Other Fiinishes?

[new2woodwrk]

5 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

A plus to the beeswax mineral oil is that it makes the wood feel silky smooth as the wax sort of fills in the pores / grain of the wood.. also the puzzle pieces are slick to slide together or fall apart ..  There are tons of methods as you can already see from the comments.. The beeswax / mineral oil mix isn't the fastest method to apply to the puzzles though. 

I forgot to mention also that one reason and perhaps the most important is using the food grade Mineral Oil and shellac, makes the puzzles as non-toxic as possible!

[kmmcrafts]

1 hour ago, new2woodwrk said:

I forgot to mention also that one reason and perhaps the most important is using the food grade Mineral Oil and shellac, makes the puzzles as non-toxic as possible!

Yeah that is why / how I started using the mineral oil beeswax mixture years ago.. I learned that Idea from a toy making website and is actually where I learned the recipe to make the stuff. It's the same thing used for cutting boards / butcher blocks etc.. I made my own mix and made some cutting boards for myself about 12 years ago.. I don't treat the boards like I should and wash in soap and water almost daily, I don't wipe dry like they say to do either.. I just wash and let air dry. They say to wipe with the mixture every couple weeks or once a month.. I'm pretty lucky if I do it 3-4 times a year.. boards still look pretty good.. I have sanded knife marks out about 5-6 times since i originally made them.. 

I figure if a cutting board that gets dunked in soapy water dang near every day and has had pretty crappy care given to it and it still looking pretty good after 12 years.. a puzzle should last longer than the original purchaser will probably keep it... and for what it's worth, all my puzzles come with a warning label that it's a choking hazard and not intended for children under 5 years old. If a child is slobbering all over the puzzle and using it as a teether to bite on it's going to probably dent and exposé into the untreated topcoat anyway. 

The bigger concern about kids toys in my mind if they are putting them in their mouths is the possibility of bacteria and turning rancid.. Beeswax I believe fights both of these.. 

When finishing I melt the mixture into the wood with a hair dryer and then also apply another small amount that I buff into the surface.. this melted method allows it to soak deeper into the wood rather than just getting onto the surface. I don't know if my way of doing this is better or the best or whatever.. but in my own personal research I feel like it's the best I can offer and be comfortable knowing I did the best I could with the knowledge I had at said time. That all said.. again I don't sell these as a play toy for kids and the puzzles come with a sticker on it stating that.. It's a tedious job doing the beeswax mix and I rarely do it any more.. I mostly just use Danish oil now..   

[Millwab]

4 hours ago, new2woodwrk said:

I doubt I have the time to let them cure completely before cutting. We create on a 1 week turn around for stock inventory items and customized on a 1-3 week turn around

 

FWIW, I usually spray my puzzles and let them dry overnight then they’re ready to cut the next day.  Not trying to change your mind, just offering another solution to your post.

[new2woodwrk]

20 hours ago, Millwab said:

FWIW, I usually spray my puzzles and let them dry overnight then they’re ready to cut the next day.  Not trying to change your mind, just offering another solution to your post.

Nope, I appreciate all the input - very helpful!

[John B]

One of the problems with using a wax or oil finish on toys, puzzles for kids etc is that they do very little in way of protecting the wood. They can actually make dirt stick to the object.

[lawson56]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:36 PM, new2woodwrk said:

I find Spraying Urethane of any sheen impedes the puzzle pieces. Did you not find that as well when you did them?

I spray them seperatly , it took a little longer, but they didn't stick together.