Granulated Sugar in a Wooden Shaker - Will it hold up?

[Bill Wiggins]

I built my first wooden sugar shaker this evening on my lathe. I had some spalted birch available. I'll post pictures in the morning after the BLO finish dries.

My question is related to shelf life. Will the sugar hold up inside a wooden shaker? This shaker is intended for maple sugar, my other hobby. Inside the shaker, I will use one of two types of finishes.

Option 1. One coat of BLO, three to four coats of polyurethane. But I'm not sure if this finish will be a good enough moisture barrier.

Option 2. A two-part epoxy that another woodworker uses on tankards and mugs. He claims that it prevents the liquid from being absorbed by the wood.
http://www.all-about-renaissance-faires.com/woodmugs.htm#how

What do the Creekers think? If the shaker is kept covered (with a wooden cover, of course), will the sugar stay dry? The "prototype" does not have a lid, but my next one will. The next one will be made from spalted maple, if I have any left.

My 11 year old grandson did the outside design and turning. It's not "my" style, but I'm proud that he's interested in woodworking and maple sugaring.

I also posted this question on a Maple Sugaring forum to see what the Sugarmakers think.

[David E Keller]

I don't know anything about maple sugar, Bill, but it seems like a natural wood surface would serve as a natural desiccant.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I don't know about maple sugar either. I would think 3 or 4 thin coats of either WOP or Antique Oil would be fine. I made a lidded box for our table sugar and used antique oil. I made the lid so it is snug but not snug enough it won't come off with one hand. The sugar has never hardened in it.

[Dan Hintz]

I'm not sure what direction it would go, but consider this... smart restaurants put a few grains of rice in their salt shaker to soak up any excess moisture. If they don't, the salt will eventually cake and stick in the shaker...

[Jon Nuckles]

I can't answer your question either, but wonder if BLO is a good choice. The smell takes months or even years to go away when used on the inside of drawers. Does the WOP or epoxy seal the smell in? I don't mind the smell, but I wouldn't want it in my maple sugar!

[Mark Hubl]

I am thinking unfinished on the inside. Many of the salt boxes and pepper mills I have seen are unfinished on the inside. Have to agree with Jon, blo or ao will be stinky for a long time.

[Jim Burr]

The key to salt boxes/mills is to never!! finish the inside. Not only will this impart unwanted flavor to a non offending seasoning agent, it fails to give the wood good breathing room in a humidity hostile environment and allow for moisture to wick off the salt/sugar and to a lesser extent, peppercorns. Kitchens are brutal on wooden kitchenware. Look at any mill you buy in the store...none of them are finished on the inside for just those reasons. Sugar would behave the same way.

[Bill Wiggins]

Thanks, everyone, for all of your input. I wasn't aware that the inside should not be finished. That simplifies things tremendously.