Coffee Mugs

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bugradx2

bugradx2

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Ok turners, I had an old friend reach out tonight to inquire if I would make him a coffee mug out of walnut.

Has anyone turned mugs or goblets intended for regular use? Any advice to pass along? I worry it would eventually split after continued use with liquids.

I also talked with my friend about buying the kit from rockler that includes a stainless steel insert and I think he's open to that idea but remains hopeful for a true wooden mug.

Any thoughts would really be appreciated

Thanks
 
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The biggest struggle is going to be sealing the cup so that it doesn't leak fluid. I know you can do it as people have but I personally don't know the best way to do it. I imagine you can use an epoxy or alumilite to seal the inside, or maybe something shellac based. Maybe a wax or basic cutting board finish?

Whatever is used will have to be reapplied periodically. so whatever you use will need to be able to be reapplied. Biggest advice to your friend is to not let fluids sit in it excessively when not actively drinking, dry often and definitely dry it after washing. Wood cups look awesome when done but it being wood requires maintenance and it will likely cup/warp a bit with continued exposure to liquids.
 
How about something like this...

www.rockler.com

Travel Mug Turning Kit, 16 oz.

Use your choice of wood to craft a one-of-a-kind mug for a gift, or to hold your favorite beverage.
www.rockler.com www.rockler.com


Updated: Sorry, didn't see the comment in your OP about this Rockler kit. 😊
 
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SabertoothBunny said:
The biggest struggle is going to be sealing the cup so that it doesn't leak fluid. I know you can do it as people have but I personally don't know the best way to do it. I imagine you can use an epoxy or alumilite to seal the inside, or maybe something shellac based. Maybe a wax or basic cutting board finish?

Whatever is used will have to be reapplied periodically. so whatever you use will need to be able to be reapplied. Biggest advice to your friend is to not let fluids sit in it excessively when not actively drinking, dry often and definitely dry it after washing. Wood cups look awesome when done but it being wood requires maintenance and it will likely cup/warp a bit with continued exposure to liquids.
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This is pretty much my exact thought, how to seal it and have it be effective in the long haul. I think it's going to be an absolute ton of maintenance. In the end, I don't think it will work all that well. He does some nice woodworking, just not a turner so I he understands what he's signing up for with respect to maintenance but it's still not ideal.

I hunted around a bit last night and found a video of a guy turning a couple different versions of coffee mugs. One looked like he used some form of a wax sealant and the other was straight up 2 part epoxy. I don't think the way he did the epoxy is very appealing though because he poured it in the mug and then applied it around the interior with a paintbrush. I'd want the interior to look nice too and seeing brush marks in the epoxy isn't quite what I'd like to have.
 
bugradx2 said:
Thanks very much. I advised my friend that this solution may be the best one for him but promised I would see if anyone has found a good way to do it with just the wood too.
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The travel mugs from Woodcraft are a little better design/quality than the Rockler ones. That is from my perspective, just little design things but either will do what you need in the end.
 
For using Walnut as a coffee mug, unfinished it would likely crack after only a few wet/dry cycles. Finishing it with a food-safe, heat-resistant epoxy would be the most reliable and longest lasting solution. One of the Alumilite resins, Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus Epoxy is FDA-compliant (21 CFR 175.300) and is rated for food contact, i.e. "food-grade" so it would be a good choice for a finish. You would want to have the mug rotating for a day or so while the epoxy cures in order to keep it a uniform thickness after it has been applied. (I've seen a YouTube video of someone using it to seal an oak coffee mug.

Cocobolo would actually be a better (and in my opinion, prettier) wood to use for a coffee mug. Because it is highly water resistant, it is technically safe to hold hot coffee unfinished, however, Cocobolo would release some of its dalbergene into a hot liquid. The verdict is not in regarding the medical affects, there is some evidence that it may be a good antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and anti microbial effects. On the other side is that in some cases it has been noted for causing skin irritations and there have been warnings about ingesting it in high concentrations, like what one would get if it were dissolved into alcohol which is a better solvent than water. I guess I would still consider lining it with a food-grade epoxy just to help keep any oils from leaching out of the wood into a beverage.

Personally, I would probably opt for the epoxy coated one for my own use, but would fall back to a stainless steel, "kit" type liner if I was making it for someone else.

Good luck - be sure to let us see what you wind up with! - Dave
 
I've turned a lot of travel mugs over the years and found this design has worked out well.
IMG_1522.jpgIMG_1520.jpg
I've never tried all wood but like others have said I think it would be a lot of maintenance.
Mike
 
egnald said:
For using Walnut as a coffee mug, unfinished it would likely crack after only a few wet/dry cycles. Finishing it with a food-safe, heat-resistant epoxy would be the most reliable and longest lasting solution. One of the Alumilite resins, Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus Epoxy is FDA-compliant (21 CFR 175.300) and is rated for food contact, i.e. "food-grade" so it would be a good choice for a finish. You would want to have the mug rotating for a day or so while the epoxy cures in order to keep it a uniform thickness after it has been applied. (I've seen a YouTube video of someone using it to seal an oak coffee mug.

Cocobolo would actually be a better (and in my opinion, prettier) wood to use for a coffee mug. Because it is highly water resistant, it is technically safe to hold hot coffee unfinished, however, Cocobolo would release some of its dalbergene into a hot liquid. The verdict is not in regarding the medical affects, there is some evidence that it may be a good antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and anti microbial effects. On the other side is that in some cases it has been noted for causing skin irritations and there have been warnings about ingesting it in high concentrations, like what one would get if it were dissolved into alcohol which is a better solvent than water. I guess I would still consider lining it with a food-grade epoxy just to help keep any oils from leaching out of the wood into a beverage.

Personally, I would probably opt for the epoxy coated one for my own use, but would fall back to a stainless steel, "kit" type liner if I was making it for someone else.

Good luck - be sure to let us see what you wind up with! - Dave
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thanks for your comments. He's pretty set on walnut in some form, there is a bunch of it that grows in his area so I think that's what drives his pull towards it.

I didn't know some of the Alumilite was food rated when cured, that's great to know. Thanks
 
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