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Paint and finish that is safe for kids

4K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  Charlie5791 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey LJ's!

I found out a few weeks ago that my wife and I are expecting a child in June. I immediately had a hair-brained idea to build a pull toy…I call it the Duck Train:

Wood Flooring Floor Wheel Gas


Note that the above pic is only half the train…2 more little ducks are in progress.

I would like to paint the duck train…yellow bodies, orange bills, and black wheels. I am needing to know if there is a safe paint out there for kids. I assume that my child will be chewing the heck out of this toy…

Also, after painting with a kid-safe paint, should a follow up with a clear finish coat?

Thanks in advance for your guidance!
 

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#4 ·
realmilkpaint.com

real milk paint can me mouthed, chewed and eaten by kids with no ill effects at all. It's made from casein (basically dried milk). It is EXTREMELY safe if you want to paint the objects. Otherwise, shellac, as already has been said. You've been eating it for years. The food industry uses tons of it.

If you paint with milk paint, don't clear coat it UNLESS you clear coat it with some equally safe (like clear shellac)
 
#6 ·
Shellac…I had a feeling that was going to be an answer. I knew about its use in food products, so it stands to reason its safe.

I had no clue about milk paint. I'd heard the term thrown around but didn't know what it was! Sounds like the way to go. How durable is the finish with milk paint? I wonder if it would be best to apply shellac over it just for durability?

Don - thanks for the congrats! I'm pretty giddy about it all…ducks included.
 
#12 ·
I agree that any paint we buy here is okay and safe. Hobby Lobby sells a spray paint that is made for kids toys. I don't like it because it dries slow and is a little more difficult to work with. Like most people I want instant results but I have used it successfully. Look at it. It is near the wood wheel and axle section most of the time. Congratulations on the addition to the family.
 
#13 ·
Milk paint is actually sacrificial by nature. It will slough with weathering. You can make it FAR more durable by adding NO MORE THAN 10% pure tung oil or real boiled linseed oil. NO MORE THAN 10%. I would only add the oil for furniture or outdoor items to slow the weathering effects outside or make a furniture piece a little better able to withstand a scrubbing.
For kids' toys it's just not necessary. Milk paint is a flat finish. No shine. You might get it to an eggshell if the piece is sanded very finely, but in general, milk paint is flat flat flat. For that reason the childrens' toys might be more attractive with a shellac overcoat.
As an artist I've worked with casein paints for over 40 years. So I kinda know how they work. :)
 
#14 ·
Ducks … Hmm something I have helped my wife make as gifts.

Ours go out UNFINISHED … but we use Yellowheart and Cocobolo … 1 big yellow Momma duck 2 yellow babies and one brown "ugly" duckling. (Maple wheels and axels)

The research we did lead us to believe that these woods were all safe outside the shop. We deal with dust via a dust collection and air filter system … so knock on wood we have had no issues.

I do have concerns though about wood grain direction… Kids chew and pry …. if the can snap off a small beak is it a choking hazard ( I would rather snap a head off then a beak …. harder to swallow the head)

I suggest looking at:

http://www.cpsc.gov/volstd/toys/f963_05102010.pdf.

Ok I am not going all leagaleaze but as an engineer/woodworker if I gave my daughter a toy I made, andg that killed her …. well not sure what I do… fortunately with her in her mid 20s I think I am safe.

The PDF mentions a cord length maximum, and maximum load before failure.

I believe they also discuss a pull test … you pull on a part say the wheel, with 25# of force… if it comes off it must pass the choke test. Our wheels did not fail at 25# so we passed that test but who knew.

We love making toys together, we just want to make sure everybody is smiling for 20 yrs after we are gone.

Regards and Congrats!
Carl
PS
No amount of careful planning compensates for poor parenting …. if the kid chews the duck into a spear and stabs their brother what can we do. If a toy gets "frayed" get rid of it.
 
#15 ·
I sent a lot of time applying shellac to a table I made for my kids. Maybe its just my skill level with shellac but it took me longer to do the finish than to make the damn table. If I had to do it again I would have used oil and wax. I have no experience with milk paint but that sounds like a good option.
 
#16 ·
N-thing shellac, although I've been convinced that when a modern polyurethane cures it's food safe. For food finishes I usually use walnut oil; I've no idea how that interacts with food allergies, but my sweety is fairly sensitive to walnuts whole and uses wood utensils and bowls finished with walnut oil all the time without incident.

And I've actually been tempted to drop out the $80 for the ASTM standard on toys that the CPSC uses. I've convinced myself that I don't need third party testing if I'm donating toys, but it does seem like following those guidelines wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
#17 ·
I have many things to say guys, but I'm short on time, I will add more comments tomorrow. However, just cause iKm excited, I need to mention that today we saw the doc and found 2 little "ducklings" in my wife…so double the finish mixture!

More to come tomorrow morn - thanks for all the great responses!
 
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