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Food Safe Oils Polish & Wax True Oils Reference Chart Resources |
Blaspheme! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I couldn't have forced myself to believe it. Oh, the horror, the pain... I'm not sure I can go on. Norm painted wood. Ok, I guess I'll make it. Fact is, Norm probably wasn't all that wrong to paint the wood. In our ever increasing attempts to stop waste and use the whole tree, "paint grade" products are becoming far more commonplace. What was once waste scrap (or sawdust) is now being pieced into various products and used. However, I'm a purist and I like the look of wood. So, I made this page to give me a quick and dirty on many of the ways I can alter it. All seriousness aside, I made this page for a couple of reasons. First, I needed to raise my own level of understanding. Between the number of wood finishing products, what those products are, and number of "experts" out there, I didn't know enough. And ultimately, it scares the poo out of me to think that all of that work will be wasted when the whole project comes out looking like it sat in swamp muck for the last hundred years. So, in that vain, I made this page. It's one of those pages that I don't know if I'll ever be done with. Finishing, as a subject, is huge! As I learn more (and screw up less), I'll be posting it here. Of course, I'm right, but I don't know that I want to become one of the "experts" I talk about. Accordingly, there are some real and recognized experts out there... they're listed in the resources below. Also, if you believe me (and you should 'cause I'm an expert) and you're already familiar with this stuff, you may still find the quick reference chart handy. Enjoy |
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These are not what we think of as modern woodworking finishes, they are much more so in the traditional sense. If you're going to be sprucing up your butcher block, cutting board, or other kitchen wares, insure that the product you use is food safe! It's pretty universally agreed that the following are considered food safe: Raw (NOT boiled) linseed oil, pure tung oil, mineral oil, walnut oil, almond oil, lemon oil, beeswax, carnauba wax and shellac. All of these may require frequent reapplication.
Mineral oil is a petroleum byproduct. It's colorless, odorless, tasteless,
and it's used as a wood conditioner where food safety is of concern, butcher
blocks and cutting boards for example. Mineral oil will never dry beyond
a liquid "tacky" feel, but it can be washed off after food prep. Accordingly,
it must be reapplied often. If used "heavily," it may act as a laxative.
For those conscious of that, some organic alternatives like various nut oils
are available. But, they, in turn, may become rancid, and thus, a laxative.
Vermont Butcher Block Mineral Oil
Almond sweet oil has a deep flavor, color, and scent, all favoring almonds
oddly enough. Most places hock almond oil as an organic (meaning
expensive) face goo for the hoity-toities, but if you like the flavor, it's
perfectly fine for your cutting board and wooden spoons too.
Mountain Rose Almond Oil
Walnut oil is pressed from walnuts. It's light in flavor, color, and
scent. Not only is it good for your wooden kitchen wares, it's also
great as an oil base for salad dressings and marinates. Interestingly,
it is one of the true organics that won't go rancid. It can be used for
cooking, but may become a little bitter if used as such. Most of it is
made in either California or France. Beware of the sticker shock when
you buy it.
Mahoney's Walnut Oil
Hain's Walnut Oil
Made from orange or lemon peel extract, these are much more of a cleaner or
degreaser (as in finger prints and grimy dust) than a finish. These are
suitable as a cleaner for most woods and as a pre-finish for teak. It
leaves a matt finish. It's an organic and food safe product that leaves
a nice citrus smell.
Howard's Orange Oil
J.E. Moser's Orange Oil
Prelude Orange Oil
Old Master's Lemon Oil
Sani Wax Lemon Oil
Polishes and waxes are traditional finishes for indoor furniture. The two biggies here are French and Wax polishing.
The waxy honeycomb produced by nature's little pollinator, the honey bee.
Beeswax is often used in homemade or custom wax polishes. These brews
are usually beeswax softened with either mineral spirits or turpentine.
Once dry, beeswax polish is completely food safe. Beeswax is also an
excellent lubricant for moving wooden parts, drawer runners or wooden screws
for example. Beeswax will not attract or hold moisture.
Known as the "queen of waxes," carnauba wax is made from the leaves of the
carnauba palm native to Brazil. It starts of as an off yellow color,
but after bleaching, becomes a pristine white. As a polish, it buffs to
a fairly high gloss. It's harder and more water resistant than beeswax,
and thus, harder to buff.
Traditional paste woodworking wax polishes are usually varying amounts
of carnauba and/or beeswax combined with either an organic solvent or aqueous
emulsion to act as a softener. Wax is stable, smudge resistant, and a
butt load of work to apply. The better the wax, usually the harder it
is to buff out. Depending on effort, labor, elbow greese, back-breaking
work, exertion, and sweat equity, it delivers something between a dull luster
and semi-gloss finish. And, for all that work, it's among the most
delicate of top coats. Some brands include:
Butcher's
Behlen Blue Diamond
Renaissance
Johnson's
Avoid waxes that have silicone or other contaminants!
French Polish actually has nothing to do with any polish. Instead, it is much more thought of being a method of application. Traditional French polish is nothing more than pure shellac and alcohol. It delivers a high luster finish, but it's delicate and fragile. Thankfully, it's one of the easiest finishes to repair.
Traditional French polish will tend to color a little towards amber, and will certainly yellow with time. Additional options are:
| Product | A.K.A. | Derived From |
Appearance | Rubbing Qualities |
Ease of Application |
Overall Durability |
Scratch Resistance |
Water Resistance |
Chemical Resistance |
Repair | Safety |
| Wax | N/A | from Bees | Low gloss sheen | Good - requires buffing | Excellent - needs frequent buffing | Poor - needs frequent application | Poor | Poor | Fair | Easily removed with solvents | Safe after solvents evaporate |
| Shellac | |||||||||||
| Laquer | |||||||||||
| Linseed Oil | |||||||||||
| Tung Oil | |||||||||||
| Nitrocellulose Varnish |
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| Conversion Varnish |
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| Polyurethene (oil based) |
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| Polyurethene (water based) |
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| Oil-Varnish Mix |
Abbreviations
P = Poor, F = Fair, G = Good, E = Excellent
Given any field, there are always one or two that rise to the top. And, finishing wood, as a field, is no different; there are masters. Michael Dresdner and Bob Flexner are established and well known to woodworkers as experts in the field. Having written and lectured, Jeff Jewitt is also up and coming. If you can, get your hands on some of their books.