Hello…I am fairly new to wood turning and would like to make a rolling pin. I know that maple and cherry (walnut?) are a good selection for turning rolling pins because of the tight grain but was wondering what other food safe woods are used. I would like to laminate a variety of woods for this particular French rolling pin.
Thank you
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Replies
Maple is common, as is birch.
Thank you
I have made and used several, maple is a classic and that’s what I use in the kitchen, I have made some of mahogany, ash, elm and hickory and they all worked also. I give them a coat of mineral oil initially so they look new until used then let time make it’s magic without any further finish.
Thanks Gulfstar...
Thank you...they look great
All woods are food-safe, (I hate that expression,) even if you plan to gnaw on the wood. And, I'd stay away from film finishes to coat it. Too much of a chance for films to flake off, enhancing the flavor of what's being rolled.
Query, because I'm a smartass. Do you ask store clerks if a certain plastic fork or rolling pin is safe for food?
Mikaol
made me smile/laugh Mikaol -:) You make a good point and I'll stay away from film finishes. I usually use Howard's Butcher Block Oil and also the Howard Conditioner. On the other hand though, I guess if I was going to chew on the plastic fork and didn't know any better then I would ask if it was safe to ingest :-) just kidding...I do get and appreciate your reply to my question. I'm probably going to stick to maple and walnut (and maybe add the cherry) cause I think that they would look good together. Again, I'm fairly new to this and appreciate the feedback.
You want your rolling pin (and surface) to have a thin flour layer when making your pizza dough so it does not stick to either, hence the bare wood and no clean-up, just put it aside when finished.
I've always wondered what makes "food safe" mineral oil food safe. Maybe paying 3 times as much? I saw some mineral oil in the pharmacy section of my grocery store. This was sold as a laxative and 8 ounces was about $2.
My conclusion is that if a product is made to be swallowed, it's food safe!
I take mine at the pharmacy.
You can get buckets of mineral oil really cheap at veterinary and farm supply stores.
I hope you hurry home after taking it!!
In a heartbeat
I'd stay away from some of the exotics. They cause serious allergic reactions in people. So a cocobolo rolling pin would be beautiful, but unhealthy.
Any of the common domestic woods are fine. I'd personally avoid open pored woods like ash or oak, because they can be a pain to clean. But maple and cherry are great for rolling pins. I've made a couple from curly maple that look great.
Thank you…what about walnut? I’ve read some reviews that say “yes” and some that say “it’s just okay but pores are not as closed as maple or cherry” Have you used walnut? If so then how was it?
I haven't used walnut. But I'd wonder about how open the pores are. It would look great though. Give it a try. It's only a stick of wood. It practically grows on trees.
👍 thanks John…I’ll give it a try
Walnut is fine, as is maple. I've used both for the job.
Whilst it is in practical terms impossible to get poisoned from using a wooden rolling pin, some woods are best avoided - species like Kowhai and Oleander are toxic and whilst not deadly, who would want to use those if you could avoid it. Rimu is safe to use, but is very unpleasant to turn as the dust is nasty.
In the end, it comes down to preference - you have nothing to lose by trying.
My top tip for rolling pins is a nice flat baulk of timber the same length as your pin body with 60 grit paper on it. Use it to ensure your rolling pin is perfectly flat.
Thank you for your advice and feedback Rob. Much appreciated.
I’ve always used hard maple. Easy to turn n finishes beautifully. +1 for mineral oil from the pharmacy. Hate to say it, but the least expensive mineral oil I’ve come across is intended for constipation. Just throw the little tube away.
Perfect…thank you
Walnut and certain other woods have extractives, which should be avoided when using with food. Seri Robinson is a wood scientist from Oregon State University and has a lot of information in the following book and Facebook page:
Living with Wood: A Guide for Toymakers, Hobbyists, Crafters, and Parents Hardcover – May 28, 2020
by Seri C. Robinson
Wood Education and Safety (toys, furniture, outdoors, etc) page on Facebook--look under the files tab for information about extractives and unsafe wood.
Perfect…thank you for the info and the resources. I look forward to looking at the links.
I make French rolling pins from oak but when the billet is square I use my taper jig to cut 1/4 or thinner groves from corner to corner.Then I epoxy contrasting wood in the groove and the finished piece is really exciting
I have a wood rolling pin that was made by my great grandfather about 1900. It is not 100% round (a bit oval on one end) and you can still see we’re it was in the lathe. I have NO idea what it is made from after 100 years of use it has an oily dark finish. Not from whatever May have been out on it but from more pie crusts and cookie dough then I could count.
So I doubt in the long run the finish trully matter.
This was given to my grandma by her mother when she got married in 1919 or so. Not sure when it was made but when my grandma gave it to my mother when she got married she said her Dad (my great grand dad) had made and when she was little she remember using it. It was the rolling pin my mother learned to use and my siblings and I as well.
It has held up for a century with nothing being done to it for the last 65 plus years (perhaps longer) So I would suggest a bit of oil and as long as you use it with a greasy / buttery dough every once in a whiole you should be fine.
I've only used maple (curly, preferably) for french rolling pins. My experience is that sooner or later, the user (friends and family) will throw them in the dishwasher without thinking (or not caring) and then a glued up piece will eventually come apart. Yes, you can tell them all you want, but it seems to be human nature. Same with cutting boards.
People seem indignant when I tell them not to put a wooden bowl in the dishwasher. I once had some ask if they could put a shaker box in the dishwasher.
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