Ignorant newbie question on vases

[Bob Grimshaw]

I was hoping to make a vase using box joinery, probably simple box joints. My question is really simple, if my joints are tight enough, do I just have to coat the inside with polyurethane to make it water-tight? Or do I have to line it with something?

[Bill Wyko]

I would still line it with some sort of plastic or something

[Clint Schlosser]

You could easily just coat it with epoxy. I know from experience that it will hold water. In fact the mug sitting on my desk right now is coated with it. I would suggest Mirror Coat from West Systems. The easier solution (read cheaper) is what was already mentioned which is to just place a plastic container inside the vessel.

[Joe Chritz]

The above for west systems is good advice.

I recently read an article about making aquariums from wood using west systems for the inside coating.

Be sitting down when you start pricing quality epoxy. Finding a liner of some kind and building the box to fit is a much more economical plan.

Joe

[Bob Grimshaw]

I was thinking of looking for a glass or plastic container, I was just worried about what would happen if, 5 years from now, said container broke and I couldn't find a suitable replacement. Guess I'd have to get into glass making :)

I'll look into the epoxy, but I'm kind of scared now of the cost.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'll look into the epoxy, but I'm kind of scared now of the cost.


Don't be.
Epoxy is cheap stuff. The only reason West is so expensive is the liability they incur based on their stated application: Aircraft and Marine. People's lives are on the line in both applications and the liability risks are high. So, quite logically, their cost is high also.

Don't be afraid to look for other epoxy dealers. The Chemical technology to produce epoxy is easy cheap and hard to mess up.

For reasons to avoid West other than price ( and I think that's plenty of reason). I don't think they make an Amine Free epoxy. Amines are those waxy compounds that build up on the surface of cured epoxy.
I sure don't want to eat 'em and they interfere with subsequent coats of more epoxy forcing you to sand the surface to get rid of them before re-applying.

Here's some:
http://tinyurl.com/4np5my
http://tinyurl.com/3u7r94 (my preferred manufacturer)
http://tinyurl.com/3lrkub (Amine Free epoxies)\
http://tinyurl.com/4y747p (Epoxy for oily wood)

[Joe Chritz]

Actually it wouldn't be hard at all to make a glass container for the inside of a vase that was square or rectangular.

I have repaired a few aquariums by removing the entire bottom and reapplying. In fact a 40 gallon that has two aquatic turtles in it is in my living room. A few months ago I had the whole bottom off.

Some glass panels, a tube of silicone and you are GTG.

Joe

[Jamie Buxton]

There is a traditional cup for sake in Japan, called a masu. It is a little softwood box, with finger joints at the corners. It has no finish, and is sufficiently watertight for the intended use...