A finish that’s good enough to eat
Ever had a project that looked so good, you just wanted to lick it? Hmm, maybe that’s just me. In any case, sometimes you want to make something that can be chewed on, drooled over, or used as a serving implement. When that time comes, you want to steer clear of most commercial finishes, which are just a bit more foodsafe than this. Actually, that’s not 100% true–while most finishes are toxic, they become much less toxic when they dry. Of course, that’s what they said about lead paint.
So what’s a woodworker to do? Well, there are some excellent alternatives. Here’s a quick wrap-up of some foodsafe finishes. These are all safe to put on toddler’s building blocks, salad bowls, butcher blocks, serving utensils, and your tongue.
In order of decreasing durability:
Shellac
Like beeswax, shellac is produced by insects. It’s hard and protective. Dewaxed shellac, especially “super-blonde”, is fairly water resistant (other grades are less so). It is damaged immediately by alcohol. This forms a coating over the wood, so it won’t work for chopping blocks.
Behlen’s Salad Bowl Finish
I believe this is also a hardening finish, although I’m not 100% sure. It’s been explicitly FDA certified.
Pure tung oil
Insert “tongue oil” joke here. “Tung oil finish” often has drying agents made out of heavy metals, so steer clear. Pure tung oil comes from a nut, though, and you can drink it if you want (hint: you don’t). It smells kind of nasty and, without the drying agents, takes a while to dry. Also, as it dries it tends to leak back out of pores and cracks, leaving wet splotches. You want to re-wipe it with a cloth every few days until this stops. Still, when all’s said and done, it provides a very tough, hardening, penetrating finish that will not go rancid.
Walnut oil
Cheap, easily available, won’t go rancid, and smells better than tung oil. On the flip side it takes longer to harden and is not quite as protective. Still, an excellent choice.
Mineral oil
This is what most butcher blocks are made of. Don’t use baby oil, since it has fragrances added and you probably don’t want your butcher block smelling like a baby’s derriere. Use the stuff from the pharmacy, but be careful at the checkout stand. This does not cure or harden, but it’s dirt cheap. Many butcher block oil formulations are just mineral oil. It must be reapplied quite frequently.
Any other plant oil
Other plant oils (corn, olive, etc) can, in theory, be used to finish wood. Some woodworkers report it going rancid and smelling nasty. Some don’t. If you’re feeling…uh…brave, feel free to try it and report back on how it works.
So turn some of those scraps from your woodpile into butcher blocks, building blocks, or salad bowls, and try one of these methods to finish them. You’ll thank me for it.
(You might want to subscribe or follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss new articles)
