What would you use to finish wooden bottle toppers?

I’ve made some very cute (in my opinion) bottle stopper tops. They are painted. What would be a good finishing agent to keep the paint looking new that is also food safe to protect the wine?

I’m looking for something that stays shiny permanently (or as permanently as possible).

Does shellac wear off?
Is varnish/lacquer food safe?
What about coating it in a clear coat of epoxy resin (like ArtResin that says it’s non-toxic)

It’s my first year making these, and I’d like them to last. Thanks!

technically all finishes wear off over time, however some are more durable. Shellac or lacquer would be good but wont have the same durability as a 2 part resin. I would go with a 2 part clear bartop resin. Personally, I use East Coast resin brand off Amazon. the 16 oz kit will last a really long time when used for smaller projects like this one. I use it to coat my wood drink ware like shot glasses and goblets.

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Shellac is nice and easy to restore. It’s weakness is alcohol though. You can use it for the pop before applying another finish.

There is the 3 part friction finish we use for pens. Oil, shellac, and oil.

Spray on lacquer is easy to apply.

Just paste wax is nice.

CA is popular. I don’t like applying it, esp don’t like the toxic fumes.

@Lordrook. How do you apply the epoxy?

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Yep, would be a terrible choice as the final coat for a wine stopper!
Reminds me of a commercial tech rep’s story about a customer who complained about a finish fail on a commercial bartop. Turns out the guy has decided the shellac finish looked so good, he opted to not topcoat with anything else. Since you dissolve shellac flakes in alcohol, you can quickly imagine why the finish didn’t survive on a bar.

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I like all of the ideas put forth. The two part resin is bullet proof but requires some technique to get right. Wax is easy and can be done regularly. CA is an awesome finish for pens and other objects human beings handle routinely, but as @talkers says isn’t real fun to apply, especially if you don’t like the fumes. Regular old varnish would probably work, too. I like EEE, too as it seems to be pretty durable as well. I finish a lot of pens with it.

I don’t think it being food safe is as important as say a cutting board, but many finishes are food safe in the bottle stopper context. Like @bertberaht says though shellac is a very bad idea as alcohol ruins the finish.

Something I used to recommend at Rockler, when I worked there, is to take a piece of wood, preferably of the same variety, and finish it with a particular finish to see if you like it. This was usually in reference to larger projects than a bottle stopper, but the principle still applies. This way you’ll have an idea of what the finished product will look like. If you go to Rockler, there is a guy there named Dan who is an expert in finishing. He will be happy to help you and show you some alternatives.

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I mix a batch up, hit it with a hair dryer to make it more viscous, then dip the item and hang it. So that means before you start you would need to rig something to hang it from. Then as it begins to set up (refer to the manufacturers data sheet for working time) make sure to address any final droplets that haven’t dripped off the end yet. worst case you have to sand a droplet off the bottom and polish that one section. a single dried drop bump is pretty easy to mitigate.

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Is this the Arlington, or Richardson Rocklers, @coloneldan?

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I worked at the Richardson one and that is where “Hippie Dan” works, too. His full name is Dan Chenault, but he like to go by Hippie Dan. He’s also a guitar maker so if anyone wants to know how to make them Dan can help there, too. Guys making guitars club, https://guitarpr.com/guys-building-guitars-club-builds-charity/, also meets at the Richardson store.

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Hippie Dan is the best! He led the pen turning for veterans last Saturday. He’s very knowledgeable and very helpful.

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You might want to consider General Finishes Salad bowl finish. Dries glossy and is pretty durable, and most important, is food safe.

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