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changing finishes

Glenn McCullough

Glenn McCullough

Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
40
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250
Location
Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, USA
I completed a bowl that I used a danish oil finish on. Someone wants to buy it as a functional bowl to hold food. Can anyone tell me what should be done to make it food safe? Can the danish oil be removed and replaced with a food safe finish? If so how would one do that?
GLENN
 
I just tried to verify this online, but was unsuccessful......I'm pretty sure I saw some information at one time that said the Watco Danish Oil finish loses it's toxicity once fully cured and dry. (Can someone verify this?)

Anyway, if it's feasible to re-sand the surface of your bowl, you might want to do that, prior to applying a salad bowl finish.

The Danish Oil is a penetrating finish, while the salad bowl finish is a surface preparation and sealant.

I have never attempted doing this, but have given it consideration before......so, I'm speaking strictly on a theoretical basis. You should trust nothing of what I'm suggesting as coming from an experienced point of view......just use your good judgement, and any helpful advice that may follow.

It's my best guess that lightly sanding the surface, and refininsing with a salad bowl finish ought to work for your purposes.

good luck

otis of cologne
 
It's all safe, when fully cured.

That's what I've been told, and read, all over.
Supposedly, all finishes for wood in the USA now, are food safe when fully cured. "Fully cured" may be the stickler in all this.
However, as previously said, do some research, instead of believing me. :D
 
Here is a link to the PDF file for the MSDS documentation on the Watco Danish Oil Finish.

My computer is having trouble, and I'm unable to open a PDF file......but, someone else might be able to do it and verify the toxic details of the Watco Danish Oil finish.

As Al Neighbors says, it's all non-toxic when fully cured, but someone else might be able to open this file and verify for all of us:

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGResourceCenter.asp?sn=ms2&msdstyp=PROCBG&msdsprc=46

otis of cologne (interested in knowing the answer)
 
food safe

Hi,

I posed this question - but in regards to tung oil - to a PhD chemical engineer. This tung oil product has phenolic resin. He said it is safe when cured, however it does not completely cure until it reaches 200 degrees.

Herb
 
There is an old saying that says, "If it smell like paint, don't eat it."

That also applies to salad owls. I think the general public is smarter than we give them credit for. If it smells like paint, they won't buy it.

The truth behind all of that is that all finishes are safe after the solvents and thinners have evaporated. They are what is harmful. If you can smell them, they haven't evaporated. The problem is that we never are willing to wait the weeks and sometimes months for that to happen.

I wrote an article for my website to explain all of this.

http://www.woodturner-russ.com/FSOriginal3a.html
 
I use minwax antique oil on almost all my utility turnings. Never have had a problem yet. The key is as Russ and others have said when you can't smell the finish it is good to go. Ernie Conover told me and that's when I started using it that he uses nothing but antique oil on all of his utlity turnings and Bob Flexner said when you don't smell it it is safe. I have salad bowls and cereal bowls I have eaten out of for 2 yrs or more now with General Finishes Seal-A-Cell followed with Arm-R-Seal on some and minwax antique oil finish on some of them. The General Finishes company told me it was food safe after 30 days of cure.
 
The only thing to be concerned with is if your finish is water proof or only water resistant. Danish oil and just about any other oil finish isn't always, but will be food safe if cured. The ones I know that will be water proof are tung oil and the plastic ones (poly or epoxy based). Even those will be compromised if someone scratches them with utensils (like when tossing salad).

Bottom line is that it's all common sense. I was once asked about using a platter shaped bowl I'd made for serving meat. I told the customer that would be a bad idea as sooner or later meat juices would seep into the wood and she'd have a problem (or worse). A few minutes later another customer interested in the same piece said she had something similar she'd been using as a salad bowl for a while and wanted something to match - but knew how to wipe off moisture, clean and coat with finishing oil periodically.

Sometimes you can't educate people on what to do with wood without getting them upset.
 
Danish oil

I have used Danish oil for 5-7 years. No problems reported and alot of people I work with have purchased many for utility items. I personally use a tray (DO applied) for shrimp 10-15x/yr when I have a "dish to pass". While I may be "all thumbs" at times, I have not grown any extra appendages, nor have I sloughed off the ones I have. My kids have a large salad bowl and individual bowls I made them 4-5 years ago. They are ok and my 6 mo old granddaughter has all the right accoutrement and brains-so far!! ;) Gretch
 
finshings

:) I watched an episode on wood whisperer where host, has an engineering /chemical background and he said that no one has research papers about all the other finishes are actually food safe. but no one has come forward with any real proof otherwise so I went uses caution and safety:D
 
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