Goblet finishing question

[Tom Sherman]

I have been asked to make a pair of goblets by a young lady that LOML works with. She plans to present them to her parents who are into Wine tasting. LOML showed her a demo goblet made from Ash, which she loved and would like the pair to made of the same wood. What type of finish would be best for such a project. TIA

[Ben Gastfriend]

I'd buff some beeswax on. The beeswax give the project a really nice shine, and is also food safe because sometimes the glasses might be around food.

[Dean Thomas]

Since the parents are into wine tasting, I'd say they'll be around food.

If you're hoping for a finish that is wine friendly, the one that I've seen that seems to work is salad bowl finish. The problem is that while the finished product is safe to drink from, I'm not sure that wine devotées are going to be wanting to use wood for that. Plus they really like to swirl the wine to look at color and clarity and such.

Check with LOYL's friend to see what her intentions are. If she's thinking USEful gift, you might ask her to consider something from Craft Supply (and others, I'm sure) that permanently glues a dandy glass bowl onto wooden stems.

Just a thought or three. One or three, same price.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have heard Waterlox Gloss resists heat, alcohol, food, etc. Also a epoxy finish is good for goblets. I have never used the epoxy so hopefully someone else will jump in here Tom. All finishes today are food safe after drying minimum 72 hrs. You might do a google search on Waterlox. I use it for food safe because heat won't bother it if you use like hot veggies or gravies. You might check General Finishes Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal. I aslo use it for a food safe finish like on salad bowls. Don't know how it would hold up with alcohol. May take several coats. If they put red wine in the goblet and you don't have a good finish it will stain the light colored wood.

[Jon Lanier]

I does seem that to drink wine from, wood would not be in order. They can't see it. I might suggest getting some glass golets and make the stem out of wood.

[Dean Thomas]

Meant to say this before:

Wine fanciers are pretty particular about what they drink their fancy wines out of. Most of the wine-proof finishes that we use are essentially some sort of plastic. Epoxy, urethane, poly-urethane, any of the salad-bowl synthetic finishes, they're all some version of petrochemical...plastic by any other name.

Even when these finishes are fully cured, they sometimes feel more like plastic than like glass. Plus for a fussy taster, I'm guessing that even if no flavors were retained from tasting to tasting, and even if no flavors were given off from the plastic itself, there would be a krinkling of the nose at the thought of drinking from something non-glass.

Just to reinforce the pickiness of some of these folks, I've observed a scene being made in a restaurant when the customer ordered an expensive bottle of wine and watched as the bar-keep washed and rinsed their glasses in (gasp) TAP WATER! Just the residue of chlorine in a glass is enough to make devout oenophiles roll their collective eyes and nearly die of disgust!

Again, just trying to forewarn. Friend's parents may not be that way at all and be absolutely FINE with wooden goblets. 'Twood be good, IMHO, to check first, however.

[Curt Fuller]

With a wood like ash, which is pretty pourous, without a finish that seals the wood the wood is going to stain from the wine. You might want to talk them into something like one of the blackwoods or one of the rosewoods (hopefully they won't be allergic) that will polish up nice with no finish and still be water tight.

[Neal Addy]

LOL! I can relate to Dean's comments. I don't know how fussy her parents are about their wine, but connoisseurs would never drink from anything made of wood. Those types go for wine glasses that may cost $100 a piece (Google on Riedel stemware sometime) and will never be washed with anything but distilled water. Any chance of an impurity is unthinkable to them.

I'm not knocking it for those who are into it. Just thought you should be aware.

[Dean Thomas]

LOL! I can relate to Dean's comments. I don't know how fussy her parents are about their wine, but connoisseurs would never drink from anything made of wood.

I just couldn't remember how to spell connoisseurs and was too lazy to look it up or use spell check!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'd suggest glass goblet with a wooden stem. Glass won't stain and you could use any alcohol resistant finish on the stem.........lacquer.....anything alcohol resistant.

[Jon Lanier]

I came across this stuff... Walnut Oil, wax mixture you can buy:

http://www.bowlmakerinc.com/bowlcare.html

[Bob Hallowell]

How 'bout somethin like this? hand blown glass is from craft supply.

Bob

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jon,
That's good stuff. I use it on all my utility items. We eat most meals off maple plates I have made. About once per year I refresh the finish with Mike's Oil/wax mixture.

I don't think it's the ticket for wine glasses thou.

Frank

[Tom Sherman]

Thanks guys for the input, it seems that I need to ask some direct questions prior to doing this one.