Safe bowl finish

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

ImEricToo

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2021
Messages
30
Location
NJ, US
Hello All,

Started pen turning and enjoying very much. I have some bowl blanks that I want to turn as a 'generic' bowl - keeping on dining room table, kitchen counter, but NOT for foods. However, do have dogs in the house, so technically should be food safe in case they get their mouth on it - highly unlikely, but better safe than sorry.

That being said I am looking for a very simple finish that I can buy in the store. I am seeing salad bowl finish, butcher block, etc. One is Howard cutting board oil. Seems safe and simple. Any thoughts or other suggestions. Again, just a one step process that is nice looking. My first bowls, so want to focus on simplicity at first.

Thanks a bunch for any thoughts and advice!

Eric
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

monophoto

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
2,542
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Howard's cutting board finish is a mineral oil/beeswax blend that is fine for food contact. And it's widely available - most Home Despot and Lowes stores carry it, as do Ace and other hardware stores.

You can buy similar finishes in stores that sell wooden ware, but they are often more expensive - not because they are better, but because they are sold in specialty stores. They come in a variety of viscosities - Howard's product is a syrupy liquid, but you can also find products that look and feel like paste wax. It all comes down to the proportions of wax and oil in the blend.

There is a treenware factory/store near here that sells what appears to be a pure mineral oil for rejuvenating their product - just oil, no wax. That's another option, but if you choose to go that route, be aware that you can buy medical grade mineral oil at the pharmacy for a lot less than you would have to pay for an essentially identical product in a treenware shop. And I've heard that veterinary-grade mineral oil is even less expensive at stores that specialize in farm goods.
 

mrmotto

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
1
Location
Washington
Hello All,

Started pen turning and enjoying very much. I have some bowl blanks that I want to turn as a 'generic' bowl - keeping on dining room table, kitchen counter, but NOT for foods. However, do have dogs in the house, so technically should be food safe in case they get their mouth on it - highly unlikely, but better safe than sorry.

That being said I am looking for a very simple finish that I can buy in the store. I am seeing salad bowl finish, butcher block, etc. One is Howard cutting board oil. Seems safe and simple. Any thoughts or other suggestions. Again, just a one step process that is nice looking. My first bowls, so want to focus on simplicity at first.

Thanks a bunch for any thoughts and advice!

Eric
Walnut oil does a very good job. You can also use it to as you sand through the various grits. It hardens in two weeks and is food safe . It can be reapplied as many time as you like.
 

montmill

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Messages
635
Location
13528 Old Hwy. G Montfort, Wisconsin
Richard Raffan uses boiled linseed oil rubbed in followed by beeswax applied on the lathe while spinning to build up heat. Simple and cheap. He does mostly products that are to be used regularly. Refresh with BLO as needed.
 

monophoto

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
2,542
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Richard Raffan uses boiled linseed oil rubbed in followed by beeswax applied on the lathe while spinning to build up heat. Simple and cheap. He does mostly products that are to be used regularly. Refresh with BLO as needed.
True BLO (made by heat-treating raw linseed oil in a vacuum chamber) is generally (see exception below) food-safe. Unfortunately, most commercial BLO is using a less expensive process involving chemically treating raw linseed oil with metal compounds (including cobalt) that accelerate polymerization, and those metal compounds should not be ingested. There are a few heat-treated BLOs out there that don't contain metallic dryers, but they are specialty products that you probably won't find at your neighborhood hardware store.

And Mr Vic's concern about walnut oil is valid - some people are allergic to walnuts, so for them, walnut oil is a no-no. I suppose there are people who are allergic to flax seed (which would rule out linseed oil). And while pure Tung oil is probably generally food safe for most folks, its possible that some people are allergic to Tung nuts. And so on - - -

And many commercial 'food safe' finishes contain beeswax - even through it is well known that some people (my wife included) have allergies to some honey and beeswax - depending on the plants from which the bees collect nectar to make honey. I think the allergy is actually to the pollen from those plants that is carried over and becomes part of the honey, and also the beeswax.

And then there is the argument that finishes may be n,on-food safe when you apply them, but become food safe after they have fully cure.d.

And then there is the matter of allergies to various timbers.

The point is that there is no way to guarantee that a bowl you make will be safe for everyone. Instead, the best you can do is to choose materials that are convenient for you to obtain, and then make sure that anyone who buys or is given one of your bowls is fully aware of the materials used to make it so they can make an informed decision about they can use it.
 

penicillin

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
1,036
I use and recommend Tried and True finishes for bowls and many other woodworking / woodturning projects. Their finishes are simple and totally food safe. Tried and True is a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. ... a very long way. Tried and True are linseed oil finishes, but they do not use any of the toxic metallic driers or other toxic additives that are in the common "boiled linseed oil."

https://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com
https://turnawoodbowl.com/my-favorite-food-safe-wood-finish-waterproof-almost/

No affiliation - just a satisfied customer. I use many different finishes for woodturning and woodworking projects, including mineral oil finishes. I use mineral oil finishes on cutting boards, but prefer the Tried and True finishes for turned wood bowls.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
I have used different products for different applications but all are food safe. I use to make a fruit basket that also had a banana hanging post on it and for that I used Salad Bowl oil https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-topcoats/oil-based-wood-bowl-finish

I have made a few cutting boards over the years and used this https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/maintenance-polishes-and-waxes/butcher-block-oil

And most recently I make alot of these fruit bowls and bread bowls or whatever you want to put in them and I use Danish oil. But what I tell most my customers that yes it is food safe because it has cured, I still recommend them put a towel or doily under the food.

656Fruit_Baskets-med.jpg
Copy of IMGP0147.JPG
 

bsshog40

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
2,354
Location
Omaha, Tx
I've used Wood Turners Finish which works nicely also. The more coats you add, the more gloss you get.
 

ImEricToo

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2021
Messages
30
Location
NJ, US
I have used different products for different applications but all are food safe. I use to make a fruit basket that also had a banana hanging post on it and for that I used Salad Bowl oil https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-topcoats/oil-based-wood-bowl-finish

I have made a few cutting boards over the years and used this https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/maintenance-polishes-and-waxes/butcher-block-oil

And most recently I make alot of these fruit bowls and bread bowls or whatever you want to put in them and I use Danish oil. But what I tell most my customers that yes it is food safe because it has cured, I still recommend them put a towel or doily under the food.

View attachment 332184View attachment 332185
Wow - those are awesome!
 

Pierre---

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
410
Location
France
And what about no finish at all? Why would you use any? If you can answer this question open-minded, it could help. Of course, if you really want to buy it in the store, my suggestion is of no help.
 

monophoto

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
2,542
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
And what about no finish at all? Why would you use any? If you can answer this question open-minded, it could help. Of course, if you really want to buy it in the store, my suggestion is of no help.
Valid point - if there is a question about the food-compatibility of various finishes, why not just burnish the wood with high-grit abrasives and be done with it.

I got into a discussion about finishing with a bowl turner at a craft fair in Vermont a number of years ago. His standard was to sand, crayon on some beeswax, and burnish. He knew that wax alone would not last very long, and said that in his opinion, it only served to make the bowl cosmetically appealing to the purchaser and only needed to last long enough for the purchaser to get the bowl home - one the bowl is used and washed a couple of times, the wax will be gone.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
And what about no finish at all? Why would you use any? If you can answer this question open-minded, it could help. Of course, if you really want to buy it in the store, my suggestion is of no help.
Easy answer from me. Looks. All about bringing the wood to life. Wood in a dry state is all dull looking in my eyes. I need to enhance the grain. Also trying to add some protection from stains and maybe even abuse. Why not put no finish on wood pens?
 

Pierre---

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
410
Location
France
Easy answer from me. Looks. All about bringing the wood to life. Wood in a dry state is all dull looking in my eyes. I need to enhance the grain. Also trying to add some protection from stains and maybe even abuse. Why not put no finish on wood pens?
That could be a good reason, John. Then, a wiping with salad oil would do it. Better than any petroleum by-product in my opinion.
 

farmer

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
807
Location
NV
Carnauba wax is food safe Used on M&M candies
So is Shellac ( lac bug **** ) is safe to eat.
Was used on almost all wooden children's toys
 
Top Bottom