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Wood cups are perfect for drinking from, but they can also be a bit of a pain to use. After all, you have to worry about spilling water everywhere when you’re carrying the mug around and trying not to spill it while you drink. This phenomenon is incredibly annoying if you’re out on an adventure in the wild!
Luckily, it is easy to seal a wood cup or mug not to leak at all. This article will tell you How to Seal a Wooden Cup for Drinking.
Why You Should Seal Your Wood Cup
One of the most important reasons you should seal a wood cup is to prevent it from absorbing any flavors other than what’s inside. If you don’t want this to happen, you should work on sealing it in some way before using it for a function.
Another reason people use wax and mineral oil to coat their cups is because water can leak out of them if they are not sealed up properly.
Types of Waxing Materials Used to Seal a Wood Cup
Beeswax
Honey bees of the genus Apis create beeswax. It is primarily used in the production of candles but also has some other uses.
It can be used to seal the outside of the cup or mug, which will result in a natural watertight finish that is safe for you and your family’s use. Furthermore, it has a natural scent, and people like it.
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Linseed Oil
Linseed oil is a clear, drying oil obtained from linseeds (flax seeds) or flax plants (Linum usitatissimum). It may be either yellow or dark brown. The oil’s main component is linoleic acid, whose chemical name is octadic-9-enoic acid. In the oil, linoleic acid is present as a glyceride with three fatty acids.
It is a hardening oil used in wood finishing, painting, and surface coating for its drying properties. If you would like it to be waterproof, you should use linseed oil. Linseed helps prevent the wood from absorbing any other flavors other than what is inside the cup.
Linseed oil is flammable, so if you choose to use it, make sure not to leave a lit candle near the cup and be careful when using it as the fumes are pretty strong. It can be purchased from some art supply stores.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a non-toxic petroleum product used in a wide range of applications such as paint thinner, metal parts lubricant, cutting fluid, and furniture polish. When applied to the outside of the cup, it will coat the surface with an invisible layer that seals the wood fibers and prevents water from seeping.
Walnut Oil
Walnut oil has become a popular choice for people who want to use linseed oil without its pungent smell. It is darker in color than linseed oil and also does not harden upon drying. It is water-resistant and often used to finish wood surfaces such as tabletops, cabinet doors, floors, and furniture. However, the oils are costly to buy, so you may have to find someone who grows walnuts or knows someone planning to extract the oil from walnuts.
Tung Oil
Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil. It is the most commonly used finish in China, Japan, and Taiwan. In its pure form, it has a yellowish color and does not harden at all. This fact means that tung oil can be used for either finishing or impregnating wood, and it is often combined with other oils to produce an improved result. Tung Oil dries by absorption into the pores of the wood surface rather than by evaporation like any different oil finish.
Steps To How To Seal A Wooden Cup For Drinking:
There are various ways people choose to seal their cups, and most of them are quite simple.
1. Coat the outside of the cup with beeswax or food-grade mineral oil.
2. All you need to do is coat the outside of the cup with beeswax or food-grade mineral oil, pretty, or any other materials.
3. Make sure that the cup is clean and dry before waxing it.
4. Coat the inside of the cup with linseed oil or something similar if you need to make it waterproof.
5. Wait for the wax/oil to dry and repeat until there is an even layer on both the outside and inside of the cup
6. However, if you don’t need this level of protection and are just looking for a way to seal the cup so that it doesn’t absorb any flavors other than what’s inside- then all you need is some beeswax!
7. Enjoy your new wood cup!
Tips to Seal a Wood Cup for Drinking
a) New wooden cups will absorb water, which means that they are not entirely sealed yet, and you should avoid using them till they have been adequately sealed to prevent them from absorbing any other flavors like tea or coffee.
b) Keep in mind that you want the stick to last as long as possible, so pouring a small amount of hot water into your cup before using it for drinks will help it to last much longer.
c) Lacquers or other alkaline are not food safe wood finish. Be very careful not to treat your wood with these chemicals.
d) Wooden or bamboo sticks made from reeds are incredibly thin, fragile, and break easily. You should only use the cup for holding water. Do not try to stir the coffee with your wooden stick because it will most likely ruin your beautiful cup.
Also, do not attempt to hold hot drinks in this cup as they could burn your mouth.
e) The wooden cup you have sealed will help keep the water cool as it is exposed to air, especially when compared with plastic or metal cups.
However, wooden cups are not insulated by nature, so do not expect them to be cooler than any other type of cup.
f) Make sure that the wax/oil has completely dried before drinking from the cup. If you do not leave enough time for it to dry, there is a chance that the liquid will seep through and find its way into the cup, and you will end up with a wax/oil flavored drink.
g) For best results, apply a new layer of wax every few months.
Can You Use Your Wood Cups for Holding Hot Drinks?
No! It’s best not to try and heat your drinks in anything other than a ceramic or metal vessel. Likewise, you should not attempt to heat liquids in any wood products other than properly insulated cups and pots as they can burn you!
Conclusion
This article explains the steps to seal a wood cup, mug, or even drinking horn for drinking or to store gourd extract or even oils such as coconut and olive oil. We’ve also provided some tips on sealing your cups and what you should avoid doing with them.
Wooden or bamboo sticks are very delicate, so make sure that they’re used only for water! The waxing materials can be beeswax or food-grade mineral oil and linseed oil if you need it waterproofed but most importantly, allow enough time for them to dry before using.
Also, keep in mind that the stick is not meant to hold any type of hot drink, and you should be using ceramic or metal cups if you want to drink a hot beverage.
Enjoy your new wood cup filled with water or your preferred beverage. If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting these principles, let us know.
What is the best finish if you are using your wood cup for hot tea? Would Tung oil work?
Either you can use linseed oil or pure walnut oil.
Thank you, this article has been very useful; clear and concise and easy to read.
Our pleasure. 🙂