Testing an Idea

[Harry Robinette]

I'm trying out an idea,The Dip-it tool handle stuff is water proof from what I can find out. So I made a small planter and sealed it with countless coats of General Finish Out Door Oil except in the meddle of the inside where the dirt will be. This is a piece of wet Maple that I started with but what I want to find out is if the Dip-it well keep the bowl portion from cracking. Somewhere on the internet maybe 6 or8 months age I read about a guy who was trying this stuff for the inside of a vase but can't find anything about it not even the part I read.
I was just playing around with this piece of wood when the thought pop into my mind again so here we go,hope it works. The spike is to hold it in place.DSCN0845.jpgDSCN0847.jpgDSCN0848.jpg

[Brian Kent]

It sure is worth the experiment. Thank you for showing us as you try it.

[Dennis Nagle]

Don't see why it won't work. I think it is a great idea.

[robert baccus]

If I understand, you are trying to waterproof a wood vase for growing soil containment-right. Probably work but have you tried polyester resin or epoxy resin. They hold boats and pools together usually waterproof. You can add various fibers to the mix to give it more tensile strength. Many cars today are made of resin/fiberglass matrixs but the resins are the glue & waterproofer. They are also readily colored by common stains.

[Harry Robinette]

Robert
What I'm doing is trying to find something that can be used inside a vase to hold water but not let the green wood crack the finish or the wood. Everything like the resins wont move with the wood it's to hard and ends up cracking or separating from the wood . I'm doing it with the planter cause that's what I turned and it will hold the moisture with out constantly adding water. At lest that's the idea,so this will be an ongoing thing.
Just a crazy thought ( I have a lot of these ).

[Paul Gilbert]

Harry -
When looking at your pictures, it appears that around the rim of your planter you have staining because the bark color leached into the underlying wood. Did you flood the bark around the rim with thin CA? Is this just my perception, or is this the natural color of the green wood?

As to your original question, I think you are applying the tool handle stuff prematurely. All of my reading on the mater of drying bowls points to encouraging the inside to dry before the exterior, i.e. wrapping the rim and exterior in shrink wrap and leaving the interior bare. The tool handle stuff seems like a good idea after the planter is dry and ready to be placed in service.

[Doug Herzberg]

Harry, I think it's a great idea, but one problem might be that most planters need a drain hole. If it were a vase to hold cut flowers I think it would be fine.

If it does need a drain, I guess you could drill a hole and coat the inside with the tool handle stuff, but I think it would kill most turners to make a funnel on purpose.

Please keep us posted -my wife has been asking for water proof vases since I started this hobby.

[Harry Robinette]

Paul : The idea is to try this and see if it well work with still green wood not dry wood.
The color around the planters natural edge is from the bleeding of the bark from many,many,many coats of General Finish Outdoor Oil.
Doug : The planter has 3 3/8" holes drilled in it for drainage,It did take a minute to do them but it is just an experiment. Oh I did coat the inside with the
Dip-it. you can see discoloration if you look close in the 3 places.
I well keep an ongoing how it's doing post also. Paul can up with something with the dry wood and the Dip-it which might be a way to go for vase's.

[robert baccus]

Try waxing(endseal) the outside of the vase and keeping it full of water. I'v had luck at this for reasons you don't want to hear for a year now with no leaks???