Food safe finish ?

[Vestas]

What’s the best food safe finish for a salad bowl ? I’ve so many opinions online - anyone help !

[bodrighywood]

Any cooking oil such as rapeseed, sunflower etc. Avoid olive oil as it goes rancid and walnut oil in case of allergies. Got things here that I made ten years ago with sunflower oil and they are fine.
If you're rich you could buy the proprietary stuff but only turners use it so no good for anyone else.

Pete

[Vestas]

Thanks Pete
Will it give an attractive finish ?

[Twisted Trees]

I like Lemon Oil, it smells nice.... also you can get food safe danish oil also smells nice, darkens the wood a little, works great with some grain patterns, or as above sunflower oil is cheap and adds some waterproofing. Reality is a half liter tin will last ages so you forget the price before you need a new one.

Or get some bees wax and polish it with that, after all once it's out of the workshop it will probably only ever see wax furniture polish for the rest of it's life!

Down the line a bit you will probably want some sanding sealer, this is cellulose based, you want it quite diluted which means it lasts a long time, so you will want some cellulose thinners... you can buy that by the gallon at car paint shops for the price of a small tin at halfords or wood shops.

First thing I polished was a lidded box, I used motorcycle wax to polish it... still looks good today. Play and pick up different finishes as and when and find what you like, get small quantities a dab of oil or wax on a cloth goes a long way when the lathe is spinning... I suspect in fact I know cos I used some the other week, I still have some stick wax that came half used when I bought the lathe in 2009.
 

[Vestas]

Many thanks
Great advice thanks
I reckon danish oil food safe is a good shout

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Just to remind you that you should not use a cloth for polishing on a rotating piece of work.

[Twisted Trees]

Just to remind you that you should not use a cloth for polishing on a rotating piece of work.

That is true, you should use the special tear out cloth, or a bit of kitchen roll which will tear easily enough.

But we do regularly use cloth backed abrasive on a rotating piece of work.

Couldn't recommend it as there is still risk of it catching and running with the lathe, however I often use a cloth preferably taken from old and semi rotten bed sheet which I fold like French polish rubber so there are no dangling ends, and held in my finger tips, so if does catch it is pulled out of my hand easily, minimizing but not removing the risk. 

[Derek]

I would go with Pete's recommendation as it is something that is available to many people who would use it unless it is for yourself. People will always go for the easy option rather than go out and buy special finishes just for a one-off piece.

[bodrighywood]

Thanks Pete
Will it give an attractive finish ?

If ylou are talking about a salad bowl then the finish needn't be a super gloss. After all if it is used it will get washed or at least wiped down a lot and so should be may to be fit for purpose. When making things that are practical and for non turners aim for the best quality workmanship  but don't get caught up trying to impress other turners. Soak with oil as I suggested then, when dry a quick wipe over is all that is needed. Depending on the wood you will get a soft sheen same as with any other oil.

Pete

[Vestas]

Many thanks for all the advice

[Paul Hannaby]

Try either mineral oil, sold by some of the manufacturers as food safe or salad bowl finish or food safe boiled linseed oil. Appartently it is used extensively in the scandinavian countries. The last bowl I posted in the gallery was finished with boiled linseed oil. It is preferable to basic vegetable oil or mineral oil because it dries and can be built up to the desired level of finish.

[Les Symonds]

Try .......food safe boiled linseed oil.....

...this is the only food safe oil that I use, but a word of caution! Very few manufacturers still use the original boiling process; most use a chemical process but continue to use the term "Boiled". Before buying boiled linseed, take the precaution of checking out the manufacturer's H&S spec sheet.
Les

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I think chestnut do a food safe finish, I think it is called Food safe finish.

[bodrighywood]

I think chestnut do a food safe finish, I think it is called Food safe finish.

They do but rape  seed oil is cheaper LOL

Pete

[Twisted Trees]

You can probably still buy pharmaceutical mineral oil from a good chemist, which is probably what the chestnut food safe finish is, though I find it doesn't enhance the grain, so haven't used it in years.