Thread: Food quality finish on bowls

Question: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Answer: A Woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a Woodchuck would chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood. But a Woodchuck can't chuck wood, so a Woodchuck wouldn't chuck as much wood as a Woodchuck would chuck, if a wood chuck could chuck wood.

And that's a known fact!

As for the bowl: Both Shellawax and Shellawax Cream are food safe but only recommended for dry foods like nuts, chips, biscuits, etc. On a bowl that is used for other foods I prefer to use a good vegetable oil or paraffin oil. But for practical results when used constantly and washed regularly in water I would use polyurethane (shudder) or a good pre-cat lacquer and finish them off with EEE-Ultra Shine to eliminate the plastic look and crappy feel.

Just a little word of warning many people are very allergic to Silky Oak so be very, very careful who you give it too especially if it is not finished with a thick sealing coat like poly or lacquer. I know of a couple of people who will break out just by being in the same room as the stuff.

Hope this helps a little.

Cheers - Neil

[This message has been edited by ubeaut (edited 11 April 2002).]

Organoil (sorry Neil) make a food surface oil finish. I used it on a cheeseboard last November, problem is it stills smells like organoil and is really strong. Board is covered with the glass dome.

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: http://community.webshots.com/user/iain49

Organ oil is ok but as Ian says the stink is pretty strong and lasts for ages. It will, in my opinion, most likely taint any food served in the bowl. The same goes for most oils, that is why I prefer vegetable or paraffin. Nut oils like walnut, pecan, etc are also very good.

Again, with the silky I would be inclined to put some surface coating on it like poly etc. Mainly to seal the timber and keep the nasties in.

This is one of the few instances where I might be pursuaded to coat the inside with polyurathane,yuk!
But I would prefer to use Triple EEE & finish with Shellawax,and make sure that the bowl was only used for dry food, if it must be used for food at all. Silky Oak,(grevillia robusta)is a lovely wood to turn, and often nice to look at, but stinks something 'orrible!. Thats my opinion, for what it's worth.
Regards. John H.. :

[This message has been edited by John Hambly (edited 12 April 2002).]

Since I have not yet gradualted to turning food grade items, all I can add to this thread is .. I was chating with a member of the lovcal turners group last week, and he suggested using GRAPE SEED oil as a finish inside bowls etc..

His reason was that the grape seed oil did not go off or attract other harmful contaminants to the work.

Kev

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IF at first you don't succeed, relax your normal.

[This message has been edited by Brudda (edited 12 April 2002).]

Walnut oil ...had no complaints so far!

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Johnno

Any food grade oil,but NOT olive oil which will go rancid fairly quickly.
A very exprienced turner of sald bowls once told me to buy the cheapest oil I could find in the supere-market as that was the dregs from the making of all sorts of cooking oil and contained lots of preservatives,Consequently I bought a bottle of no-name vege oil which seems to work quite well. I always advise my users to wipe the bowl out occassionally with an oily cloth, and have had no complaints so far. Deja-vu again! Look in the archives, and I think you will find this has all been discussed before!
Regards John H.

Thanks for the advice guys.
As I have several bowls in the offing I shall
try a few of your suggestions.
Cheers,
Woodchuck

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Woodchuck

as has been mentioned by previous posts but not possibly forcefully enough.
Be very carefull about the timber spiecies you use for food grade items
In this case I would be far more concerned about the timber type than the finish.

Arobotech's Arboroil and arborwax are touted as being food safe. The kits readily availavle sell for about $50 and you can use it on anything you can make by the sounds of it. Got a fairly good (short) review in Australian Wood Review which stated that "arborwax was easy to use and can also be used on its own where a wax finish is appropriate, including toys and salad bowls."

Cheers, Tim

PS: The advice on food safe TIMBERS sounds like it deserves a post all of its own (if it hasn't been done already). I'm sure it would generate plenty of advice and not a few stories (perhaps horror stories eg: "When good timbers go bad!!"). Any takers? I'll be keeping an eye on the Timber section.

Since I last posted on 11 April I took the cover off the cheese platter hoping the smell of organoil would go away.
I picked it up this morning and ran it under the nose, voila, no smell so I put the glass cover back on.
I just took the cover off after about 8 hours and it smells like I oiled it 5 minutes ago.
I don't think I will use this again.