🙁 🙁 hi all my name is ron........im looking for two answers one is how to keep red cedar from cracking after i turn it its kicking my butt the other is what kind of finish can i put on a coffee mug so you can use it for hot coffee
-
It's time to cast your vote in the December 2024 Turning Challenge. (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Vincent Luciani for "Flower Pot" being selected as Turning of the Week for December 23, 2024 (click here for details) -
Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
cedar all cracked up.....finish for hot coffee
- Thread starter Bigrhackler
- Start date
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
Hopefully, those are two different questions
All wood moves, even if it is at it's equilibrium moisture content.
Red cedar would either have to be turned bone dry or sopping wet. If wet, you will need to rough turn it thick, then you need to slowly dry it. One method would be to put it in a paper bag and change the bag every couple of days. You know it's dry when it quits loosing weight.
If bone dry, then I would turn as any other wood, but be really careful during sanding so that you keep the heat on the wood to a minimum. At that point, it may still move, because you have released stress in the wood.
Af far as coffee, I would look at some sort of epoxy coating, but I don't know how foodsafe that would be. Another idea might be to get a ceramic insert for a wood mug.
All wood moves, even if it is at it's equilibrium moisture content.
Red cedar would either have to be turned bone dry or sopping wet. If wet, you will need to rough turn it thick, then you need to slowly dry it. One method would be to put it in a paper bag and change the bag every couple of days. You know it's dry when it quits loosing weight.
If bone dry, then I would turn as any other wood, but be really careful during sanding so that you keep the heat on the wood to a minimum. At that point, it may still move, because you have released stress in the wood.
Af far as coffee, I would look at some sort of epoxy coating, but I don't know how foodsafe that would be. Another idea might be to get a ceramic insert for a wood mug.
I turn Cedar a fair amount. You have to turn it with very consistant thickness or it will definitely crack on you, even if bone dry. Also, the comment about sanding heat is right on. Heavy sanding with lots of heat will cause tons of small cracks.
If you're turning end grain, might want to mill out the pith if you can.
As for coffee safe mugs, I'd say a stainless steel, pyrex, or ceramic insert would be the way to go. Epoxy would be the only way to truly seal it and not sure how that would hold up to the coffee.
Have fun, Dietrich
If you're turning end grain, might want to mill out the pith if you can.
As for coffee safe mugs, I'd say a stainless steel, pyrex, or ceramic insert would be the way to go. Epoxy would be the only way to truly seal it and not sure how that would hold up to the coffee.
Have fun, Dietrich
I don't have anything to add re: the red cedar question, but I like the idea of an insert for the coffe mug. That way the insert could be put through the dishwasher (assuming you didn't permanantly glue it in).
paul
paul
Just a thought.
If you can't find and insert, get a metal mug from any given camp and hike shop and cut off the handle.
Or, get an insulated mug from Dunky D's and cut out the plastic or metal inside.
Dishwasher sounds like an idea. Gotta remember that one when I've got the glue in my hand and the gleam in my eye.
Dietrich
If you can't find and insert, get a metal mug from any given camp and hike shop and cut off the handle.
Or, get an insulated mug from Dunky D's and cut out the plastic or metal inside.
Dishwasher sounds like an idea. Gotta remember that one when I've got the glue in my hand and the gleam in my eye.
Dietrich
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
- Messages
- 254
- Likes
- 0
- Location
- Wynndel, British Columbia, Canada
- Website
- www.picturetrail.com
This site sure is getting busy.
I took a couple days away from the computer to make a couple big fretwork clocks and came back to some interesting topics here.
I have done very little turning with cedar . I was chopping some kindling yesterday from my firewood pile and I ran across a piece of cedar that was just too nice looking to burn. So I saved enough to make four of these flat bottomed (inside) boxes.
This was two year old cedar out of the woodpile and into the shop without any climatizing period from outdoors to indoors. Does this mean that I may have a problem with them cracking in time or would the heat of turning and sanding maybe have done some quick climatizing for me.
So far , no sign of checks or cracks.
W.Y.
I took a couple days away from the computer to make a couple big fretwork clocks and came back to some interesting topics here.
I have done very little turning with cedar . I was chopping some kindling yesterday from my firewood pile and I ran across a piece of cedar that was just too nice looking to burn. So I saved enough to make four of these flat bottomed (inside) boxes.
This was two year old cedar out of the woodpile and into the shop without any climatizing period from outdoors to indoors. Does this mean that I may have a problem with them cracking in time or would the heat of turning and sanding maybe have done some quick climatizing for me.
So far , no sign of checks or cracks.
W.Y.