Replies

1. 
   dgreen | Oct 27, 2009 12:16am | #1

   Can you size it to hold a glass liner?

    

    

    

   ................................................

   Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
   ~ Denis Diderot

1. 
   bikeguy | Oct 27, 2009 12:25am | #2

   Hmm, that's an interesting idea. Would you bond the glass to the wood? My first thought is what happens when some liquid gets between the glass and wood? I can size the hole to match the liner. My test mug was drilled out with a large forstner bit, 3.125" d, I think. I might like to go a little larger.Andy

2. 
   Samson | Oct 27, 2009 12:29am | #3

   Why do you need to seal it?  Wasn't ale, wine, and whiskey traditionally aged, stored and transported in oak barrels?  Wooden bowls have been used in cooking and for serving/eating for centuries to hold soup , stew, cereal, etc.  Wooden utensils are also used without a problem.   You might see what happens if you just coat the mug with some walnut oil.  

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Oct 27, 2009 03:51am | #7

   >>"Wasn't ale, wine, and whiskey traditionally aged, stored and transported in oak barrels?"Depends on the oak.If it's any of the red oak species, it'll soak through. If it's white oak, it might be OK. White oak is what's used for the distilling industry.

   I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
   And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
   I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
   So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)

1. 
   bikeguy | Oct 27, 2009 03:57am | #8

   I'm pretty sure that it is california black oak, from the sierra nevada mtns.Andy

1. 
   [email protected] | Oct 27, 2009 05:31am | #9

   Parrafin canning wax will work, 

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Oct 27, 2009 07:50pm | #14

   >>> I'm pretty sure that it is california black oak, from the sierra nevada mtnsFrom Wikipedia: California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii), also known as simply Black Oak, or Kellogg Oak, is an oak in the red oak section (Quercus sect. Lobatae), native to western North AmericaBeing a red oak, it will not hold a liquid. Red oak is like a straw. You can blow through a board. Put one end in some water and blow through the other. You should see the bubbles.Only white oaks will hold water. White oak is used for beer, wine and liquor barrels.No finish is totally water or watervapor resistant. The beer will ultimately get through the finish and then cause the rest of the finish to fail. You could try a two part, slow set epoxy. A couple of layers should give you a pretty long lasting moisture imperious film finish.
   Howie.........

   Edited 10/27/2009 12:53 pm ET by HowardAcheson

3. 
   StephenShepherd | Oct 27, 2009 12:31am | #4

   A mixture of Brewer's Pitch and Charcoal worked in my leather drinking jack.

   Stephen

1. 
   bikeguy | Oct 27, 2009 12:50am | #5

   I want to seal it so that the wood doesn't flavor the drink and possibly to seal any small cracks.
   That's an interesting history lesson about the leather jack. What's the purpose of the charcoal?Andy

1. 
   StephenShepherd | Oct 27, 2009 08:10am | #10

   The charcoal makes the brewers pitch black and keeps the 'flavor' of the pitch in check.  I have a canteen that is lined with straight brewers pitch and it adds a slight flavor to the water.  The charcoal and pitch doesn't add any flavor to the adult beverage.

   Stephen

4. 
   YesMaam27577 | Oct 27, 2009 03:50am | #6

   Behlen's salad bowl finish.

   I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
   And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
   I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
   So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)

5. 
   davcefai | Oct 27, 2009 09:08am | #11

   Be aware that your beer is liable to froth up and lose the sparkle _very_ quickly. Every sharp point (on the microscopic scale) is a nucleation point for bubbles to form. The tip of a wood fibre sounds like a good candidate.

   Wooden containers work, and work well, for low carbonated beers but if you're going to drink canned or bottled beer from this mug have a kitchen towel handy when you pour.

   The paraffin wax sounds like a good idea as it will smooth out the wood surface. Please let us know how it works out.

6. 
   Lataxe | Oct 27, 2009 12:11pm | #12

   Andy,

   This site has a lot of information, including details of how the chap makes his own wooden drinking thangs.

   http://www.all-about-renaissance-faires.com/woodmugs.htm

   Lataxe

1. 
   bikeguy | Oct 27, 2009 06:31pm | #13

   Thanks all, for all the good info.
   That renfair link has lots of useful articles.
   I'm leaning towards the wax end of finishes. I'll be doing some testing with bees wax and paraffin.
   I'll report back on what I find/end up using.Thanks,
   Andy

7. 
   Blackwill | Oct 27, 2009 08:11pm | #15

   I'd go with a thorough sanding of the inside of the mug, followed by a beeswax or paraffin seal. Just remember that if you are using a wax sealant, you won't want to use the mug for warm or hot beverages.

   And the nucleation information provided is all too accurate...carbonated beverages just LOVE to make bubbles on even the tiniest little imperfection. I have a collection of drinking horns, and even these bad boys will froth up a beer if given the chance.

   Good luck with it. Keep us posted on the results.

8. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 28, 2009 07:05pm | #16

   Boiled Jack Gent to give it flavor?

   I made one of wood... Hardy anything seeps out with a well establised beer drinker.. EVER!