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I often start a leisurely day in the shop with a breakfast of toast and a soft-boiled egg. Of course, as a hard-core woodworker, I’ve always wanted to make a simple set of eggcups of my own design, but experimenting soon revealed an awkward problem: Spilled egg is hard to clean up.
Oogloo is the solution. Oogloo is a homemade material that can be molded into any shape. (See “What Is Oogloo?” below.) Dried egg wipes right off this slippery stuff. Incorporating oogloo into a wooden cup is easy. Here’s how to do it:
Photo 1. Cut any shape you want on the bandsaw to outline the eggcup.
Photo 2. Round the cup’s edges on a router table. For safety, make a handled plate to guide the piece.
Start with 3/4″ thick cherry, cut into a 2-3/4” x 3-3/4” rectangle. Draw the outline of the eggcup on the wood and mark the centers of the two holes (Fig.01). Cut out the cup (Photo 1) and round over its edges (Photo 2; Fig. 02). Drill the holes, then sand and apply three coats of poly.
Photo 3. Drill two holes in the cup, then apply tape around the large hole. Cut the tape to expose the hole.
Photo 4. Begin making the molding material, called oogloo, by squeezing a measured amount of silicone into a plastic cup.
Photo 5. Mix in a precise amount of slightly damp cornstarch.
Photo 6. Add a small amount of enamel paint to color the oogloo.
Once the finish is cured, apply packing tape to the top of the cup (Photo 3) and cut around the large hole (Photo 4). Make the oogloo (Photos 4-6) and spoon it into the cup (Photo 7). To mold the oogloo, coat a regulation 40 mm Ping-Pong ball with petroleum jelly and push it into the oogloo (Photo 8). If you’re making a batch of eggcups, you can scrape away the excess and spoon it right away into another cup. Otherwise, let the oogloo cure for a few hours, then slice off the excess and remove the tape (Photo 9).
Photo 7. Pack the oogloo into the cup’s hole.
Photo 8. Press a Ping-Pong ball into the oogloo, to simulate the shape of an egg. Coat the ball with petroleum jelly, first.
Photo 9. After the oogloo hardens, slice off the excess and remove the tape.
After getting acquainted with oogloo, you’ll probably think of dozens of uses for it. It sticks to both wood and metal. If you form it in a wooden mold, coat the mold with petroleum jelly first.
Fig. A. Eggcup Plan View
Fig. B. Router Jig
What Is Oogloo?
Oogloo is a mixture of silicone caulk, a curing agent and paint. Normally, silicone caulk cures very slowly as it absorbs moisture from the air. But if you mix the silicone with an agent that contains a small amount of moisture, the curing process only takes a few hours.
The simplest agent to use is plain old cornstarch, which readily absorbs moisture. It’s too dry to use directly from the box, however. To prepare the cornstarch, spread it on a cookie sheet and leave it for a few days. If the air is very dry, lightly spritz the cornstarch with water, then let it sit.
You can thin oogloo with a small amount of mineral spirits if your project requires it to flow better.
Recipe for 1 eggcup
1/2 oz. silicone caulk
3/4 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp oil-based paint (optional)
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