Is Redwood safe for a salad bowl?

I’m not an expert, but I would think a soft wood like redwood would not be up to the task of kitchen use, and the resinous nature of coniferous woods might not be so good either, even with the varnish in Salad Bowl finish. Just my 2¢.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks, Doug. That was what I was afraid of. Just thought I would see if all the others thought so, too.

I guess I will have to use maple.

God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

Redwood is only a little bit denser than balsa, and it’s really brittle. I can’t guess at how the wood is for consumption, but the bowl will dent fairly easily, and crack if you drop it.

Great for planters and static applications where the rot-resistance is useful, less cool for siding, where I’ve found it gets brittle and cracks, but I’d totally rule it out for bowls.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Thanks, Dan. I am going to nix redwood for any bowl. Just wanted to see if it could be used. Looks like a bad idea al in all!

God bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

I have cut a lot of redwood (around 100,000 bdft) and seen it used on counter tops and food service areas as well as cutting boards and bowls. I don’t think it is harmful in any way but it is very soft and will crack and split easily.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3