# Food safe finish



## Alundrell (Mar 13, 2013)

I'm fairly new to wood turning, I've been turning goblets and have given a few as gifts I've used a clear brush lacquer to finish them I told the people I've given then to that they are purely decorative. I'm actually going to be selling some of my goblets in a craft fair coming up and was wondering what kind of finish I can use that is safe for people to use, wont leech into the drink, and looks nice too. I know mineral oil is safe but I'm not sure how to get a nice shine on the wood with it and I'm not sure if it will leech into the beverage. I know that hot liquids are a no no, but as far as water and wine what would be a good finish to use, and the best way to apply said finish?


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

I don't think there is such a thing as a food-safe, long-lasting clear coat finish for wood. Food-safe is a non-scientific, thrown-around term used by the main stream food media. I've heard mineral oil is food-safe but IMO that is more wrong than right for many reasons I won't go into here. For the very-concerned-about-their-health-on-a-daily-basis-folks, food-safe would mean that if you ingested the substance it would not cause you to have ANY short-term or long-term physical afflictions spanning sensitivity/allergy reactions and side effects all the way to poisoning. Vegetable oils would qualify as food-safe but go rancid or wash off over time, so that won't work because who want to keep washing, oiling, wiping off, drying and drinking out of their oiled goblet only to do it all over again every day or week? I certainly wouldn't drink or let my kids drink out of any poly'd or lacquered or shellaced or alkyd or acrylic-based clearcoated container.

Unless you could high-temperature cure a glaze over your goblet like porcelain then you'd be in business. Funny how they never tell you what the glaze is actually made up of - someone with that knowledge can expound I'm sure.

Someone out there must have a solution to the wood goblet food-safe finishing question . .


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I've been looking into food safe finishes. Traditional heat treated linseed oil is an option. Make sure not to get the stuff from your hardware or home store that says boiled linseed oil because that is now made with hydrocarbons and metallic catalysts. But here's a link to a food safe version with the Danish oil there being the pure linseed oil one, and the first one being linseed/beeswax. Carnauba wax is another option, I just don't know how to apply it without a toxic solvent. Maybe a heat gun or something to that effect. Woodcraft and other suppliers sell it in flake form in various grades. You can use beeswax or other wax too, they're just not as hard and won't last as long.

Neither will be 100% long lasting or food safe for everyone, but are pretty high up on the food safe list, at least as safe as the plastic containers everyone eats and drinks out of. I think any food safe wood finish short of a plastic liner will need to be redone every so often.

I'm looking forward to other ideas too.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Everything is food safe once it's cured, IMO.

Don't use mineral oil, since it will leech into the contents of the container.


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

I've heard the same as Jay.
A decent no-nonsense fact based read


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## CharlesNeil (Oct 21, 2007)

CosmicSniper has it correct.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

From Terry's link:
"Shellac, like honey, another material made by bugs, is edible. You all eat it on vitamins, candy, and time release medicines, and sometimes also on fruit. Edible is a lot more definitive than food safe. Ditto for raw (but not boiled) flaxseed oil (also called linseed oil), and mineral oil, which is the only one of the three that will not dry (it stays liquid forever)."

I wouldn't use shellac in a wine goblet, as the alcohol will dissolve the shellac.


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

I wasn't recommending anything in particular, just putting in my 2 cents re: the "food safe finish argument"

Alcohol in general is a decent solvent so care must be taken selecting the finish. Figure out which finishes won't melt or degrade in ethyl alcohol.


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## Alundrell (Mar 13, 2013)

Wow I did not know that about shellac, that is really interesting, I will have to look into that further


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 18, 2013)

Terry's link is a good read. I especially appreciate it's clarity and common sense.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Guys who know more about finishing than me say that all film (e.g. shellac, lacquer, varnish, poly) finishes are food safe once they are fully cured. I admit to a bit of skepticism, perhaps unfounded.


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## Alundrell (Mar 13, 2013)

Damn terry that's a great link thaks for that! Tank you to everyone for all te info I reall apreciate it. I assume the the full curing time for most finishes are 30 day to fully cure, what I have been using is Deft clear gloss lacquer, so in theory that should be fine as long as I wait a month to use it, would alchahol affect that finish, once cured or should I just stick to water in the goblets?


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Rick, I think part of the confusion is the term "food safe." Does that mean foods can come into contact with the finish for short periods without absorbing anything? Does it mean that food can be in constant contact with the finish? Does it mean that you can consume small quantities of the finish with no real danger? Or can you safely ingest any quantity?

I have no doubt that most all the finishes sold today can be in short contact with food once fully cured, but I wouldn't feel comfortable finishing a cutting board with certain finishes, if I wanted to do that for some reason.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I guess it all depends on your definition of food safe. The article above has the basic argument that there is no evidence it's not safe so it is. Not so long ago it wasn't known that lead was so toxic until the issue was studied carefully. A cured finish doesn't cure 100%, the article mentions a certain amount of leeching of the toxic ingredients. But to each their own. I do agree the exposure is probably relatively low. I guess I'm one of those people that's bothered by the increasing amount of chemicals we ingest and are exposed to.


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## Alundrell (Mar 13, 2013)

I agree with you compleatly Shampeon, I would not want to cut food on a bord finished with anything but mineral oil, flakes lo lacquer or polyeurothane in my food every day is not appetizing to me.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

I do not buying into claim once a film forming finish has dried/cured it is food safe. Yes, the FDA has approved many toxic chemicals for contact with food. If your favorite finishing material has, a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) contains poisonous or hazardous chemicals. 
Manufacturers do not always list all harmful chemicals in their products MSDS. In other parts of the world known as Safety data Sheet (SDS).

http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/food-safe-finishes.aspx

For any bowl I make used for food gets coating of mineral oil, people that get the bowls get a small bottle of mineral oil and instructions on reapplying as needed.

Do not use industrial grade MO or baby oil on anything that will come in contact with food.

If do not like mineral oil the laxitive, look at Walnut oil, make sure to get some for your customers too!


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Alundrell - but that's kinda a separate issue. We wouldn't use a film finish on things that might end of flaking because of tool usage, regardless if we are going to eat off of it…or not. For the same reason, I wouldn't put a film finish on a workbench.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

If want to try some walnut oil here are couple vendors:

http://www.doctorswoodshop.com/

http://www.bowlmakerinc.com/finishes.html


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

It's a non-issue. Go with Cosmic's response.


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## Whitewalls (Dec 30, 2012)

I like to use General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish. I get it from Woodcraft, it's 17 bucks a quart.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Mineral oil in the contents would be in such small amounts it should not make a difference. That is the beautiful part of it. It won't harm you especiall in small amounts. It doesn't go rancid. I think I would rather eat small amounts of mineral oil off a bowl than eat small amouts of polyurethane that chips off and ends up in my food.


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## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

The best finish to use in a goblet or mug is no finish. Just use a wood that's durable and nonperishable and that won't flavor or leach into the contents. The outside you can finish however you want.


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## MonteCristo (May 29, 2012)

Do a search here on LJs. There are a few threads on this topic. Lots of different views on what is or what isn't safe.


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