Finish for food caddies

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

LocalOak

Established Member
Joined
20 Nov 2007
Messages
221
Reaction score
0
Location
Herefordshire
Hi

I have searched and haven't really found the answer I was looking for so here goes.

I am going to make some food caddies for teabags etc, effectively largish turned boxes from beech and possibly some ash as well. I want to get a hard gloss finish, and normally use microcrystaline wax over sanding sealer for my other turned things. However, this doesn't seem right for storing even dry foodstuffs.

I'd prefer a wax as SWIMBO likes the blond wood and I don't want to darken it too much.

The food safe oils seem to require regular re-coating which is fine for a salad bowl or utensils but isn't really what I want. And they are hard work to get to a gloss.

I've gone round the houses looking at various websites and am now thinking about the following choices.

1. Carnauba wax over food safe oil
2. Carnauba wax over EN71 safe sanding sealer
3. Chestnut hard wax
4. Liberon finishing oil
5. Chestnut finishing oil
6. Stick with microcrystalline wax over sanding sealer and just air it properly until all the solvent has gone.

And I haven't even considered lacquers or shellac.

Anyone done something similar and managed not to poison loved ones?

Thanks

Toby
 
Cellulose sanding sealer followed by melamine reinforced lacquer. At least on the inner surfaces.

The latter is not easy to apply as a wipe on over large surfaces without build up marks, don't be tempted to go back over an area until dry, as long as you are conversant with the normal problems of misting or runs when using a spray can then a spray version of melamine is easier to get an even coat over larger areas.

Melamine cures over several days, make sure when burnishing with cream or buffing mops that it has cured and do not remove 'skin' by burnishing too aggressively early on.

Very hard wearing and will be virtually water proof if coated correctly, I have several bowls treated that way used for soft fruit that have stood the test of time and over ripe grapes, pears etc.
 
Back
Top