Food Safe Staining

[Uncle Henry]

I am working on a Cavatelli Maker that was posted on the Woodworkers Guild e-mail projects. I have embellished this by engraving a recipie on the reverse. I would like to stain the V-Carved lettering so it can be read. How can I do that and still make the thing food safe?

[Ms Wolffie]

As far as I know, stains are food safe as long as they are given time to dry fully before finishing.
Polyurethane finishing is food safe.
Cheers
Wolffie

[esteeme1]

This comes from a quick Google search Fine Wood Working mag. I would stick to the finishes that do not build up and are penetrating like oils. You may want to write care instructions to whoever you give the board to as well. As the article says most of these finishes do not provide the best protection. As noted in a previous post, use great care when using linseed oil. It can spontaneously combust. http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=15924

Food-Safe Finishes
A summary of non-toxic finishing products ideal for cutting boards, salad bowls, and other food-centric woodwork
by Jonathan Binzen

After scores of conversations with chemists, regulatory agencies, finish manufacturers, finishing experts, and woodworkers, I found that there are a few finishes that everyone agrees are food safe. However, these finishes tend to be the least protective, and the great majority are in a kind of limbo, with many experts saying most are fine for use with food but with others saying they should be avoided because there are some lingering questions about their safety. In the welter of contrary opinions about which finishes are food safe and which are not, a few naturally derived, unblended, no-hidden-ingredients, certainly nontoxic finishes stand out.

Pure tung oil. Extracted from the nut of the china wood tree. Used as a base in many blended finishes. Available from catalogs and hardware stores. Difficult to apply, requires many coats, good water-resistance.

Raw linseed oil.Pressed from flax seeds. Not to be confused with boiled linseed, which contains metallic driers. Listed as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Very long curing time, good looks, low water-resistance, frequent reapplication.

Mineral oil.Although derived from petroleum, it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and entirely inert. Sold as a laxative in drug stores and as a wood finish in hardware and kitchen-supply stores. Simple to apply, low waterresistance, frequent reapplication.

Walnut oil.Pressed from the nuts of the walnut tree. Sold as a salad oil in health food stores and in large grocery stores. Walnut oil dries and won't go rancid. Easy to apply, frequent reapplication.

Beeswax.The work of the honey bee. Can be mixed with an oil to create a better-smelling, slightly more waterrepellent finish. Sold in woodworking and turning catalogs.

Carnauba wax.Derived from the Brazilian palm tree. Harder than beeswax and more water-resistant. Can be used straight on woodenware as a light protective coating or a topcoat polish. Sold in woodworking and turning catalogs.

Shellac.A secretion from the lac bug. Harvested in India. Super blond shellac in flake form is the most waterresistant variety. A film-forming finish. Sold in woodworking catalogs and hardware and art supply stores.

Nothing. Available everywhere. Makes a reasonable finish for woodenware. No application time. Free.

A recipe for one sweet finish
The food-safe finish that appeals most to me is one recommended by Jim and Jean Lakiotes, West Virginia makers of spoons and other kitchen items, as well as furniture. Their finish is a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax.

To make it, warm the mineral oil in a saucepan over low heat, and melt a chunk of beeswax in it equal to about one-fifth or one-sixth the volume of the oil. (At high heat, there's a potential for fire. Be sure to keep the heat low, and consider using a double boiler.) As the wax begins to flake apart and dissolve, stir frequently. When the mixture is blended, pour it into a jar to cool and solidify.

To apply, wipe on an excess of the soft paste, let it dry a bit, then wipe it off. If you want to apply it as a liquid, you can reheat it. Like any mineral oil or
wax finish that will take a lot of abuse, this one will need to be reapplied often to afford decent moisture protection. But applying this fragrant finish is such a pleasure that you may find yourself looking forward to the task.

This article is excerpted from Jonathan Binzen's article "Which Finishes Are Food Safe," featured in Fine Woodworking #129.

From Fine Woodworking #129 August 1, 2006

[Uncle Henry]

It was suggested in another forum that I could use coffee or tea as/a/colorant, After drying finish with mineral oil or beeswax. The finish would not be durable if the thing was actually used it might require frequent treatment but if just decorative it would be fine.
If I do this project I'm going to try this system.

[Ms Wolffie]

Many many years ago we acquired a slice of pine with the bark still on.
We turned it into a clock and stained it with parisian essence.
It has never faded 'till this day and the bark is still on.
Cheers
Wolffie

[Ausworkshop]

Good topic. Now I'm off to Google parisian essence. What the?

[Ms Wolffie]

Parisian essence is a browning essence, mostly used for sauces, gravies, soups, broths, beef tea, cakes and puddings.
It is made by "QUEEN FINE FOODS Pty. Ltd."" and sold in supermarkets.
Ingredients:
Colour, salt, preservative and water.
Being water soluble it can be diluted to preferred colour.

The colour is made by melting sugar until it goes very brown/black.

IT STAINS FABRICS

Cheers
Wolffie

[Henri Monnier]

According to the write-up on the can, Zinsser Bulls Eye Sealcoat is food safe.

[mtylerfl]

According to the write-up on the can, Zinsser Bulls Eye Sealcoat is food safe.

Correct - dried shellac is food safe (Zinsser Bulls Eye Sealcoat is wax-free shellac)

[signmarketingman]

butch block oil is a great finisher.

[hdtheater]

I did some cutting boards awhile back and found a finish called "salad bowl finish". I read that even though dried finishes are food safe, when used on a cutting board the finish could free up from the wood and be ingested.

-Eric

[signmarketingman]

butcher block oil and salad bowl oil are the same..
They work great for food utensils.


there are dozens of brands around.

http://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Mystery ... B00063QPYQ

[Ausworkshop]

For those in Australia I highly recommend all of the Organoil products. Here is a link to Woodwipe oil http://www.organoil.com.au/woodwipe/index.html which is also sold under the name Chopping Board Oil (exact same stuff just different label)
This oil is great for rejuvinating but for the initial finish they recommend the OrganOil Hard Burnishing Oil to start with - Just click the heading up the top of the page. All the OrganOil products are foodsafe I think but theses two products are what they recommend for chopping boards/bowls etc with direct contact to food.

They also smell great and are easy to cleanup brushes etc. I use the decking oil all the time and feel alot safer knowing that the fumes I breath in daily will do less harm being natural.
The guy who sells it here in Victoria is named Ray and he is always a pleasure to deal with and comes to our woodwork club often to do demos on how best to use the oils. They are Australian made and all natural, might cost a little more but well worth it and they use more traditional tried and tested ingredients like Tung Oil for instance instead of all these nasty new (poison) ingredients pushed through from the petrolium industry.

[garylmast]

Just got a free DVD from Woodworker's Journal and it mentioned to heat up a mixture of 2/3 mineral oil to 1/3 bees wax, then after it solidifies, then apply it hand.

[Butch]

Aniline Dye is food safe and toy safe. I use the water soluble, as that is what I have, but I think that you may want to use the alcohol soluble. This is less susceptible to dissolving when it gets wet. You can go on several sites and read about their aniline dyes and recommendations. I use J.E.Moser's that is available from several sources.
Then top coat with mineral oil and bee's wax. It takes a couple of coats. I then let that dry for 4 or 5 days - usually a week and then buff with a cloth wheel to get a sheen to the finish. The aniline dye will last many years if kept out of the sun and kept covered with a finish.
Well, after all these years of using Aniline Dye, now it appears it is not recommended for food surface or children toys. I wonder how many thousands of toys are out there using Aniline Dye? Now they recommend using food dye.