TRAVEL MUGS: cheap tips

[john schmidt]

for anyone interested, i've got a couple tips for turning those nice wooden travel mugs you see in the turners catalogs for about $9.95 just for the stainless inserts.
first, go to hobby lobby if you have one nearby, if not go online to hobbylobby.com they sell a complete plastic/stainless cup for about $4.00 just disasemble it and you have the same insert, some have a screw in the bottom under the price tag, unscrew it and you have the same insert you'd have paid 9.95 for. i've had to put some on the lathe and cut the plastic then break out the lip, but most come apart by taking the screw out. great savings!
next tip, if you really want to keep your drinks hot or cold, make your mug a little bigger than what is suggested, then taper it down to fit the rim, but open up the inside diameter of your turning more than usual, 1/8th to 1/4 is ok or more. now before you install the stainless insert and before you finish, fit it up as usual, then get some of that non expanding spray foam insulation to use around doors and windows and fill your wooden cavity about 1/2 full, you'll have to experiment a little here to see what comes to the top, but be aware, it does expand,don't overfill, you have some time to fit and refit, but dont fill it too far, and with porous wood it will actually come through the wood. foam it about 1/2 to 3/4 full and stick the stainless insert in it but wear gloves and be sure to put it in your lathe with a tenon to insert into the mug from the tailstock to keep it all in place, otherwise it'll blow out!! you might have foam beading out for a few hours but dont worry, tomorrow, just scratch off the yellow foam, sand lightly and finish. the other thing is just have some acetone on hand, it will clean up the wood after the yellow bubbles are scratched off and also your hands and fingers. i like to wipe off the leaks for an hour or so before it sets up with the acetone, it doesn't affect the final finish on the wood at all. now you really have an insulated travel mug that works and you can appreciate!!!!

 

[john schmidt]

guess i should have posted this under how to's tip etc...sorry

 

[Bill Boehme]

Good tips, but I am wondering -- is it expanding or non-expanding foam? Does non-expanding foam expand?

I bought one of those mug kits at Rockler's and I was rather disappointed at the extreme roughness of the stainless steel on the inside of the mug. The outside of the mug is reasonably smooth, but that part is hidden after it is inserted into the wooden body. I have considered buying a cylinder hone at the auto parts store to smooth the interior.

 

[n7bsn]

Now from examining the travel mug kit at Rockler and the one from CS-USA I can tell you there is a marked difference between the two. The one from Rockler is not up to the quality the one I bought from CS-USA was (assuming they have not changed sources)

I suspect that the Rockler one is also different then this one

 

[john lucas]

could you just fill the cavity with expanding foam while it's still on the lathe and then turn it down to size. I've carved on the expanding foam and it cuts pretty well.

 

[john schmidt]

i use non expanding, but it does expand some. the reason i take it off the lathe is just to have it upright to foam or it all tends to ooze out the front. once i half fill it i reinstall on the lathe to clamp with the tailstock. i got my 1st inserts from woodcraft or craft supplies 9.95, the ones from hobby lobby are what i would call identical 4.00. the inside is very smooth.

 

[john schmidt]

n7bsn

that looks like the one i get from hobbylobby once disassembled. they come with a colored plastic body..

 

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

For what it's worth, here is an article I wrote for American Woodturner:

http://www.tahoeturner.com/instructions/pdf/coffeemug.pdf

 

[john schmidt]

interesting, i didn't know gorilla glue expanded. i've used some laminated wood but not staves. i'm a little too impatient for all the gluing and fitting, that's why i tried the foam, it glues and insulates in one step and the insulating effect really keeps the wood from expanding and contracting. my first couple without foam seemed to swell at different temps and humidity according to wood variety and made a very noticeable line at the glue joints, even with pieces of the same wood. since foaming, it eliminated the need to finish inside the cup and seals the whole unit very well.

 

[Bob Hathaway]

I recently bought some mugs from Hobby Lobby, removed the screw only to find the insert was glued around the top. Instead of cutting and breaking the plastic and taking a chance of bending or distorting the insert, I put about 3/4" of acetone in a coffee can, set the mug upside down in the acetone for about 30 seconds and the insert pulled right out!

 

[john schmidt]

good idea, i'll try acetone the next time one is glued. funny though, about quality control, 1st ones from hobby lobby i got were glued also, the last batch wasn't so it must be hit and miss.:cool2:

 

[glenkey]

Went to HL yesterday and one of the local stores does not stock the mugs.:mad: Will check the other store this week.

 

[Dave Fritz]

You can order from Hobby Lobby on line:

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/store/item.aspx?ItemId=145316

Here is another source you might want to look into:

http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/category/travel-mugs/

Dave F.

 

[Bob Hathaway]

Travel mugs

I got tired of test fitting the insert on my mugs and not being able to see where wood needed to be removed on the interior, so I cut a piece of 1/8" masonite (tempered hardboard)to the shape of the insert. This allows me to test to see the fit and allows me to see where material needs to be removed. Really speeds up the process!

 

[Joe Greiner]

Test Fitting

For test fitting in general (inside or outside), smear some ink (e.g. felt-tip marker), or acrylic paint (dries slower), on the surface to be mated. Transfer to the workpiece and rub, so that the ink or paint now marks the workpiece. Remove the colored part of the workpiece. Called "blueprinting," and doesn't have to be blue. Three or four cycles should be sufficient for a perfect fit.

It also works reasonably well on flat work, using plate glass as the mating surface, with a belt sander or other device, for work that's too big or too awkward for a jointer.

 

[Tom Kovalcik]

Thanks for the great ideas. Here is another tutorial by Eddie Castelin in Louisiana. (if the link does not work, search for capneddie and "mug cover" on youtube) He uses a travel mug from Wal-Mart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBhuGc0pXZo

 

[Richard Roberts]

Some Interesting Observations

I've been making a number of the coffee mugs. At first I used the ones from CS and then saw this thread and used a number from Hobby Lobby. Although many of the outer sleeves were stuck they weren't actually glued. I tried expanding the upper lip in shallow boiling water and pushing the insert with a nail set through the screw hole. This worked fairly well. Lately I purchased a case (25) of mugs supplied by leeds and found they were stuck fairly well. The answer was compressed air. With the screw removed I put the mug upside down in a small box with some bubble wrap in the bottom to "catch" the insert. Grasp the bottom of the sleeve put the end of a blower nozzle over the screw hole and give it a squirt. Things come loose with a POP but no damage is done and its very fast. Very little pressure or air is needed.
I've also discovered that there are a number of similar mugs out there. They have subtle differences in volume but the critical measurements are the same. The covers are interchangeable .