Trivet finishing

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ElderlyGent

Member
Joined
11 May 2019
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Location
Port Erin
HI All.

I have looked around the internet to find a suitble finish for a trivet, without much success. I need something that will withstand the heat from hot dishes, and will be water or moisture resistant should someone be carelsss.

No doubt this problem as been aired befroe but I can't find a sol;ution, so perhaps some kind person on this forum can point me in the right direction.

I have used Danish Oil on several other pieces but they was not going to be maltreated.

The timber used is ordinary decking planed down to .75 thick and shouldn't move much.

Best to aqll out there

EG.
 
I would leave untreated if very hot pans or oven goods are to be used.

If you want some level of moisture resistance to take a damp cloth wipe over, I would suggest the use of a Food Safe Finish (liquid Paraffin BP) or Lemon Oil. such as those in the links.
 
I made one from Elm years ago, It's still in use now but has about a 5mm cup in it which doesn't really affect the use. I don't think I finished it at the time, it's sort of taken on the oils and greases from cooking which has given it it's own patina. I recently learned that Elm is a very heat resistant timber so it was a good inadvertent choice by younger me :)
 
Don't put any finish on it. It will acquire a "patina" from hot pans and roasting tins. I made some over 30 years ago and they are still in use and look fine and used.
 
Many thanks for the advice. The planed decking even has quite a nice grain pattern, so I will leave it at tyhat.
Best to all here
EG.
 
ElderlyGent":1wxxlaos said:
I need something that will withstand the heat from hot dishes, and will be water or moisture resistant should someone be carelsss.
Wood itself is perfectly capable of withstanding all of that within reason, and with trivets if they get scorched that scorched surface will act to protect the wood beneath.

Regardless of the wood used a trivet can do just fine left bare. I have two things here used as trivets (one a purpose-made trivet, the other a cheap round cutting board) and both are unfinished pine. They don't just take hot plates, they've been used for uncounted skillets straight from the hob and roasting dishes directly from the oven set at max. Plus they've been in hot, soapy water innumerable times. Both still going strong.

But something that nobody else picked up on, when you say decking do you mean softwood or hardwood? If it's pressure-treated softwood it's not necessarily something you want on your kitchen work surfaces or around food.
 
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