Trivet question

[jerry1939]

Hi All,

 

Our garage only has very minimal heat, (Iowa)so I quit sawing for the winter. However, we are having unusually "warm" weather.

Decided to make my first trivet. It will be used, as opposed to something just to look at.

 

1. What kind of wood do you recommend?

2. Thickness?

3. What type of finish should I give it?

 

Thanks a Bunch,

 

jerry

[Lucky2]

Jerry, I've only ever made a few trivets, they were for daily use, so they weren't all that fancy. For these daily users, I use 3/4"or 1/2" plywood. I dip them in blo, then wipe off the excess. This makes them water resistant, so that they don't stain so badly and can be wiped off with a dishcloth. You can make trivets out of most types of wood, it's just that I haven't.

Len

[dgman]

I prefer hardwoods. Red Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany, Poplar, Alder, Maple or what ever you have on hand. 3/4" or 1".

Most folks use mineral oil because it can be easily reapplied. No oil will make it water resistant, but rather it brings out the natural color and grain of the wood.

I prefer to apply a top coat. I have not had any problems using a spray lacquer, just don't wash it with water.

[amazingkevin]

Jerry, I've only ever made a few trivets, they were for daily use, so they weren't all that fancy. For these daily users, I use 3/4"or 1/2" plywood. I dip them in blo, then wipe off the excess. This makes them water resistant, so that they don't stain so badly and can be wiped off with a dishcloth. You can make trivets out of most types of wood, it's just that I haven't.

Len

Thanks Len ,another use for Boiled linseed oil,(BLO)

[Lucky2]

Yeah Kevin, it's great for something like this. You want a finish, but, you don't want to spend a lot of time getting one. It's quick and easy, and when done the way I do it, it makes it so that you can use water to clean up the trivet if it gets something on it. I don't know how well it would work, if you just brushed or sprayed it on. But, I submerge the trivet into the BLO and I let it soak it up. 

Len

[kywoodmaster]

My favorite is Oak 3/4 to 1" Dip in oil finish hang to dry 2 or 3 coats of water based poly. Poplar also make nice ones and is a little easier cut. Takes finish well.

[lawson56]

I have made a few.I myself have only used Whitepine.I have made some for hanging purpose,and using,My Wife has one she has been using for several years untreated Whitepine. You have a lot of Great help up there.

[Scrolling Steve]

I have cut a few and like to use red oak, 3/4 to 1 inch thick....finish with mineral oil......works for me.

[Kepy]

I have done lots in oak, walnut, Eastern red cedar, cherry and any other hardwood I can get hold of.  I prefer a 5/8" thickness simply because it is easier cutting.  Finish by soaking in mineral oil, let drip dry then buff with a brown paper bag to give a little sheen.  Have one on my table that has been in use for over 10 yrs without a problem.  I've found that if you make them more intricate, they seldom end up on the table but rather on the wall so finish isn't as important.

[scrollerpete]

Will go with oak, walnut, cherry any hardwood will do, as far as finish 3 coats of Tung oil whit a little sanding mop 320 or higher in between.

Size from 1/2' to 3/4" the smaller the easier for the cut. If you have SWWC magazine issue / 60 fall 2015 you can get free patterns from it, I did them all.

Edited December 4, 2015 by scrollerpete

[jerry1939]

Me again,

 

Some of you are using mineral OIL. When I search our Home Improvement stores, all they have is mineral SPIRITS. Is that the same??

 

Thanks for all the above responses !!

 

jerry

[LarryEA]

Me again,

 

Some of you are using mineral OIL. When I search our Home Improvement stores, all they have is mineral SPIRITS. Is that the same??

 

Thanks for all the above responses !!

 

jerry

Jerry, the answer is in "A SEARCH"

[dgman]

No. Mineral oil is not a finish. It is an ingredient in commercial products such as Butcher Block oil. It is used for cutting boards and wooden utensils. You can find mineral oil at the drugstore.

[jerry1939]

dgman,

 

I checked a local Walgreens drug store site.  The list mineral oil as a LUBRICANT/LAXATIVE.  That's not one of my problems!!!   

 

I will go with tung oil or boiled linseed oil.jerry

[merlin]

I cut a small trivet bout 3 years back from ceder, 3/16-4 mm thick very intricate.

Use it daily for the tea pot, it has never warp or gone out of shape, not even had any sort of finish.

And it's still going strong, I made it as a test piece to sea how ceder wood stand up to the heat 

guess it's must be ok............................

[jerry1939]

Me again; (Go ahead and "sigh") I can take it.

 

For those of you that use;

Mineral oil

Boiled linseed oil

Tung oil

etc. Do you soak it, and if so, how long? How long do you hang it to dry before you are comfortable setting it on a tabletop?

 

Thanks, jerry

[dgman]

Hey Jerry, I actually use a 50/50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. I use an old metal baking pan and soak the piece in the mixture for a few minutes. If the oil doesn't completely cover the piece, I use a cheap chip brush to keep it wet. Using nitrile gloves, take the piece out of the oil and shake off as much excess oil as you can. Using a clean rag, wipe off any remaining oil. Set it on an old cooling rack or a clean piece of cardboard. Let it set for an hour and wipe off any oil that my bleed out.

With this mixture, your project will be dry in 24-36 hours depending on humidity. Then you can apply a topcoat if you want.

Pour the used oil mix in an old clean mason jar for the next project.

If you don't want to soak, use a chip brush to apply the oil mix. Keep it wet for about five minutes, then wipe off what does not soak in.

Lay out the used oily rags over the edge of a trash can or bucket for twenty four hours. If you leave them bunched up in a pile, they could catch fire!

[jerry1939]

dgman & all the rest of you,

 

You have all been a heap of assistance. Always ready and willing to share your experiences & knowledge. It is greatly appreciated. I have a few more hours of sawing before I finish a trivet I designed. Will post a picture of it next week, before I treat it.

 

jerry.

[scrollerpete]

Me again; (Go ahead and "sigh") I can take it.

 

For those of you that use;

Mineral oil

Boiled linseed oil

Tung oil

etc. Do you soak it, and if so, how long? How long do you hang it to dry before you are comfortable setting it on a tabletop?

 

Thanks, jerry

I use Tung oil, you can soak the trivet in or brush it on and I take the excess off with air blower.  Let dry overnite, used sanding mop lightly, apply another coat, again let dry overnight and if not satisfy repeat one more time.

Now another way if you want a shinier finish don,t buff after the first coat just reapply after it is dry, just buff after the 3rd coats,

Hope this help

[Lucky2]

Jerry, I submerge mine in the blo, and leave it there for 2-3 minutes. After that, I set it up on a rack to allow the excess to drip off, then after a few minutes of it dripping, I wipe the leftover drips it off with a clean cloth. After wiping off the last remnants of the blo, I hang the trivet up to allow the blo to dry completely. If I don't use the blo for a finish, I will use a 50/50 mixture of poly and paint thinner. Keep in mind, that I only use these types of finish on trivets that will be used on a daily basis. If I was going to apply a finish to a fancy show-offish type of trivet, I would finish it in a different way.

Len