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Food Safe Epoxy

D

donnercruz

Joined
Sep 6, 2008
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I have a wooden cup that my wife bought me years ago. It is finished in an epoxy resin. I wanted to make a goblet and was wondering about epoxy finishes for hot/cold drinks. Which are food safe epoxies? Are there truly any?
 
Food safe finishes may be the most widely discussed issue on any wood turning forum. There are MANY opinions on the subject. Take a look at this list:
http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/search.php?searchid=420687
I do use wooden bases for my goblets but I use glass containers epoxied to the bases for holding the liquids. I might try an epoxy finish for a cold drink cup but I would never do that for hot drinks or for acidic liquids like wines or juices.
 
Eating off of epoxy is not really much different than eating off of plastic spoons or dishes. System 3 mirror coat is used for Bar tops and is an excellent choice for the inside of goblets.
 
Some epoxy seems to always have a slight smell and heating it will increase the smell. Pouring a hot drink into a vessel coated with epoxy might impart a unpleasant taste not to mention that it is poisonous. Unless mixed at the perfect proportion there is likely to be some of the material that will not fully harden -- I have had that problem a couple times with epoxy.

I believe in going to a reliable source for information and somehow, asking other woodturners for their opinions about toxicity of materials doesn't seem to me to be a way to get authoritative information. Even more disturbing is when someone claims that something is not toxic when they do not have the slightest idea of what they are talking about, but merely engaging in idle speculation. Here is a link to a government web site that you might want to read.
 
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Epoxy is safely used by professional in lots of commercial food applications.

Epoxy that is not mixed at exactly the right ratios will have uncombined resin or hardener. I think these could be problematic in a food application.

I'll only speak for myself, but I don't think I've ever gotten the ratios exactly right. It's good enough for my decorative applications, but I would not eat or drink from anything that I covered with epoxy.

Everyone has to make their own decision. Some people don't mind eating pesticides on vegetables.

Ed
 
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