Food bowl finishes

[AndyD]

I've been carving out a large food/(big)salad bowl/table centrepiece. It's in English Oak, 5" deep and about 3' by 18" shaped like, as my daughters call it, an egg. It will soon be ready for a coat of something.

I've been reading about various finishes for food bowls eg. olive oil, walnut oil, beeswax, or nothing.

Never having done this before, it also being the first piece of oak I've ever used, I have some questions.
What finish would you use on the inside and why? Would you do the whole piece with the same finish or use something different on the outside?
Would for example, Tung/Linseed oil on the outside 'go' with olive on the inside, and then wax over the whole thing?

Thanks

Andy

 

[PowerTool]

Hi there,Andy.
The odd bowl or two I've made for occasional food use (including one in oak),I have used Chestnut Food Safe finish over the whole thing - easy to apply,wipe on three or four coats,then wipe off any excess.

Andrew

 

[CHJ]

Hi there,Andy.
The odd bowl or two I've made for occasional food use (including one in oak),I have used Chestnut Food Safe finish over the whole thing - easy to apply,wipe on three or four coats,then wipe off any excess.

Andrew

Thats the way most of the ones we use are treated, a couple have Finishing Oil on the outside.

No problems so far even when used with salad dressings, just wipe clean with damp then dry kitchen paper towel when done. The odd stain from wet beetroot or tomato now and then but nothing that mars the look too much, if inner wood showing signs of loosing oil we just give it another quick coat.

 

[tigerturnings]

Hi Andy,

Organoil (I believe available via Hegner or Stiles & Bates in the UK) make finishes from entirely natural oils. I've been impressed with their Hi-Speed Finishing Oil on some turned work (but never used it in contact with food). They recommend Hard Burnishing Oil for food serving items, and I would happily go with that recommendation if I had a food bowl needing a finish.

I've not actually made a salad bowl yet, but I've had success with pure tung oil on chopping boards. I applied a few coats, let dry a month or more, and after a year or so in use (hand washed only) I have never found it to impart any flavour to the food or cause any health upsets. The finish can be 'repaired' if necessary by simply applying another coat.

Another possibility is from an article in Woodturning vol. 90 (Aug 2000). It claims that Don White, whose mainstay for many years has been making salad bowls, uses "mineral oil" to finish his bowls. I believe this is the same as "medicinal liquid paraffin" available from chemists. Unlike tung oil or Organoil, it will never cure. Some see this as a problem but others have reported success with it.

Depending on what foods you will be serving in the bowl, you may want to think about something that will fill the pores of the oak for easier cleaning. I think Rustin's Plastic Coating would probably do this, although I have never used it. I'm sure someone else can advise on that front.

 

[AndyD]

Thanks for the replies. The following was also interesting
http://www.sydneywoodturners.com.au/sit ... 0bowl.html
No decision as yet, will test to see how the oils affect the colour of oak and ask my sister (for whom the bowl is a present) how natural or dark she wants it.

Is there a summary of the colour changes different finishes make somewhere?

Andy