber, which is harsh enough to scrape off the mold and the gourds’ waxy outer coating without scratching the gourd itself. “When you hit a spot that won’t scrub clean, put it back to soak some more, and go on to another gourd. If the spot won’t budge after another try, switch to a stainless steel dish scrubber as long as you don’t rub too hard.” Even after cleaning, few gourds are flawless, and gourds owe some of their allure to natural blemishes, which often look great after the gourd is polished or stained. After the gourds are scrubbed clean, simply leave them to dry in the sun for a day or two before launching into an artistic project
Gourds can be painted or decorated whole, but most gourd crafts require the gourd to be cut. Before cutting, decide what you want to do with the gourd, and then follow the woodworker’s credo: “Measure twice, cut once.” You should also wear a dust mask when cutting, sanding or carving gourds. “Read up on safety issues,” Comerford says. “Many gourd artists have suffered from respiratory ailments before admitting that they must always wear their ventilation masks as well as goggles.”
Serious gourd crafters invest in hand-sized power saws that cost about $80 (including power amp and blades), but you can cut gourds using a sharp kitchen knife to start the hole, and then saw the rest of the way through with a manual keyhole saw (about $5 at craft shops). Throughout the cutting process, rounded gourds are easier to hold steady on a foam pad, such as eggshell packing foam, which will also protect your tabletop, or your lap, from accidental slips of the knife or saw.
After the gourd is cut open, scrape out the seeds and pulp with a grapefruit spoon or the edge of an oyster shell. The seeds can be saved for replanting, or you can throw them in your compost heap. Then smooth out the inside of the gourd and the cut edge with fine sandpaper, and you’re ready to proceed with your project.
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