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  1. #1
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    Default Finish for spoons

    So, I have just started carving spoons. After being pretty sick for a couple of years at the moment I can't do much physical activity or the infection that's left flares up.

    I have made, I think, six. I hadn't looked into finishing them but while I was ordering a saburr bur I saw food safe mineral oil and bought a small bottle. I really dislike the result.

    I imagine Tung and linseed oil and any natural oils are fine, though nut allergies and adding smell to the wood have to be taken into consideration. I suppose my questions are:

    Suggestions? Has anyone found something they liked or disliked/had negative experiences?

    I like having options. What makes a finish food safe? Presumably you want something that won't release toxins - so edible for humans is fine and finishes that don't degrade or dissolve in heat or water?

    So do poly, varnish, wax and shellac soften in heat or water? Or are people just paranoid?

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  3. #2
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    Default

    Walnut Oil and Coconut oil work.
    Oils that come from food make food safe oils.

  4. #3
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    I said natural oils but oils from food is more what i meant Thought of walnut and hazelnut oils but hadn't thought of coconut oil. Thanks

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
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    McBride BC Canada
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    I carved and finished 70 spoons and 30 forks in birch (Betula papyrifera.)
    Preheat your oven to 325F
    On a cake rack over a sheet pan, slather the wood works with the oil of your choice.
    I used good Greek olive oil because I have lots of it. And saying that it will go rancid is a myth.

    Into the oven (a dozen at a time) for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, buy the clock (4 minutes and they begin to cook).
    Out they come to sit and cool.

    What happened?
    Charles' Law of gas physics predicts that the wood air will expand as it is heated.
    Out of the oven, the remaining wood air cools and contracts (Charles' Law, again).
    This sucks the oil farther down into the wood than any soak can accomplish.
    The oil cannot be disturbed in boiling water ( pasta).
    BirchB.jpg

  6. #5
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    Default

    I like the idea behind using an oven. Far better than simmering in a pan on a cook-top.

    Quote Originally Posted by Robson Valley
    I used good Greek olive oil because I have lots of it. And saying that it will go rancid is a myth.
    Errrmm... not true. Olive Oil is an organic material and will break down, going rancid, given enough time. Properly stored, this is usually measured in years. Soaking it into timber doesn't change this; personally I'm reluctant to consider this as "properly stored."

    However... in general, rancid Olive Oil will not harm you; it tastes bad and contains free radicals that may increase your risk of developing diseases such (as cancer or heart disease) further down the road if you drink it in quantity.

    But worrying about the amount involved when used as a finish for a cooking spoon is akin to worrying about exposure to the microwave radiation from the cell-phone of a pilot flying overhead...

    Really, any food-safe oil will do. The above still applies. Including mineral or paraffin oil, if you want to avoid the whole issue of "rancid."

    The best thing to do is include instructions to "Wash utensil thoroughly with detergent and hot water before first use."

    After all, no matter what finish you use, you should remove the surface layer before cooking with it!
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  7. #6
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    I use Tung oil but it takes about 3 months to cure. But once it has there is no smell and its a very durable finish. ( think Great Wall of China )

  8. #7
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    Apr 2011
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    The triglycerieds in olive oil must be exposed to oxygen in the air (at high concentration) in order to break unsaturated bonds in oxidations.
    I am correct in claiming the olive oil in wood will not oridize, agreed for many years, because the [O2] in oven heated wood is very low.

    Let's suppose that you elect to finish a spoon with an oil soak at room temperature.
    The very first time in hot food, the wood air expands and pushes your oil soak out into the food.
    What follows is that the food juices are drawn into the wood as the wood air cools,
    to decompose as the characteristic black that we all know.
    Charles' Law predicts the scenario.

  9. #8
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    Apr 2017
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    Default

    I was also thinking about exposure to air. There must be a lot of variables - how much oil is used and the type of wood etc. Surely some oxygen permeates wood or am I wrong?

    I hadn't thought of the juices being drawn into the spoon. Good point. Do you think the oven method prevents or reduces that? Thanks for that idea btw.

    Everything eventually degrades.


    So Tung oil takes ages to cure? From memory there are soaking oils and drying oils and the drying oils eventually cure. So if it cures then it must undergo a chemical change? Does that mean it then creates a barrier? (That may all be wrong)

    I will probably try some different oils and I might do some experimenting. In terms of selling them it's probably safest to go with what people are familiar with and believe is safe. It does seem the standard thing is to go with what is safe to ingest rather than trying to prevent it.

    As to organic - could argue carbon based? - the standard usage would make shellac organic
    "Don't worry, it's natural. Have you heard of Squirm?"

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Jervis Bay South Coast NSW
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    Default

    I use olive oil on my food spoons, spatulas etc never had any issues over years if use.

  11. #10
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    Apr 2011
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    McBride BC Canada
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    Water in wood is in 2 places:
    1. In the open void lumens of the wood cells as "free" water,
    2. "Bound" into the various components of the wood cell walls.
    Thus when wood dries, the wood water is replaced by air which is 21% oxygen, more or less.

    Charles' Law of gas physics dictates the mechanism that I've been using for years.
    It isn't up to me. Neat to take advantage of.

    The short term advantage is that I'm done with finishing, once and for all, in 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
    I have done exactly the same for dishes sealed with straight bee's wax. Waterproof for many decades to come.

    The long term advantage is that you cannot heat the wood again to move the residual air
    until you exceed the original oven baking temperature (325F for me.)

    In fact, deep frying chips would be a great way to finish say, 1/2 a spoon,
    simply by stirring in the oil at 325F as it heats up for cooking.

  12. #11
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    Nov 2012
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    Brisbane
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    I've used RVs excellent technique, but using "Food safe mineral oil" (paraffin) from UBeaut and other sources. It works very well indeed. A cutting board of Crows Ash treated that way seems to be resistant to all food, even after years of use. However, remember that dishwashers are a different story as the highly alkaline detergents and over 60 degrees c temperatures destroy most wood, even if oiled. David

  13. #12
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    Dec 2010
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    What about a cutting board that is glued together with TiteBond 3?

  14. #13
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    Mine was an end-grain block. I like Tb 3 a lot, but have never heated it. Only way to know is to run a test I would suggest. I do not imagine that even a modified PVA would take well to that heat, but, who knows. Let us know how your test goes please.

  15. #14
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    Not so sure that I would be allowed (officially) to do any testing in SWMBO’s oven. 😉

  16. #15
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    Default Hints

    A. Don't tell B. Do it in an enclosed container in the oven (saucepan/Dutch Oven) so any catastrophic results do not damage dinner (or worse your relationship). C. If kitchen dominance is absolute then try enclosed container (as above) in the barbecue. D. Aldi and others sell very reasonably priced cookware suitable for such experimentation E. If all else fails then get a mate to try it!

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