I need some finishing advice.

[OCtoolguy]

 

Finishing has always been my weak point. I love to make stuff but I hate to sand and finish. But, now I find myself in the position of having to do it all. My wife no longer is able to help. Anyway, I'm in the process of making this layered basket as you all know by now and I have done all the cutting. I am only going to have to do minimal sanding. I want to put some finish on it and seeing as how it will hold edible items I know I must use some sort of safe finish. So, I am asking all of you who are way ahead of me in that category to offer up some advice. The top and bottom layer are red oak and the seven layers in between are poplar. The poplar had great coloring and I was able to alternate the dark and light wood color. So, I would like to take advantage of that. Thanks to all who reply.

 

[fredfret]

Mineral oil is nontoxic but never completely dries. Any finish sold in the us is supposed to be  nontoxic when completely cured.

Fredfret

[OCtoolguy]

20 minutes ago, fredfret said:

Mineral oil is nontoxic but never completely dries. Any finish sold in the us is supposed to be  nontoxic when completely cured.

Fredfret

What exactly is Watco Oil? I have some of that on hand.

 

[kmmcrafts]

23 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

What exactly is Watco Oil? I have some of that on hand.

 

Watco oil? Watco is a brand.. I use Watch Danish oil.. but they make some others as well..so I think we need a little more info..

[OCtoolguy]

11 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Watco oil? Watco is a brand.. I use Watch Danish oil.. but they make some others as well..so I think we need a little more info..

Sorry Kevin, I should have said Watco Danish Oil. I have a can of "natural" finish that I used for a project in our motor home. Would it be ok?

 

[kmmcrafts]

I've never used the Danish oil for a food type products and I don't really know what your best / safest finish is..I use Butcher Block oil for my cutting boards.. it has some sort of sealer type clear mixed in with it.. not sure what it is but if put on heavy it shows like a clear varnish or something.. I just wipe it on with a soft cloth.. and let it dry and lightly sand and ad another coat... Probably too difficult on a basket though.. Shellac is used in the food industry and supposed to be food safe.. or food grade mineral oil and beeswax mix works well to.. many of the oil type finishes ever really dry.. unless there is a sealer added to them.. which I believe Danish oil has.. 

[NC Scroller]

Danish Oil is just a name.  It is a blend of oils and hardening agents.  Unlike linseed oil and mineral oil Danish Oil dries and creates a hard finish.  As Fred mentioned all finishes sold in the U.S. have to be nontoxic once cured.  That could take hours, days or even weeks.  Personally I would either us Shellac.

[crupiea]

Sorts of depends who is going to eat out of it.  Thinking mother in law here. lol 

[OCtoolguy]

18 minutes ago, NC Scroller said:

Danish Oil is just a name.  It is a blend of oils and hardening agents.  Unlike linseed oil and mineral oil Danish Oil dries and creates a hard finish.  As Fred mentioned all finishes sold in the U.S. have to be nontoxic once cured.  That could take hours, days or even weeks.  Personally I would either us Shellac.

Thanks for your advice. I have never used shellac. I've heard all about having to mix it or something. I also saw spray shellac at H/D. Would that work? As you can see, I have no experience with anything in the finish area. I can paint but when it comes to showing the wood through the finish, I'm at a total loss. I want to be able to see the wood but maybe not in it's natural look. I'm leaning toward some sort of a light stain but there again, I have no idea what to do and I don't really want to ruin what I have done so far. I kept a bunch of the scraps so I can test them for color so I guess I'll just dive in. I take it I will be using a brush and not a cloth?

[OCtoolguy]

1 minute ago, crupiea said:

Sorts of depends who is going to eat out of it.  Thinking mother in law here. lol 

You devil you. I'm too old to have a M I L. 

 

[WayneMahler]

A lot of people that make cutting boards use mineral oil and beeswax for a finish. Easy to touch up in the event it is needed. I have used this combination on a few bowls I have done and worked out great.

[OCtoolguy]

24 minutes ago, WayneMahler said:

A lot of people that make cutting boards use mineral oil and beeswax for a finish. Easy to touch up in the event it is needed. I have used this combination on a few bowls I have done and worked out great.

That sounds interesting Wayne but I don't have any idea how one would go about it. Can you explain the process? Is it a mixture or do you put on the oil and then the bees wax? Where do you buy bees wax? I hate to appear ignorant but I wouldn't have any idea where to buy it. And mineral oil, is that something that is easy to find?

 

[kmmcrafts]

57 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

That sounds interesting Wayne but I don't have any idea how one would go about it. Can you explain the process? Is it a mixture or do you put on the oil and then the bees wax? Where do you buy bees wax? I hate to appear ignorant but I wouldn't have any idea where to buy it. And mineral oil, is that something that is easy to find?

 

Grocery stores should have mineral oil.. baby oil is the same thing from what I've read.. except has the baby scent added to it.. You can buy beeswax and make your own mix of it. i use this on much of my work i do.. most of my stuff is finished with it as there is no dry time so to speak and also no smell.. I do my finishing in the winter with it right in my house while watching tv or whatever, lol You can buy the pre- made mix or make your own.. Toymakingplans.com has a video on how to make the mix.. Basically you put a 16oz bottle of mineral oil,  a half cup of beeswax put it into a sauce pan and cook it on the stove until all is melted to a liquid.. Do use a cooking thermometer and don't heat it past 150F as it can cause a flash fire.. I suggest watching the video as they explain it better than I can. It's on Youtube I believe .. 

The mix when cooled down with be sort of a loose paste wax consistency 

I use an acid brush and brush it on.. let it set to soak in the oils and re-apply in area that soak it up.. then I heat it with a hair dryer to melt it down and then wipe off excess..  

[Gonzo]

2 hours ago, octoolguy said:

Thanks for your advice. I have never used shellac. I've heard all about having to mix it or something. I also saw spray shellac at H/D. Would that work? As you can see, I have no experience with anything in the finish area. I can paint but when it comes to showing the wood through the finish, I'm at a total loss. I want to be able to see the wood but maybe not in it's natural look. I'm leaning toward some sort of a light stain but there again, I have no idea what to do and I don't really want to ruin what I have done so far. I kept a bunch of the scraps so I can test them for color so I guess I'll just dive in. I take it I will be using a brush and not a cloth?

my go to finishes are Danish oil and spray shellac. Spray shellac is, in my opinion, one of the easiest finishes to apply. The only drawback for me with shellac, is that it yellows over time. Danish oil, on the other hand, has a luster that can't be beat. And as the others have said, once cured, very food safe.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

6 hours ago, octoolguy said:

 

Finishing has always been my weak point. I love to make stuff but I hate to sand and finish. But, now I find myself in the position of having to do it all. My wife no longer is able to help. Anyway, I'm in the process of making this layered basket as you all know by now and I have done all the cutting. I am only going to have to do minimal sanding. I want to put some finish on it and seeing as how it will hold edible items I know I must use some sort of safe finish. So, I am asking all of you who are way ahead of me in that category to offer up some advice. The top and bottom layer are red oak and the seven layers in between are poplar. The poplar had great coloring and I was able to alternate the dark and light wood color. So, I would like to take advantage of that. Thanks to all who reply.

 

Ray I will post my thoughts and are worth what you paid for them When making cutting boards because they will get cuts and scrapes you never want to use film finishes such a poly, lacquer, danish oil, shellac and others. I like to use Butchers Block oil which is mineral oil and vitamin E and get it here. http://www.rockler.com/butcher-block-oil be careful if using walnut oils or even scented mineral oils. Alergic reactions. 

Now I make many baskets that can be used for center bowl pieces on a table and can be used to hold rolls, fruit, cakes and things of this nature. I always use Danish oil on most of my projects and these are no exception. Now film finishes will be non toxic after and only after when they are fully cured. Not just dry but cured and each product will take time with different woods playing a roll as well as temperatures when finishing. When I sell these baskets i always warn my customers about chips or splinters or cutting into the wood and would prefer they use a dolly in the basket before putting product in them. I always have examples set up with this. Fake rolls, candies, flowers wooden fruit which a sell. If things like that are used then no cares are needed. I used to make a fruit holder that had a banana rack built into it and I always coated those with Behlens Salad Bowl finish.http://www.rockler.com/salad-bowl-finish

 

[Ron Johnson]

I use liquied bees wax. Apply with a cheese cloth, let sit for awhile and wipe dry and leave basket sit for a few days before adding fruit to it. You can apply additional coats as time goes on. Even mother in laws will be safe eating from your basket. Another product that's good is True and Tried Danish Oil and True and Tried Original Finsih availabe form Lee Valley.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Ron Johnson

[spirithorse]

Hi, Ray,
Since it is a basket that will not be cut into or anything, I would just use rattle can Polyurethane.
It is going to dry hard, have a nice finish still showing the wood grain, and no one is going to get
any measurable amount (if any at all) from taking a dinner roll or piece of fruit from the basket.
God Bless! Spirithorse

[dgman]

I will repeat what others have said. All finishes sold in North America as a finish will be non toxic when fully cured. Things like lemon oil and orange oil are sold as cleaners and polishes. They are not ment as a finish. Mineral oil is not toxic but never fully dries. Your layered basket is designed as a nut bowl or a candy dish. I would use an oil like Danish oil or a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits, then a topcoat of your choice. It should protect the project nicely and be food safe!

[Bill WIlson]

I'm a big fan of shellac.  I use it for just about all of my scrollsawn projects.  The stuff in the spray cans will work for you.  Apply several light (emphasize "light") coats.  It dries very quickly and has no lasting odor.  It does impart an amber tint to the wood, but so will any oil or oil based finish.  I think it would be the ideal finish for your baskets.

The whole food safe issue has been discussed here a few times.  As has been mentioned, but I think bears repeating, any finishing product, sold in the USA, (since sometime in the early 70's, I believe) is food safe, once fully cured.  I like the mineral oil and beeswax combination for items like bowls, cutting boards, utensils, etc.  These are items that come into contact with foods, liquids and need to be washed regularly.  The oil/wax finish is easily replenished, but a film finish (poly, lacquer, shellac) would not stand up to the abuse they get.  However, for the basket you describe, shellac would work well, since it should not be subject to the kind of damage that washing and cutting/scraping will do.  For anyone still concerned about toxicity, consider that shellac has been used for years as a coating for pills, candies, even fruits.

[Karl S]

All finishes are non toxic after they are cured, Just allow a couple of weeks for thorough drying and you will be just fine.

 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Karl S

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

I'm a big fan of shellac.  I use it for just about all of my scrollsawn projects.  The stuff in the spray cans will work for you.  Apply several light (emphasize "light") coats.  It dries very quickly and has no lasting odor.  It does impart an amber tint to the wood, but so will any oil or oil based finish.  I think it would be the ideal finish for your baskets.

The whole food safe issue has been discussed here a few times.  As has been mentioned, but I think bears repeating, any finishing product, sold in the USA, (since sometime in the early 70's, I believe) is food safe, once fully cured.  I like the mineral oil and beeswax combination for items like bowls, cutting boards, utensils, etc.  These are items that come into contact with foods, liquids and need to be washed regularly.  The oil/wax finish is easily replenished, but a film finish (poly, lacquer, shellac) would not stand up to the abuse they get.  However, for the basket you describe, shellac would work well, since it should not be subject to the kind of damage that washing and cutting/scraping will do.  For anyone still concerned about toxicity, consider that shellac has been used for years as a coating for pills, candies, even fruits.

I would be careful about this statement. Not all shellac is the same. Some  reading info.http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/11/30/q-a-on-shellac/

[OCtoolguy]

Thank you so much everybody. I have learned a lot here. My little basket, when all finished, will more than likely be used for peanuts, M & M's, or something of that nature. It might also become a dustcatcher displayed on a shelf somewhere. Who knows? It took my eye in the book and I knew I wanted to attempt it. I have learned a lot from the actual cutting it out. The first attempt was not what I would want to put my name on because I thought the layers were just too thin and I did a lousy job of cutting them. I'm still going to finish that basket but the second one will be my "show piece" so to speak. If I can get good enough at making them, I might consider selling them but being honest with myself, I don't really like making the same thing over and over. I get bored too easily and have to keep finding new things to explore. Just the learning curve of the different woods and finishes is going to take time. Thanks again to all.

 

[OCtoolguy]

Something just ventured through my mind. What's left of it anyway. At the risk of sounding like I've lost my potato chips, I was wondering if, since many of us have this in our shops, we might use Johnson's Paste Wax on our wooden creations. I understand that it might not be suitable for anything that is going to come in contact with food items but why not use it like any other wax?

 

[Bill WIlson]

4 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I would be careful about this statement. Not all shellac is the same. Some  reading info.http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/11/30/q-a-on-shellac/

Reading some of the comments to that article, I was surprised to learn that Vegans object to shellac.  I suppose it's because, " 300,000 lac insects are killed for every kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of lac resin produced".

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

6 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

Reading some of the comments to that article, I was surprised to learn that Vegans object to shellac.  I suppose it's because, " 300,000 lac insects are killed for every kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of lac resin produced".