Question about "useable" wine glass

[Paul Williams]

I am making a mahogany wine glass with rings for a wedding present. What is a good finish for a glass that you expect to be used for wine? Should I finish the outside for appearance but not finish the inside? I have made several of these that were for display only and used my normal BLO followed by WOP. This is the first one that I think will actually be used for wine even if just for a yearly toast.

[Thom Sturgill]

Lacquerware has been used for thousands of years in asia. While modern formulations are not the same as traditional, I think they would provide as liquid proof as is needed. Acrylic, Epoxy, and Polyurthane should all create a liquid tight surface that can be used. That said I would advise them to not let liquid set in the vessel, and use white wine for their toast to prevent staining. I have given several as wedding gifts and no complaints yet.

Shellac on the other hand uses alcohol to dissolve....

[Brian Kent]

I agree with Thom. I have made dozens of communion chalices and only one leaked. That one was eucalyptus, which is prone to cracking. The surface wasn't the problem.

I have used WOP and Wood Turners Finish. Tomorrow I'll use all of these chalices for communion. I'll let you know how it goes. In this particular service the chalices will be full for 2 hours.

[Prashun Patel]

Nice stuff, Brian. Your congregation's lucky!

[Stan Smith]

Thanks for your post, Brian. I was just talking to our pastor last night about making a chalice. Our church uses grape juice instead of wine. Our church symbol is St. Andrews cross on a chalice. This will be quite a challenge for me. I think that I'll try a simple design first for practice. Those are really beautiful vessels in your pic!