What to finish grinders with?

[Alzey]

I am about to make my first salt and pepper grinders. I have the kits just need to get the drill bits and decide on the wood.

My questions are:

What do you finish the outside with?
What do you finish the inside with?
Do you use different finishes for salt and pepper?
Are there woods to avoid in these applications?

Thanks for the info

 

[crabcreekind]

My dad finishes the outside with enduro finish. about 10 coats depending on the wood. Then sand it with micro mesh, and use some plastic polish.

For the inside he uses a food safe salad bowl finish. But you also have to sand the inside, with some sandpaper on a stick. mainly to get rid of all the nasty splinters.

Some woods to avoid would be any really soft wood. And also camphor burl. It will make your pepper smell like steak sauce.

 

[triw51]

My dad finishes the outside with enduro finish. about 10 coats depending on the wood. Then sand it with micro mesh, and use some plastic polish.

For the inside he uses a food safe salad bowl finish. But you also have to sand the inside, with some sandpaper on a stick. mainly to get rid of all the nasty splinters.

Some woods to avoid would be any really soft wood. And also camphor burl. It will make your pepper smell like steak sauce.

Is smelling like steak sauce a bad thing???

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

I do about 5 coats of Shellac then buff with a mineral oil/carnuba/bee's wax

 

[PenMan1]

Russell Eaton turned me on to Wood Turners Finish. It is a water based clear finish made by General Finishes. It looks nice on my pepper grinders!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I am about to make my first salt and pepper grinders. I have the kits just need to get the drill bits and decide on the wood.

My questions are:

What do you finish the outside with?
What do you finish the inside with?
Do you use different finishes for salt and pepper?
Are there woods to avoid in these applications?

Thanks for the info

I finish all of my pepper mills and grinders with a wipe on polyurethane 6 to 10 coats, sanding between coats... it's easy, when fully cured (about 2 or 3 weeks) food safe... most woods don't need finish inside, but if you are using a wood with high oil or aroma you might want to do a finish... I use either a sanding sealer or poly urethane.
Most woods are fine for mills, I prefer good hard woods and do avoid cedars, and other highly aromatic woods.

 

[Jim Burr]

Inside should never be finished...avoid woods that would require it!! WOP has never let me down...over 75-100 out in the world. The kitchen is a hostile environment so it helps to have a tough finish whatever you choose. I'd like to hear how WTF holds up over time.

 

[ed4copies]

WTF (Woodturners Finish) was reformulated for the lathe from a floor finish. So, unless you walk on your peppermills and pens you are unlikely to see wear.