# Water sealing vases



## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

I've been messing around with segmented turning this week, what started out as a throwaway project has turned into something pretty cool and now I'm thinking I should probably finish it right.

I was wondering if anybody has discovered a way of sealing the inside of a wood vase to hold water.

Aside from a glass or plastic insert… I've tried leaving heavy coats of polyurethane inside but not with good results. Always the odd fiber or hole which water would wick through I'm sure. I was wondering if there was something you could fill the vase entirely with, polyester or epoxy resin, then bore a hole for water to sit in. Any thoughts?

Any better ideas..? Cheers in advance


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

You could possibly try flex seal liquid, comes in different colors, just brush a few cots inside and let it cure good. If you cand patch a boat with a screen door, it's worth a try. It has worked on other things for me. I might try a vase myself. Thanks for the idea!


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

You could possibly try flex seal liquid, comes in different colors, just brush a few cots inside and let it cure good. If you can patch a boat with a screen door, it's worth a try. It has worked on other things for me. I might try a vase myself. Thanks for the idea!


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Coating the inside with epoxy should work. As large as it is you probably want to get some 30 minute to give you time to coat the entire surface before it sets. You can brush it on but what I would try is to pour epoxy in and lean it over as you slowly spin it to cover ever bit. You may want to keep it moving until you notice that is is starting to thicken. Once it is all covered you can either just set it on its base and let the excess settle to the bottom or pour the extra out. I suppose that you could also mount it back on the lathe and let it turn at about 50 RPM until it sets?

A CA finish might work too but there is no safe way to apply it inside the vase with such a narrow opening.

That's going to be a nice looking vase, BTW.


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## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

I have tried filling with epoxy and rotating to cover everything. Wasn't happy with the results it was pretty thick and I probably didn't use enough. Any imperfection, crack bubble or fiber sticking through will cause water to wick into the wood I don't think a layer of anything is adequate. Not without proper access internally to prep and finish properly between layers. I think it would have to be a fill and redrill.

I'm actually thinking this is probably too cool to risk ruining with experiments. I might just oil it down and gift it with a dry flower arrangement.

Thanks! I've got it out of lathe now drying with some pva/dust where the flat rings weren't quite flat enough (I did say it was a throwaway =/). I do quite like the shape it has taken though! All sort of by accident. Dictated by the ring sizes which were just a guess.

Has inspired me make a better hollowing tool. I made this one on the center lathe some time ago for some weird job I was doing but it doesn't quite cut it for hollowing big surfaces. Would the swan neck type tools you see for sale be adequate for hollowing smoothly to the depth of this vase or do you need a captured system? Trailing off track anyway… Thanks!


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

I would look for some kind of plastic, glass or metal vase
to fit snugly into the neck to hold the water. that would
completely eliminate any possible water damage.

a neat trick would be to have the "vase" insert on hand prior
to doing the final turning. that way, you can turn the inside
of the neck diameter the size of the insert.
visit your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store. there are
KaZillions of "vase" items there that would work for you.










.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

You might want to look at the Hunter hollowing tools that use the shear cut carbide. Once you get the hang of them, they leave an amazing finish compared to other types of carbide tools.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I'm not sure it is possible to do what you want. I think the glass insert is a better idea, and a lot easier to pull off.


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