Mike Cal Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 I recently made a beer mug out of cherry and walnut. I would like it to be useable. I rubbed it with mineral oil but was told I would need an epoxy of some sort to make it liquid right and yet safe for the consumer to drink out of. Wondering what product I could use and possibly where to purchase it. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weithman5 Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 mineral oil or tongue oil would be safe. i doubt it would happen fast enough to ruin any head retention or flavor but it might. otherwise i am not sure i would put any finish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Cal Posted July 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 mineral oil or tongue oil would be safe. i doubt it would happen fast enough to ruin any head retention or flavor but it might. otherwise i am not sure i would put any finish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 The wood will deteriorate rather quickly from use and washing, if left unfinished, or with only mineral oil. Epoxy is the coating I generally see on wooden drinking vessels. Some of the others here are more expert in that area than I, they will probably comment soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 A guy at the Rennassance Festival dips his leather mugs in melted paraffin wax. Epoxy might work as well. I would not oil before using epoxy or wax because it could cause adhesion problems. Mineral oil does not harden and dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Don't want to be a wet-blanket, but I'm not sure it's a great idea to make your mug functional (beyond a pencil holder)... Finishes, adhesives, etc are generally considered 'food-safe' when cured, so cutting-boards, salad bowls, etc are quite safe to use --- I'm just not as convinced when it comes to things like mugs... There have been too many cases where pathogens find a nice place to hide or harmful compounds leach-out over extended use... You should also consider Tree Nut Allergy... While you and your family may be fine -- a guest might not... It's one of the reasons folks generally avoid 'nut' species in cutting boards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 There is always the stainless steel insert option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 ==>There is always the stainless steel insert option. Completely forgot about inserts.... creative solution... My dad has some old beer steins - nice to look at, holds lots of beer, but I'm presuming they are fairly hard to actually drink from... Although, I suppose after you consume one full stein of beer, you really don't care too much... They've got inserts held in-place by the hinge/top assembly... I'm not sure it's stainless -- maybe pewter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Pewter actually can be more hazardous than an unfinished mug. It was quite a while before people realized that tomatoes reacted with the pewter to create toxins in the human body. (This is one of the reasons pewter is not available for "everyday" plates.) I've spoken with a couple of leather folks, and they have said you can use wax on things like flasks and drinking horns. However, the wax does need to be reapplied periodically. I've also been told the drinking horns can be used without sealing, but I've never been brave enough to try. You might also want to check into ceramic inserts. I believe Woodcraft has a mug/travel cup kit: might also check with that manufacturer to see what other options they created. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 ==>Pewter actually can be more hazardous than an unfinished mug. Agreed... I wouldn't suggest pewter, but stainless/glass/etc would be fine... I only mentioned pewter because the mention of inserts jogged my memory... I'm not sure my dad ever actually used them -- clear more decorative/festive than practical -- think Oktoberfest (which I believe they were made for). Early 19thC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Probably. I know pewter was popular during Colonial times, and usage was waning by the Civil War, so that's in line with the time. Nothing quite beats the look of pewter for display purposes (metal wise), though. Just checked Woodcraft's Clearance bin, and they've got a stainless shaker on clearance (60% or so off). The instructions for it state to use a CA, epoxy (Mirror Coat), or Poly finish, and do not run through the dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 ==>do not run through the dishwasher. You could get some of Gougeon's (makers of West Systems) aerospace-grade laminating epoxy... Pro-set is their high-tech product line and comes in high-temp formulations: http://www.prosetepoxy.com/PDF/LAM-151-HT_LAM-251-HT.pdf. Actually, they've got about forty resin formulations on the pro-set side of the business... Interesting stuff, if you build planes for a hobby... http://www.prosetepoxy.com/PDF/Product%20Guide.pdf One thing about Pro-set... Shelf life... West has virtually unlimited shelf life; Pro-set is about 1-3 years, depending on formulation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Mosher Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 This one is made as a turning kit but I don't see why you could do something else with it if you don't have a lathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcwick08 Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I'm certainly no chemist, but... I've got to imagine something like a good quality polyurethane (or poly-acrylic, for that matter), once cured, is pretty inert in terms of what it would react with. You could do a thinned batch and almost soak the mug in it, let it really permeate the fibers, then dry it out for a month, or maybe even heat (gently) it to force the solvent offgas. Your solvent here would be Alcohol, so you could probably conduct a pretty reasonable experiment by coating/soaking a short scrap, letting it dry, then soaking it in denatured alcohol to see if the cured urethane degrades. There are many a plastic beer mug out there, not to mention cups, and nobody has died yet from that leeching into the booze. I might not make a decanter out of wood, but at the dilution of alcohol that beer is, combined with the (relatively) short time it's in contact.... you'd probably be fine. The liner idea is obviously the slick answer here, totaly circumventing the question of "will this finish kill me". You could probably cannibalize one of those cheap, liquid-filled-freezer-chiller mug do-whoppers they sell at wally world. Just cut the outer shell off and you'd be left with a lipped plastic liner... Cheers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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