Appropriate finishes

[jaspr]

Hi all

There's some great toys on this forum - you're a clever bunch!

I've been planning to make some wooden toys as well, and am wondering about appropriate finishes for them.

The types of toys I'm thinking about would likely end up being put in mouths and generally knawed on. What finishes are best? I can see some use varnish (I think) or paint, but they are probably for older kids who may not chew them.

Is shellac OK for this? Presumably oils like tung oil would be ok. I don't know what they taste like. What about colour - can you use food colourings to colour the wood? It obviously wouldn't result in a solid colour, but more of a tint. It probably wouldn't work well on hardwoods, but maybe on pine? How do these and other finishes rate in the safety stakes?

Also, does anyone know whether there are A/NZ standards that apply to toys - for things such as sizing of pieces to prevent choking, maybe even finishes?

What do people use - and why?

[wayneo75]

jaspr check out this thread

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=71879

i have pondered over the same for a while and am happy with the choices i have made. As for finishes, apparently shellac is fine, and Organoil and Rustins Danish Oils both claim to be food safe on therir web sites, so i guess that means it is alright in your mouth too.....of course once cured:U

[Chipman]

Ubeaut water dyes and white shellac is the best way to go! Yes there are Aust Stds for toys as regards sizes etc. Try google... As a general rule.. the small parts should be able to just fit trough a toilet roll. Some say a film canister but that is getting a bit small for really little kids. From memory, building blocks should be 40mm or there abouts....but I recommend you buy a set of standards if you are planing on making and selling toys.


Cheers,

Chipman:)

[jaspr]

Thanks guys - that's great advice.

I don't know why I hadn't thought of the Ubeaut dyes - probably only because I've never used them before. I prefer that type of finish to paint. So I'll give it a go. (Have to make the toys first!)

Ta

[keju]

Just my two cents worth.....
When I was a kindergarten teacher in Germany we prefered to buy unpainted , plain wooden toys. Most still had a clear finish on them, but those finishes soon ended up in stomaches.
I know children will usually grab for the brightly coloured toys, but play value wise you get more for your money out of the plain once because they leave much more to the imagination. A plain truck can be a garbage truck one minute and a milktruck the next , a fire truck after that.

I think it also installs an appreciation for the look and feel of wood and we sure need that in this plastic world....

Juvy

[Chipman]

Good point...that is why we should never use paint on toddler toys. Shellac is different in that it is classified as a food stuff. It is used to coat tablets etc.

I guess we should be careful which wood we use too as if the little one is chewing on it, some wood may be more toxic than others...Anyone got any info on that?


Cheers,

Chipman

[keju]

There used to be a list right on this site about different woods and how toxic they are and what reaction they cause. I seem to remember it started out saying that here in Australia all wood is considered toxic?
Anyone know how to find this webpage here again? Is it still up?

In general I know that exotic timbers seem to be worse then plain ones like pine... good old pine....

Juvy

[DavidG]

Bad woods (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/badwood.htm)

[jaspr]

Thanks keju - for myself, I agree about the desirability of natural timbers, but I actually think children respond to colours - and for what I'm making (educational toys), the colour adds something to the concept. I wouldn't use paint, though. I quite like the look of the colour washes you get on some handmade toys - you can still see the grain and the timber through them. I just wasn't sure what gave that result.

Good point, Chipman, about the toxicity of the woods themselves. I'll have to watch that too.