Making a goblet

[Graham]

I want to turn my first goblet, it needs a thin stem and I am hoping i can use a piece of Elm I have handy. Is this a good choice ?

[Richard Findley]

Have you made a standard goblet before? Might be worth making a more standard design first, before going for the thin stemmed version?

Elm might be a little open grained for a thin stem goblet, although it's known for being tough and resisting splitting. Would need to be a very straight grained bit of wood to avoid short grain.

Perhaps save the elm for a couple of boxes?

Richard

[Graham]

It is probably a standard stem I am talking about, just not thick. What would better woods be ? I think I probably have cherry, ( a bit short maybe ) sycamore, black walnut, beech

[Bryan Milham]

For a thin stem I would stay away from Elm (Ash & Oak) they are all open grained. I'm not a lover of cherry for thin work but any of the others  'sycamore, black walnut or beech' would do fine.

However be sure to pick the piece with the straightest grain along it's length. If it runs out across the length, it could break either while turning (under compression ) or if handles a little roughly.

[Graham]

Thanks DF, plenty of choice there then. Think I might try the Beech first it will match the kitchen diner worktop. 

[julcle]

Just as an addition to this project, if the goblet was to be used as a functional piece and beech was the base timber what finish would be best to stop the content soaking into the wood when used and when washed ?   Julian

[seventhdevil]

i think the yanks use polyurethane to coat just about everything and that seems to work for them.

[Graham]

The melamine finish seems quite popular for goblets.

[bodrighywood]

I used to use melamine but found that it can wear off fairly quickly so now I use PlastiCote. It is both liquid and alchohol proof so is ideal. I coat both outside and inside as experience has taught me that doing just the outside isn't going to stop staining as people dribble. I put at least 4 coats on and so far it has proven more than adequate.

Pete

[Bill Mooney]

Hard wax sold by Mark Raby is waterproof, alcohol proof & stain proof, so should be good for the job.

[bodrighywood]

Hard wax sold by Mark Raby is waterproof, alcohol proof & stain proof, so should be good for the job.

Haven't come across this before. I'll get a can and give it a test run. Be good f it is as it would be a lot easier to apply and is made from naturall sustainable materials which is more my thing. Thanks for the tip.

Pete

[Bryan Milham]

Pete,

if you do try the Mark Raby Hard Wax(?) pop-up a review please. I'd be interested to read it.

[bodrighywood]

Just ordered some and will be experimenting over the next week or so as I need to boost my stock of goblets so I will keep you posted as to my results. If it works it would be ideal as it is definitely cheaper and easier to use. I am experimenting with a series of ikebana vases at the moment using glass inserts but if the oil is really as waterproof as it claims it would mean I am not limited by the size and shape of the insert so another bonus there as well.

Pete

[Graham]

This is ordinary hard wax oil we are talking about is it ?

[Bryan Milham]

Graham,

I'm starting to wonder that as well.

The Mark Raby 'Treatex' meets with (Shamlessly lifted from his site);

Regulation DIN68861-1B. Resistance to water, wine, beer, coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, etc.
Toy safe DIN EN 71-3.
Certified anti-bacterial to standard JIS Z2801-2000.
Meets with VOC emissions.

I don't see one that says food safe (and can't find a defined reference either - not even for the Chestnut Food Safe oil). But the list of ingredients are all generally acceptable.