# Best Finish For A Wooden Shotglass?



## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

I am carving a shot-glass capacity wooden drinking cup out of Beech.

The idea is to make it fully functional as a drinking cup. This means that nothing warmer than room temperature will be poured into it, but drinks with high alcohol content will be poured and drank from it. This includes stuff like 80% alcohol.

I have considered Shellac, CA Glue and 2-Part Polyurethane.

Any suggestions?


*EDIT*
I forgot that I had a WIP picture on Twitter...


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Shellac can come off your options. Alcohol is the solvent/cleaner for alcohol. The likker will dissolve the alcohol quickly.

As to the other options, I would recommend you finish a piece of scrap from your project and apply a couple of coats of shellac and then see it softens or dissolves the finish.

If it were me, I would immediately wipe out a used cup with paper towels and not let the alcohol residue sit in the cup. Alcohol is a pretty aggressive solvent for a number of finishes. It's used in a number of paint strippers as I recall.

I know of one person who make a beer mug from wood and coated the inside with oil based varnish. It did not wear well. You might have some luck with a two part varnish or coating the surface with a two part lacquer. Be careful though, lacquer may be dissolved by alcohol.


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## tomo629 (Dec 9, 2015)

Have you considered an epoxy wood finish? I'm not positive it will be your solution but may be worth looking into. I believe it's used on bar tops. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Shellac will dissolve immedietly, so that's gone, ca glue will also soften in alcohol, so I'd avoid that as well. A 2 part poly might work, provided you find one that's food safe, but personally I'd go with a 2 part epoxy


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Thank you very much for your suggestions and advises!

Can you give me an example of "2 part epoxy"? You don't mean epoxy glue do you?

The 2 part Polly that I have is according to company "propaganda" supposed to be impenetrable by all common household cleaning products. Unfortunatly, the company has no English version of their website.


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## punkin611 (Sep 17, 2013)

*finish*

IMO a food grade mineral oil or "salad bowl" oil is the way to go. I would get a ziplox baggie and soak it for a day.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Epoxy glue will work just fine. A+B and paint it on. Try to find one with a longer working time before it starts to set up. . . . . or do it in parts.

I do an oven-baking veg oil finish on every food-thing that I've carved for the kitchen. I'm concerned that your carving will crack, even though the bake is less than 4 minutes. Bee's wax will melt at 60C/150F or less. smeared on and buffed back, the friction will melt the BW into the wood.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

I tried Epoxy on what is left from the scrap I cut this cup from.

Results where... "meh".

The Epoxy I have cannot be sanded it will peal off instead. It stays elastic and never really hardens and the problem is that I have used like 3-4 different brands and all are like that. This is why I was a little surprised when it was suggested as finish. Maybe the American Epoxy is different? I don't know.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Scinzon said:


> I tried Epoxy on what is left from the scrap I cut this cup from.
> 
> Results where... "meh".
> 
> The Epoxy I have cannot be sanded it will peal off instead. It stays elastic and never really hardens and the problem is that I have used like 3-4 different brands and all are like that. This is why I was a little surprised when it was suggested as finish. Maybe the American Epoxy is different? I don't know.


If it were just the 1 type I'd say you had an issue with a batch, but if that happens with every type of epoxy you use I'd say there's an issue with technique. Epoxy should dry hard, but that's dependant on the proper ratio of hardener and resin being mixed properly


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

It does dry in a few minutes as it should but it is not as hard as super glue for example. It is more like rubber or hard silicon. 

Bad ratios result in a mix that will dry after days or not at all. I made such mistakes when I first got epoxy that comes in two separate tubes instead of the double syringe like thingy.

My theory is that American epoxies might contain ingredients that makes them hard but this ingredients might be illegal or restricted in the E.U. Or maybe it is because I use the "cheap" Epoxies. :icon_rolleyes: 

Anyway, I should better try and find an actual food-safe rated finish. :yes:


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

It seems to me that alcohol, especially stuff that's 80% alcohol will dissolve or soften many finishes. That means you'll also be drinking that dissolved finish. If it were me, I'd be looking for a glass insert to put in the carved shot glass.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

Catalyzed automotive urethane clear coat. Apply with an airbrush. Once cured it's impervious to any solvent.


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## punkin611 (Sep 17, 2013)

*finish*

I never seen so much techno mumbo-jumbo as in these posts. Does anyone think about contamination in using something you eat or drink out of? USE mineral oil. You can oil it every year and the color and finish will look better year after year.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Yes, isn't it amazing? I love techno mumbo-jumbo stuff!!!

I was thinking about a food safe oil too but the problem is that I do not have the means to test what they put in them and probably I cannot get here the same brands that most people from here can get. Briwax for example, no one seems to have heard of it where I live even though it is British and British wood working products are not hard to find here.

I Googled "Mineral Oil" and I found out that: 1. Is same by oil; which does not freaks me out, and 2. Is used as a laxative; which makes me wanting to avoid it! :laughing:


A glass insert could work, however, this is not what this project is about. The cup has to be wooden. An insert will not cover the lid anyway unless it is specially made and I cannot melt or blow glass.


So, I am going to make a second cup using a Router and a Drill Press when I have my Router Table done and I will try a different finish on it if the one I use for this one does not do it. In this case I will use this one as a decorative item. 

There is enough Beech left for a second one and I also have pieces from old furniture. Or i can get more Beech scraps, so if I make these relatively fast I can try all shorts of finises. I can even make a video about it!

Anyway, I stop before the topic is derailed. 

Feel free to ask any more or additional finish suggestions bellow.


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## RepairmanJack (Aug 4, 2013)

I've got two tuned wooden shot glasses [sic] and a composit turned coffee cup. Bought them from a fellow at a Renaissance Faire in Kansas City. I asked him about the wood-safe finish so he showed me the product he used. I think it was a "Watco" brand, specifically said "food-safe" on the can. He was drunk as hell (at 11:00 AM), so I didn't talk to him too long. Also, this was a couple years ago. 

Regardless, the shot glasses have held up OK to 50 proof bourbons, but I think the interior on both could use another coat of sealer at this point. I'm sure you can find it (or something better) if you search the web for "food safe" wood finish. 

Myself, I finished a cutting board with "Food Safe" silicone purchased from a local shop. It worked well, but was essentially a "natural" finish (slightly darker than what I started with).


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

That is very interesting but unfortunately finding something "Food Safe" where I live ( southeastern Europe) turned out to be hard so far. Closest thing is the Toy-Safe finish that Lidl carries from time to time.

I asked someone who does furniture manufacturing and repair for 40 years and uses the Polyurethane that I have since it first came out and told me that after a few days not even the "Corrosive" can remove it. 

A "Corrosive" is a chemical that can dissolve most paints and finises. no idea how it is called in English but you will know how it is called. 


I was unable to find Mineral Oil save for Baby Oil that has too many other stuff added. However, I found how they call the Cooling Oil in my native language. :smile:


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## RepairmanJack (Aug 4, 2013)

In that case, why not just try a beeswax? Smells good, looks nice, shouldn't be too hard to find in SE Europe. Just rub it on, and let it dry. Buff it, add some more wax. Repeat until you are happy. 

You can find Mineral oil in most pharmacies. I've used it on a marble top hoosier table and have had no issues with it causing laxative effect. The key is that you wipe off the excess oil and let it dry before using it. It should be fully absorbed into the wood. 

I got the food-safe silicone spray from a hardware store, not a specialty place. 


I will say... I am retracting my suggestion of a watco brand. 
Upon closer inspection, the interior on both of my turned shot glasses has been partially dissolved. I'm now considering treating them with beeswax. 

The finish on the coffee cup seems to have held up, but use with hot liquids has led to movement between the different pieces and types of wood. It's now leaking.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Go to the local pharmacy and find mineral oil by the laxatives. That is one of its purposes, but only when taken in large quantities. 

Nothing else mentioned here is particularly safe to ingest.


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## calcnerd (Dec 7, 2012)

The only two finishes I'm aware of that are resistant to alcohol at Waterlox and Behlen Rockhard table top finish. I'd probably reach out to the company to see what their thoughts are on food safety before I drank out of it.

My bar top is coated with Waterlox and my neighbor used the Behlen. We've both poured vodka on the bar tops and let it sit overnight. Wiped right off the next day with no damage.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Alright, I found Mineral Oil. Here are the results so far (see attachment). This photograph was taken right after the second coat was applied. Personally I like the results. <3

How long does it take for Mineral Oil to cure?

I am also making a video of how this cup was carved and I need to pour some "alcohol" *cough* *cough* tea *cough* into it for the closing scenes.
(I wanted to use Whiskey but when I asked some companies for permission to use their bottles they did not replied.  )


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## RepairmanJack (Aug 4, 2013)

That *does* look really nice! I may have to give that a "shot" myself. 

Unsure how it would take for Mineral Oil to dry on beech wood. I'd guess that it would take a few days, maybe even a week if the ambient humidity and temperature were not ideal.

Although, I'm just making a guess from what I know about linseed oil.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Thank you very much for the kind words!

I am applying Mineral Oil until it cannot absorb any more oil, then I wipe the excess and let it dry, then I apply more oil. 
So far Beech proved to be a real sucker! The endgrain sucks in the oil so fast that you can see it getting absorbed in a few seconds! 
Hopefully I am using the correct method ans soon the wood will not be absorbing anymore oil.

If the time required is similar to Teak Oil then this gives me time to contact more Whiskey companies and edit the video in the meantime, so no problem. 

I kinda have a template for it but I decided to change the shape when I was carving it. Originally I was going to copy the glass shotglass I based this one on (see attached picture) but I though this shape would be better. This wooden one is 7cm tall or ~2 1/4" x ~1 6/8" or 44mm. The hole is 35mm or ~ 1 3/8".


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## Woodychips (Oct 3, 2015)

First thing that came to my mind is that the mineral oil would corrupt the taste of the whiskey but after a few shots all would be good


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Most probably it will, even though Mineral Oil is supposed to be tasteless.

This is why I am going to pour something cheap into it first 

Or the Whiskey might taste better? I don't know.


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

This is a great thread. As a fan of "adult beverages" myself, I've thought about making my own personal glass as well. I've thought many times about how to finish the glass, and had decided that I'd use it "nekid". I certainly didn't want to dissolve, or "re-activate" any chemical finishes I'd applied. 
This thread certainly has my creative juices flowing again.

So far, this is the post that I'm most interested in (except for the ones with the photos taken by Scinzon). 




calcnerd said:


> The only two finishes I'm aware of that are resistant to alcohol at Waterlox and Behlen Rockhard table top finish. I'd probably reach out to the company to see what their thoughts are on food safety before I drank out of it.
> 
> My bar top is coated with Waterlox and my neighbor used the Behlen. We've both poured vodka on the bar tops and let it sit overnight. Wiped right off the next day with no damage.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Indeed, this is most interesting!

Don't get me wrong, many other finishes are food safe but the commercially available versions may contain things that you will not want to drink.

Mineral Oil from the pharmacy is made for human consumption and it would take a large quantity to give you diarrhea.

My father got this 100cc-something bottle from a pharmacist friend of his and he told him "If you have "problems" drink the whole bottle". So far I used like 5% for the shotglass so even if all the Mineral Oil dissolves it would probably have no laxative effect.


I would had preferred a good Epoxy or Poly though but this is hard to find here.


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## punkin611 (Sep 17, 2013)

*shot "glass" looks great.*



Scinzon said:


> Alright, I found Mineral Oil. Here are the results so far (see attachment). This photograph was taken right after the second coat was applied. Personally I like the results. <3
> 
> How long does it take for Mineral Oil to cure?
> 
> ...


I may have to make /me one or ---two---or three!!-- hic-up :thumbsup:


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Hello.

Here is the video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMedsaq-dE8

WARNING Contains approximately 10 minutes of sanding!


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

>>>> How long does it take for Mineral Oil to cure?

Mineral oil is a non-drying oil. It will never "dry" or "cure". It's also soluble in alcohol.


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

As a fan of whiskey and woodworking, I thought about this thread when I ran across >>THIS for sale<<.
Based on the price, they must be real good. 
But as a woodworker, the description puzzles me.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

HowardAcheson yes, I tried some cheap Cognac after a week of "drying" and it tasted a little "different". Not very noticeable though. By that time the oil had been absorbed deep into the wood.

A wood safe, alcohol resistant Polyurethane, Epoxy or Lacquer would be better but I cannot find one... 

I might just go with a brass insert for the next one.  (Or something more fancy.)


Bob in St. Louis no idea. They look nice but I would like to know what they used on them. The price seems to me to be a bit too much. They are nothing fancy and with a lathe they are "easy" to turn. Producing lots of something should reduce costs--- Wait... Are the prices in US dollars or Canadian dollars? xD


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

Looks like Canadian dollars?? I hadn't noticed that.
But yes, that's too much for a couple "plugs" of wood turned on a lathe.
Their description is very vague about the finish.
Personally, I'd rather have no finish at all. The wood might take on a nice patina after some use.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

No idea. Better email them about their prices.

You can make similar cups with a small tree trunk or branch and a Forstener bit or a combination of drill bits and chisels.

They will look kinda rustic "as is" but you can round them with chisels and planes. On the other hand, many would pay extra for the rustic look.

Olive wood would be nice for that. Good use for the "tiny" pieces that you can normally find.


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

Nah...I'm not concerned with their prices.
As far as I'm concerned, I can make these for free. Nothing but my time.


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

I'd try several coats of CA. There isn't much that will desolved that stuff and it is tuff.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

tewitt1949 said:


> I'd try several coats of CA. There isn't much that will desolved that stuff and it is tuff.


Actually I have some scraps coated with CA ready for testing.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

tewitt1949 said:


> I'd try several coats of CA. There isn't much that will desolved that stuff and it is tuff.


Not much, except for alcohol...


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

Whoops.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Mythbusters time(?)!!! :yes:

BTW, epic, this in an amazing knife in your avatar!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Scinzon said:


> Mythbusters time(?)!!! :yes:
> 
> BTW, epic, this in an amazing knife in your avatar!


Not much of a myth to test there, just stick a bit of super glue on something, then drop some alcohol on it. Its not immediate like it would be with acetone, but it will soften and dissolve. I keep around denatured alcohol for that reason. 

Glad you like the knife btw. Ive actually got a few like that one for sale if youre interested


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Why do anything at all to the inside? Can't you just pretend that you're drinking from a whiskey barrel? So what it if gets soaked with your favorite tipple? Other than some flame char to bring out the vanillin, unfinished white oak barrels have been used for wine, whiskey and sherry for centuries.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I can't believe it's going on this long!*



tomo629 said:


> Have you considered an epoxy wood finish? I'm not positive it will be your solution but may be worth looking into. I believe it's used on bar tops.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Here's your answer, post no. 3. I used a 5 minute clear epoxy as a finish for a rake handle plug ... smooth as glass and virtually indestructable. I love it. I mixed it up and brushed it on, held it upside down to drip and dry. It worked great.


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

I agree with the last two posts, but I'd do the "Robson" version first, as it's the easiest and cheapest.
In fact, do one of each and let us know....


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Thank you all for your suggestions, kind words and support!




epicfail48 said:


> Glad you like the knife btw. Ive actually got a few like that one for sale if youre interested


Thanks, but I am probably not allowed to import this without paperwork. Also, if the clip point is a fictional back-cut it will be confiscated and I will be charged for felony and sent to prison. :laughing:




Robson Valley said:


> unfinished white oak barrels


My cup is made out of Beech. Oak had to be ordered and they have a minimum order that is quite some timber actually and costs too much for the little piece that I needed. No scraps or unclaimed wood was found in time.


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## Bob in St. Louis (Feb 11, 2015)

What country are you in!?!?!?


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I still reject the notion that the inside needs to be finished in any way. Beech does not have the open porosity of many other hardwoods. In fact, it's more like birch (Betula sp).

Send me one. There are some very expensive dark rums that I have been wanting to test.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

The forums have a new, super-fancy theme. Nice!


Bob in St. Louis, check your PM Box. 


Robson Valley, you can have one but only after I make a router table that will make production far easier. You will pay the postage.  
I might drop in a cup made out of olive too.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Scinzon said:


> Thank you all for your suggestions, kind words and support!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, but I am probably not allowed to import this without paperwork. Also, if the clip point is a fictional back-cut it will be confiscated


No double-edges on any of my knives, daggers are rather frowned on in America. I will admit to being curious as to what country would ban the import of a knife though, most just have some very slight limitations


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## odis (Apr 4, 2018)

*Beeswax*

Beeswax works great and seals the wood well. I put it on while on the lathe when I make my shot glasses and hold the rag until it steams and I know it got hot enough to be absorbed, then I put another coat and heat with a cigarette lighter to make sure, then buff or just wipe off.

Mineral oil works well for them and so does beeswax butcher block oil.

Coconut oil also works.....


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