Hey /diy/
I'm living on the move a little bit and I'm thinking about making a little tea chest to store all my teabags ( I like to have variety. )
I've got a prelim design im going to work on, and I had a quick search for some food safe and good sealants, ( interested in beeswax and olive oil. )
I'm just wondering if there's one that I could try and use to keep it relatively "smell tight" ( I'm guessing air tight )
atm I just store all my teabags in a little tupperware container and the smell is getting into each one, which isn't a big deal but I would like to take a fat wiff of the teabags. ( same for my eccentrically victimised guests. )
so is there some sort of recommendations that I can use to make a "sealed" wooden box? I was thinking originally just to use plywood, but if there's some other wood that I should use, or plywood outer and soft inner? I don't mind too much if the wood absorbs the smell. each has their home.
or would making a soft wood "lip" and sealing it with wax&oil would be enough?
cheers
Olive oil will go rancid eventually. There are plenty of oils that won't though. I personally wouldn't use a non drying oil to seal a surface that will hold something that needs to remain dry.
Don't use olive oil it will spoil, in fact you shouldn't finish the internal surfaces at all, just the external with whatever finish it will be fine, I own 2 tea caddies one is shellac finished one is varnished.
The one I have just uses a lip to seal the box and it keeps well.
Dont use ply inner, find something dry and neutral ash, hickory, beech and do a thin 5mm lining of the internals.
>>961676
>>961678
even with th beeswax? it's a mix but there's more oil than wax, so good point, duely noted, should I coat it with wax anyway? I don't want to use varnish or too "chemically" unless I have to, not a nutter just personally like "renewables"
>>961678
could I just make the dividing walls entirely out of those woods you've mentioned? I don't have too many tools to do something fancy like lining, so ash internals with a ply cover would be good?
I wouldn't want ply anywhere near my tea, personally... I can't imagine this thing needs to be large so I'd make it out of solid wood and finish it with shellac.
http://osmouk.com/sitechaptern.cfm?bookid=Products&chapter=82&page=255#TopOil
>>961673
>>961686
Go with shellac, wax and oil needs to be regularly reapplied, shellac is much tougher, although still a little delicate compared to varnish. (shellac is made from the secretions of the lac beetle from india. It's food safe, and in fact is part of the recipe for candy coatings like M&M's)
Also, consider felting the lid or something to form a compression fitting when you close it. Generally felting is done with a pressure activated glue, so cut to size with scissors or a knife, place with a layer of glue, smooth with the back of a spoon to get rid of any air bubbles and activate the glue. Also, felt will help absorb scent and release it when disturbed by air currents.
As long as you have reasonably tight joints (or use wood filler) then the corners won't be leaking, it'll be the lid.
Since you're going after the smell, you may want to go with a nice oak or other open grained wood, the open pores will also absorb scent well as long as you don't finish the inside of the box.
you may also want to consider getting a latch for the lid (if you're going with a hinged lid, anyway) that holds it firmly closed, like that old style cookie jar wire latch.
OP, how big do you want this thing? Size of a shoe box, cigar humidor, large chest, tiny jewelry box?
You might find this spice box design helpful, scale it down for tea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhXlZ8vsDtM
I would suggest finding glass jars with corks to store the tea in, or at least tin containers. Check amazon for both, they come in every size imaginable. These will keep your tea way fresher than any wooden box ever can. You can swap out teas like containers in cubby holes.
BTW, if anybody is making small boxes, I'm in the market for a couple. I can't find one in the dimensions I want.
