Replies

1. 
   wojtek | May 20, 1999 07:54am | #1

   *
   varnishing kitchen cabinets

1. 
   M.McCollough | May 20, 1999 06:31pm | #2

   *Salid bowl finish I used never did anything like that, maybe I'm not understanding the problem correctly. I have put just a few coats of salid bowl finish on different things and had no problem for years.

1. 
   JD_Urfer | May 21, 1999 10:56pm | #3

   *Salad bowl finish is just mineral oil. This is a food safe finish, urethane and other topcoats are not. As the finish depletes, you should recoat affected areas as necessary. You can extend the life of the finish, by mixing mineral oil(make note, not mineral spirits(2/3) and beeswax(1/3) together in a double boiler method(large pan of water on stove with a smaller pan in the water to mix wax and oil). Then apply the mixture warm to hot for better penetration.Hope this helps,JD Urfer

1. 
   suzi_price | May 22, 1999 01:41am | #4

   *I have just finished cabinet tops with 1 1/2" cedar. We used a joint planer to join together with biscuits, and then sanded. I finished the edges with maple, and cut plugs of cedar to cover the screws. I then finished the entire thing with tung oil(8 coats). Is this not safe for food? I will not be cutting on this. It certainly made a beautiful surface.I had previously finished a pine kitchen table my father made me with tung oil, about 10 coats, and then used about 10 coats of "mothers" car wax. My son buffed it with a car buffer. That was 2 years ago, and it still looks great.

1. 
   Jed_C. | May 22, 1999 05:47am | #5

   *Pure tung oil is food-safe, but many manufacturers sell tung oil mixed with heavy-metal dryers, which are toxic. Chances are, if you're not using the surface as a cutting board, you've nothing to worry about.

2. 
   Howard_Acheson | May 25, 1999 01:04am | #6

   *>>Salad bowl finish is just mineral oil. This is a food safe finish, urethane and other topcoats are not.Since the mid 1970's all finishes sold in the US must be non-toxic when fully cured. Therefore, any cured finish can be considered as a "food safe finish."

3. 
   Bill_Richardson | May 25, 1999 01:30am | #7

   *As long as your're not constantly eating off of the surface of any of your finished countertops, there shouldn't be any problem. But even if you were, I'd be more worried about wood splinters after drawing your knife across the top. Remember also that even with the non-toxic finishes, the spread of any food bacteria(s) and getting sick from the same can still occur. After each use of your "cutting area", a thorough cleaning with dish soap and a clean sponge/scratchy pad helps. These are only my recommendations of course, but they have worked for me and cuttings boards and butcher blocks that I have made. I use olive oil on my block at home and altho' it does "dull up" if not used or re-rubbed frequently, at first my big concern was whether or not the finish would turn rancid. As for the water stain(s) under your mineral oil based finish and the raised grain, yup, thats what happens. You could call the stains "carachteristic", but with time and more rubbing and finish applications, you will eventually lose the stain. Any raised grain that you feel is from the wood "working" or "breathing", the water helps it expand and then any drying will cause shrinkage, ultimately warping. Is this kind of stain (mineral oil) good for the long term? Depends upon what your're using the top for, what comes in contact with it, temperature variations to include weather and humidity, etc, etc. There are a lot of products out there that you could try, I have seen the "salad bowl" mixture that you've used and I've seen other finishes that went a step or two further for price, longevity, durability, color and tone. Down the road, my concern again is bacteria and desease prevention. Which ever path you choose with all of these replies, good luck.

4. 
   Mike_Manship | Oct 02, 1999 09:24am | #8

   *Cigar-safe sealer, adhesive, or coating? I would like to use an old ammo can and line it with spanish cedar to use as a humidor for cigars. I'm looking for suggestions to seal off the original container so that what ever may have been in it cannot impart any additions to the tobacco. Also if i wish to use any glues or adhesives on the wood is there anything that is inert for this type of application?

5. 
   Stephen_Shepherd | Oct 03, 1999 07:04pm | #9

   *An excellent finish for butcher blocks or wooden counter tops is linseed oil and turpentine mixed 50/50. Instead of using commercial linseed oil with chemical dryers, go to a health food store and buy flaxseed oil, it is identicle to linseed oil but edible. This requires a long drying time but the results are excellent. You can maintain the butcher block by a mixture of almond oil and turpentine, 50/50. Other nut oils especially walnut oil does turn rancid but almond oil is less likely to do so.Stephen

6. 
   Jon_Nash | Oct 15, 1999 01:21am | #10

   *Try mineral oil for butcher blocks - cheap, easy, food safe, and leaves a beautiful lustre. Get it at your pharmacy.

7. 
   Eric_B._Rasmussen | Nov 01, 1999 10:46pm | #11

   *A traditional method used by butchers for finishing butcherblocks is melted parafin wax. Melt the wax in a double boiler, and use a cheap, clean paint brush to paint it on the wood. When it hardens, carefully scrape the excess off with a cabinet scraper. Repeat the process two or three times. After the last scraping, polish with a terrycloth towel. Your butcherblock will look beautiful and have a soft glow, like polished raw wood, but it will be waterproof and impervious to stains. I have dropped blueberry juice and paint on the block after this treatment and it just wipes off. Clean with water, and mild dishwashing liquid if needed. The soap will not dissolve the parafin. Parafin is especially good for sealing end grain butcherblock, but works as well for side grain, esecially if your block is made from a porous wood. I also use this finish on portable cutting boards. Parafin wax is completely non toxic. In fact, it is edible. It is available in your grocery store in the home canning section. The parafin finish will be unaffected by normal use. The finish can be easily renewed at any time. Depending on the amount of usage, a single recoat with the parafin treatment should be repeated about once a year, more often if you do a lot of cutting or heavy use. You can spot recoat areas of heavier use, without recoating the entre board, and the finish blends in. Be sure to clean and lightly scrape or sand the area before applying the parafin.