So my wife went yard saling today and came home with a set of wood salad bowls that she says will be very nice if I can just refinish them. Now I am a very novice woodworker and need some help. I am planning on removing all the old finish with light sanding and then finish sanding to atlease 220 grit. The question arises then as to how to finish them. What is a safe finish to apply to an eating surface? Do I stain and seal, or use an aoil and if I do for instance apply a tung oil finish do Ineed a sealer? A little help would be appreciated as they really are a decent looking set of bowls and I would love to make then something special for my wife. Thanks for any input and advice.
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
Mineral oil or shellac
They make mineral oils that are marketed for doing salad bowls. If you want you could shellac them, it is food safe.
Nether should be washed, with soap or soaked.
The toxicity issue is a non-issue. All clear finishes in the US are safe for food contact--products sold as "salad bowl finish" are often just wiping varnishes similar to others sold by the same company. It's marketing not safety. There are several schools of thought about salad bowls. Some treat them like chopping boards and finish with mineral oil. Others use a film finish such as an oil based varnish. You have to decide how they will be used.
No particular sealer is needed, and I would avoid pure tung oil. It dries very slowly and really doesn't provide much protection.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled