Checked out a couple of discussion groups, can’t find anyone else who has posted specific info on this. There is quite a bit of stuff on finishing teak for exterior use, but not interior. I did a post on a different woodworking site, but there seemed to be some confusion there about what non toxic meant.
I built a small Krenov-style wall cabinet out of teak. I handplaned/scraped all the surfaces, no sanding, so the pores are quite open, not filled with dust. I was thinking of just leaving it unfinished, but am concerned the pores would get filled with dirt over time.
As an alternative to just leaving it unfinished, I am considering rubbing on a non toxic finish such as beeswax, pure tung oil, Tried and True Varnish (mostly linseed oil I believe), or shellac. Or one of these with the beeswax on top.
There was an older post on teak here in Knots that mentioned putting down boiled linseed oil followed by shellac. That sounds good to me, but I’d like to know if anyone else has had any success with non-toxic finishes on teak.
One of the problems with teak is that it is naturally quite oily, I can feel the oil readily on my fingers after handling it. So I am concerned about adhesion over the long term for these finishes. Does anyone have any experience with any of these finishes on teak for interior use?
Thanks,
Dan
PS Here’s how I tell something is toxic. If it has a skull and cross bones on the package, it’s toxic.
Replies
Dan ,
Many finishes once dried and cured are no longer considered toxic .
You may want to look into Daly's Sea Fin Teak oil for one .
best of luck to you dusty
Bob Flexner goes quite a long way to make the point that ALL clear finishes available to the public are non-toxic when fully cured, even with respect to food contact. So let your finish decision be based on the appearance you are looking for.
Beeswax provides almost no protection from water or from handling and is one of the softest waxes. It should hardly be considered a finish--rather it should be thought of as a cosmetic last touch. For that purpose, I would choose a wax which mixes beeswax with carnuba and other harder products.
Pure tung oil is very slow drying, and unless patience is used in its application can end up with white spots in the pores.
The Tried and True product has its advocates, but some find it very difficult to achieve a satisfactory result. It must be applied in the thinnest possible coats or it can give the appearance of never fully drying.
Shellac is a quick, reliable finish, but it is a film finish. It can be applied very thin, and rubbed to a satin finish, though it is naturally a gloss material.
I would think about using an oil/varnish mix, such as Watco, applied so as to avoid any build on the surface, but just to give a bit of protection as an "in-the-wood" finish. This sounds pretty much what you are looking for.
You do need to experiment with the finish on scrap prepared the same way as the project. This is a good rule for just about any finishing project, and should be thought of as mandatory every time you use a new wood or a new finishing material.
If you like the appearance of the final product, what works as an exterior finish will also work as an interior finish.
Teak oil is an easy to use easy to repair finish for teak that imparts a nice warm amber color. It will not fill the pores in one coating so a few coats would be good to keep the dust out and aid in easy dusting. Dry to handle in 24 hours, cure 3-4 days, non toxic when dry.
Steve Nearman
Fredericksburg, VA
Furniture Restoration Service
Quality restorations and repairs for over 35 years!
(540) 371-5566
http://FurnitureRepair.net/
Guys,
I appreciate all the suggestions and feedback.
I understand that once cured most finishes are non toxic. I guess perhaps I am being a bit uptight, but I don't want stuff like Watco, teak oil, Danish oil, etc in my house. I am looking for a finish that is not toxic to use and does not emit/evaporate/offgas toxic fumes when being applied as well as when cured.Again, if it has the skull and cross bones on it, I don't want it.
I have heard that Tried and True can be fussy to apply, and should definitely not be applied to the inside of the cabinet. I've got couple pieces of scrap on the go right now to test the various options.
Seems that a couple layers of very thin shellac with wax on top may be the best non toxic solution. A wall hanging display cabinet is a pretty light duty application, and the shellac will keep the dust out of the pores as well as begin amenable to the occaisional dusting. I'm still a bit leery of how the shellac will adhere in the long term though.
Dan
Not to burst your bubble, but there is nothing non-toxic about the various alcohols used to dissolve shellac.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
Hi John, I understand that the solvent is not pure ethanol, that various additives are put in to prevent people from drinking it. And that these additives are quite toxic. The MSDS's are available on line, pretty scary reading!
I do mix my own shellac flakes, so I have been considering alternative solvents, such as rubbing alcohol, or trying to locate pure ethanol. Unfortunately the rubbing alcohol on my local drugstores' shelves is only 95% pure, the rest being water. I've tried to locate Everclear (ethanol) without success locally, but it is also only at about 95% purity. I don't think that that is pure enough, but I have not tried it, I'm just relying on what I have read.
Apparently 95% is about as pure as the distilling process can achieve, and to take it to over 99% you need to filter it with plaster of paris. I guess if I could track down some Everclear I might give it a try, I'm not inclined to build my own still yet!
Meanwhile, any other insights you have on non toxic finishes suitable for teak would be welcome.
Thanks John.
Dan
Pure ethanol is not non toxic, even if it is drunk in large quantities in everything from beer to vodka.
Both in liquid form and as fumes is considered as toxic, both immediately and in long term exposures, as many of the other solvents that you have rejected. It is also more flammable and explosive than many common solvents, and it is very dangerous and hard to control when burning.
I've had considerable experience with ethanol both in industrial safety situations and as an EMT and I treat it with a lot of respect. Just because you drink it in a martini doesn't mean ethanol is benign, and the martinis will kill you.
John W.
Yes, that is true, ethanol does have a number of undesirable characteristics for sure. If you drink enough water it'll kill you too I suppose. I guess everyone draws their personal 'line' somewhere though. In my case, as a layman and a hobbyist, the line I have chosen to draw is that if it has the skull and crossbones on it, I don't want to use it. Others may be more or less concerned than I am, and they act as they see fit. So I am simply looking for alternatives. I realize the trade off may be a finish that is more difficult to apply, or is less durable, etc.I know that sawdust can be toxic, that common shop lubricants like WD-40 are toxic, many glues are toxic, that we are exposed to bad stuff every day in the shop and in our homes. I'm just trying to do something small in my own house to minimize it.Meanwhile, I await further input on non toxic teak finishes from anyone who cares to offer a suggestion!Dan
By your criteria there are no non-toxic finishes. So plan on lots of ventilation, use gloves and acquire an organic compounds full face mask. Seems obsessive to me, but it's entirely your choice.
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