Gluing after Mineral Oil?

[Brian Kent]

I need to fill a space on an oak mug. I am trying different finishes. On this one I am just going for mineral oil soaking, like on a cutting board. Since you get the mineral oil from the drug store in the laxative section, I figure if any mineral oil gets in the grog, it'll just make the drinker more regular.

After a good soak I found a pool of oil leaking out of this space. I plan to fill the space with a thin wedge of the same wood glued into place. But is there a way to do this since it is already soaked in mineral oil? I will wait until it soaks up as much as possible. Maybe soap and warm water? Maybe mineral spirits? I can let it sit for 3 months before it would be used at a Renaissance Faire in May.

After that, I can glue the wedge in with Titebond III or epoxy, but neither is made to bond to mineral oil.

Any knowledge, wisdom, or wise-guy foolishness?

This is a rustic mug or a grog cup, and it is also an experiment, so no problem if nothing will work.

[David Gilbert]

My suggestion is to try to glue in a wedge of wood with CA glue. Your crack looks too big to fill with just CA and I don't think any of the other glues you mentioned will work. Here is my rational. I use CA to fill cracks in my bowls and if I fill them directly with CA glue I get a stain around the crack that doesn't take my finish like the rest of the bowl. I paint Minawax Antique Oil (MAO) around (and in the crack) and then a short time later add the CA to fill the crack. The CA doesn't react with MAO (or your mineral oil) but will react with the wood.

You are smart to do a trial run. I find that practice like this makes for a much better final result.

Good luck and Cheers,
David

[Robert McGowen]

I will be the bad guy here. It looks like you have all end-grain staves glued to a flat grain disc of wood. I would think that the "soaking" in the mineral oil will cause the wood to move as it absorbs the oil and the cracks will start forming. This probably goes for any moisture placed in the cup, so the first pint might be okay, but it might be leaking by the second one. I would instead determine why the crack formed, (see grain issues above) instead of how to repair the crack. Just my $.02.

The alternative would be to completely expoxy the inside and then don't worry about the cracks.

[John Keeton]

Brian, somewhat off topic, but mineral oil is not really a "finish" as it never polymerizes (hardens.) It really is nothing more than a petroleum distillate. It is often used on cutting boards simply because it can be renewed easily - but, so can many other oil finishes that might be more durable and not feel 'oily'.

[Brian Kent]

John, all of the rest of my mugs are being finished with wipe-on poly - for this very reason. Since I am experimenting with a lot of ways of making these, I am also checking out the oil-soaked idea. This will probably be the only one I do like this.

Robert, the source of the space is that one of the staves was a hair shorter than the others and I didn't cut it or sand it far enough. This bottom is also experimental, since the other mugs either have a plug glued inside staved sides or are made of a solid piece of wood.

And David, thanks for the advice. I'll try it. This is a try-and-use or a try-and-toss experiment.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Brian, why not put it back on your lathe, and turn out a 1/4" groove around the base, and put 2-4 circles in the groove obtaining a tighter fit and better leak stoppage, and then re-turn the od. Make sense???? I tried..... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Brian Kent]

No sure what you mean, Jerry. Am I removing and remounting?

[Clint Merrill]

Hi Brian;
Neat mugs! May I suggest you try a mortise and tenon joint on the next one, Turn the tenon on the inside of the vertical ring and the mortise will be inside the cup. Most any water resistant glue will work and provide a near leak proof joint. You will be able to finish the inside of the mug this way also since the sides and bottom can be turned to completion before joining. Apply mineral oil after gluing tho.
Good luck, hope this will be of help.
Clint Merrill

[Thom Sturgill]

You could put it back on the lathe and part of the bottom and re-fit it. would do a step or rabbit in both pieces to increase the glue surface.

I suppose you don't want to be period authentic - they sealed the inside with pitch :eek:. At least that's what I read in the article on the picture I posted in the other thread. BTW, that tankard came from a ship and was made in the 1400's IIRC.

[Brian Kent]

When you figure out what is in grog - just enough rum to kill the algae and vermin in stagnant barrels of water, a little pitch couldn't be all that bad. :D

I like the mortise and tenon idea, but I don't know how to re-mount the sides for th making a mortise for that. Maybe I could turn the sides off the bottom, and make a tenon in the bottom, belt-sand the bottom of the sides flat, and insert the new bottom with tenon.

It's an experiment. I'll go try that and see what happens.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Thom 's idea is better than mine. But, I will try to articulate this better than the first try. Turn one groove at the existing seam about 1/4" wide or wider. Whatever looks good to you. Turn the depth about half as thick as the wall. Turn a ring as thick as the width of the groove and the diameter of the inside ....... Brian, go with the mortise and tenon. Less complicated.hehehe........ Jerry.

[Brian Kent]

Jerry, you are only about 400 miles away. I'll stop by and you can show me. :D

I just turned the tenon, re-glued and all is well.

Probably won't return to mineral oil either.

[robert baccus]

Brian, you might try a thin groove at the joint (parting tool) 1/8" deep and another just above for camo. and fill with dark dyed epoxy. It would clean thewood and allow a better joint perhaps.

[Jerry Marcantel]

[QUOTE=Brian Kent;2062571]Jerry, you are only about 400 miles away. I'll stop by and you can show me. :D

Anytime Brian, Just call first to make sure I'm home....... Jerry (in Tucson)