Tips for Wood Species & Glue-Ups

[Paul Gust]

I am relatively new to woodturning and I could use some pointers on a couple of items. I'm starting a new project (not to resale) for a couple of clients/friends and I'll need to glue up the blanks, 4'' x 4'' x 4'' per cup. Should I be worried about any grain direction issues while gluing up the 8/4 (or larger) material? There will be liquids in the finished piece, so I'll need as "watertight" of a joint as possible (I know water and wood don't work well together). It's more of a keepsake than anything else, with an occasional toast of alcohol from time to time. To that extent, I've been told maple and cherry are the best species to use for a project like this. Does this sound right, or does anyone have any other recommendations for species that will look good and hold up to a food-safe durable finish? I've been told to stay away from oily woods (teak, olivewood, etc.), but I would like to use a species that "pops" a little more than hard maple/cherry. Maybe a curly or figured maple? It's most important the species is durable though. I'm told for a project like this, the best options are species with small-medium pores, diffuse-porous, and higher Janka & dried weight levels. It's hard to find something that fits those qualities at 8/4. I'm trying to minimize my glue lines, max 1-2 (unless this doesn't make a difference?). Finally (if you're still reading), I am planning on finishing the insides with a wipe-on food-safe poly and the outsides with Odie's Oil. Any thoughts here? I know finishes are tricky and there's never going to be just one correct answer. I look forward to hearing people's thoughts on all of this. There are a lot of questions/topics I touched on and I don't expect to get answers on all of them. But, if anyone has some advice on just 1 or 2 of the items, that would be greatly appreciated! I'll take all the information, pointers, suggestions, tips, guidance, instructions, or anything else as I can! Paul

 

[Earl McLain]

Your photo (sample i'm assuming) shows the grain running vertically--so the turning would be in spindle orientation. Unless you really want to segment, i'm thinking we just need to adjust where you're looking for wood. I'm just just a hobby-turner homeowner, and i've got enough cherry & maple to get you at least a few hundred blanks like you show.
Check with Dave at Green Valley Wood Products in Brazil, IN--he's relatively inexpensive on domestics, usually okay in pricing on exotics, but doesn't always have broad inventory. You might also check local Craigslist (for sale-->materials), and maybe facebook marketplace. I'm 2 hours from the nearest Rockler or Woodcraft, but between CL and FBM i've found 4 local hobby sawmills. Wood-Mizer (sawmill maker) has a "local sawyer" registry on their web site as well, some people report good results there.
On the finish--make sure whatever you use is alcohol resistant, given your comments!!

Good luck!!
earl

 

[Brian Gustin]

You know, whiskey and wine casks are frequently made from plain old white oak. Insides are charred after they are done, and no finish to them, they been used hundreds of years for whiskey aging, so I don't see any reason you need to worry too much about finish if it's gonna be a once in a while shot of booze. Quarter Sawn white oak can have some nice figure to it as well, so don't necessarily need to limit yourself to a diffuse porous grain wood. You could easily get some 8/4 white oak for pretty decent price, then cut yourself a bunch of staves (perhaps long enough to turn 3 or 4 cups/tumblers) and you can glue in turned and fitted bottoms from the same lumber.

BEAR IN MIND - if you are going to turn them side grain as shown in your photos (spindle turning orientation) out of a whole chunk, you likely will need an excellent bottom sealer/finish or the alcohol can seep right through following the grain (hence my suggestion to do staves with turned "plugs" for the bottom)

 

[Mike Johnson]

Any sawyer can hook you up with solid wood billets of maple or oak that size. As Earl mentioned above Green Valley has a good selection
of wood billets and Dave will cut any size of billet you need if you give him a heads up on the type and size you are looking for.
I bought a bunch of maple drops from a baseball bat company several years ago, they might work for you, they used to list them on eBay.
They do have "White Wood" in the big box stores in 4x4 dimensions along with other hardwoods, but you will pay a premium there.
Check your local CraigsList and search for sawmill, you will find several in your area that cut wood every day, many of them cut wood
blanks for people in the wood crafting hobby and business.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

You know, whiskey and wine casks are frequently made from plain old white oak. Insides are charred after they are done, and no finish to them, they been used hundreds of years for whiskey aging, so I don't see any reason you need to worry too much about finish if it's gonna be a once in a while shot of booze. Quarter Sawn white oak can have some nice figure to it as well, so don't necessarily need to limit yourself to a diffuse porous grain wood. You could easily get some 8/4 white oak for pretty decent price, then cut yourself a bunch of staves (perhaps long enough to turn 3 or 4 cups/tumblers) and you can glue in turned and fitted bottoms from the same lumber.

BEAR IN MIND - if you are going to turn them side grain as shown in your photos (spindle turning orientation) out of a whole chunk, you likely will need an excellent bottom sealer/finish or the alcohol can seep right through following the grain (hence my suggestion to do staves with turned "plugs" for the bottom)

? Why is this thread in 2 places ? In the other one I have displayed a coopered 15 stave tankard out of white oak and if needed I could provide the unpublished article.

 

[Brian Gustin]

? Why is this thread in 2 places ? In the other one I have displayed a coopered 15 stave tankard out of white oak and if needed I could provide the unpublished article.

No idea, you'd have to ask the O.P. or moderators how that happened...

 

[Tim Starliper]

Another source for wood that I have used is Cook Woods out of Oregon. When buying from their website, the wood that is pictured with a number on it is the exact piece you will receive. They do have wood available that is not on their website, they even have a statement to contact them if you do not see what you want. You should easily be able to find a single blank in the dimensions you need. I second the recommendation to turn a plug for the bottom, having endgrain in the bottom will make for a rather leaky vessel - the grain is pretty much like straws.

 

[Paul Gust]

Your photo (sample i'm assuming) shows the grain running vertically--so the turning would be in spindle orientation. Unless you really want to segment, i'm thinking we just need to adjust where you're looking for wood. I'm just just a hobby-turner homeowner, and i've got enough cherry & maple to get you at least a few hundred blanks like you show.
Check with Dave at Green Valley Wood Products in Brazil, IN--he's relatively inexpensive on domestics, usually okay in pricing on exotics, but doesn't always have broad inventory. You might also check local Craigslist (for sale-->materials), and maybe facebook marketplace. I'm 2 hours from the nearest Rockler or Woodcraft, but between CL and FBM i've found 4 local hobby sawmills. Wood-Mizer (sawmill maker) has a "local sawyer" registry on their web site as well, some people report good results there.
On the finish--make sure whatever you use is alcohol resistant, given your comments!!

Good luck!!
earl

Thanks for the recommendations, Earl!

 

[Paul Gust]

You know, whiskey and wine casks are frequently made from plain old white oak. Insides are charred after they are done, and no finish to them, they been used hundreds of years for whiskey aging, so I don't see any reason you need to worry too much about finish if it's gonna be a once in a while shot of booze. Quarter Sawn white oak can have some nice figure to it as well, so don't necessarily need to limit yourself to a diffuse porous grain wood. You could easily get some 8/4 white oak for pretty decent price, then cut yourself a bunch of staves (perhaps long enough to turn 3 or 4 cups/tumblers) and you can glue in turned and fitted bottoms from the same lumber.

BEAR IN MIND - if you are going to turn them side grain as shown in your photos (spindle turning orientation) out of a whole chunk, you likely will need an excellent bottom sealer/finish or the alcohol can seep right through following the grain (hence my suggestion to do staves with turned "plugs" for the bottom)

Thanks, Brian!

 

[Paul Gust]

Any sawyer can hook you up with solid wood billets of maple or oak that size. As Earl mentioned above Green Valley has a good selection
of wood billets and Dave will cut any size of billet you need if you give him a heads up on the type and size you are looking for.
I bought a bunch of maple drops from a baseball bat company several years ago, they might work for you, they used to list them on eBay.
They do have "White Wood" in the big box stores in 4x4 dimensions along with other hardwoods, but you will pay a premium there.
Check your local CraigsList and search for sawmill, you will find several in your area that cut wood every day, many of them cut wood
blanks for people in the wood crafting hobby and business.

Will do. Thanks!

 

[Paul Gust]

Another source for wood that I have used is Cook Woods out of Oregon. When buying from their website, the wood that is pictured with a number on it is the exact piece you will receive. They do have wood available that is not on their website, they even have a statement to contact them if you do not see what you want. You should easily be able to find a single blank in the dimensions you need. I second the recommendation to turn a plug for the bottom, having endgrain in the bottom will make for a rather leaky vessel - the grain is pretty much like straws.

Thanks, Tim!