Current thinking on finish for alcohol-bearing woodware

[SimonMast]

Hi folks,

Been a while. Thought I'd get some thoughts on finish. Currently working on an ash kuksa that's nearly done (only started it in April...), so I'm thinking about what to finish it with. Normally I use regular walnut oil, but since I intend to use this to drink malt from (primarily if not exclusively), I was wondering what everyone prefers to use? I know that Robin Wood uses (well, I'm assuming he still does) beeswax on his quaichs, and the tung oil that Jon Mac uses claims to be impervious to alcohol, but I'm interested to hear what anyone else thinks. After having dealt with surface cracking when it was green and having cut out a large crack, I'm a little paranoid about ruining it with hot liquid, but I also don't want it to happen later either, so that's a risk I'm willing to take...

All thoughts welcome.

 

[Monikieman]

As much as I hate to loose even a drop, I quite like letting the booze soak into the wood. When you have a coffee it adds flavour!

Walnut oil is food safe, cheap from Asda and is a drying oil. So in theory it should stop alcohol soaking (once it is properly dry and I don't know how long that takes).

Cheers

 

[British Red]

If you want to be authentic why not make a varnish for it? A propolis based varnish will see off most things and impart a wonderful colour. Or just buy some synthetic yacht varnish if you want cheap and simple!

 

[alex.c]

I generally use heated walnut oil followed a walnut oil beeswax mix just melt some beeswax in a double boiler (a bowl in pan of water) then stir in some walnut oil and leave to set then just wipe on after a coat of oil if you want an exact recipe then you can follow the one here http://www.davidffisher.com/usecare that david fisher uses just substitute the flax(linseed) seed oil with walnut. Would yacht varnish not be toxic ? By the way i doubt (but could be wrong) that hot coffee would cause it to crack once dry and sealed at least this one didn't http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBlaA3ZqkUY
Hope this helps.
Alex.

 

[British Red]

PU (polyurethane) varnish isn't toxic - if you think about it, it doesn't dissolve - so there isn't much to be toxic .

 

[Two Socks]

I have recently experimented with milk to seal kuksas. I started out by boiling in milk, but pouring in hot milk and leave that in for some hours is easier and maybe works even beter.

The idea is that the casein (protein) in the milk forms a hydrophobic barrier. After a few hours remove the milk from the cup and rub it well with a cloth. It leaves a nice finish that seals the grain well. I have heard from people who have used this finish for longer that it lasts well, even after daily washing with soap. At least it prevents my kuksa from developing coffee-stains. That proofs that it seals well.

edit to add: My kuksas deal with coffee well. I think carving it even and thin helps with that. I also think that most of the splitting risk is during first drying. This is when the wood moves the most. Once this is done I think wetting and drying again is less dangerous.

 

[MattF]

I made a small cup from Oak and just used Bee's wax on it the Whiskey has not touched it

 

[rancid badger]

I'd go with either hot dipping in beeswax or just applying the wax to the surface of the wood by hand, then using a hair dryer/hot air gun to warm up the wood and melt the wax. It'll be absorbed and create a water/alcohol proof surface.

 

[Teepee]

There is a good recipe for a Casein coating here; http://caseinpainting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/simple-recipe-for-casein-binder.html

It's a very long lived coating, I've seen some blue casein paint on some Norwegian internal architrave that is 180 years old and still in good condition.

 

[SimonMast]

Thanks for the suggestions, all... It won't be long now, thankless task though carving seasoned ash is!

I have to say, I really like the propolis vanish idea. Back when I was at school, I spent many happy hours at the school apiary. Money's a bit tight right now so I don't have a lot to spend on it, but I definitely like the idea of trying that in future...

I really like the idea of finishing the inside in wax and then maybe treating myself to some tung oil for the outside, but I could just do the whole thing in tung oil...

Decisions decisions!

 

[John Fenna]

I am trying out the boiling in milk method at the moment.
It has darkened the wood by several shades - especially on the end grain - but seems to work
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116034

 

[SimonMast]

Great to read your results, John. Looks very nice. Out of interest, what have you drank out of it so far?

 

[John Fenna]

Great to read your results, John. Looks very nice. Out of interest, what have you drank out of it so far?

Only coffee and whisky!

 

[SimonMast]

Good good! Does it taint at all? I used to get a bit of surface (walnut) oil with my last whisky vessel, at least the first few times as I recall.