View Full Version : baby-safe coloured paint
bosun
3rd May 2008, 02:55 PM
Hello
Can anyone please point me in the direction of a manufacturer/retailer of baby-safe paint for toys.
I'm right with the clear finishes that are ok eg shellac etc but I'm after bright colours.
Haven't found anything specific yet after trolling through the forum.
RETIRED
3rd May 2008, 09:27 PM
Use a food dye and put clear over it?
http://www.babysafefinishes.com/2055810.html may help too. American I know but it's a start.
MacS
4th May 2008, 11:20 AM
Try doing a search for "oxide colorants".
MacS
MacS
4th May 2008, 11:33 AM
Please read about oxides...They are non toxic.
Click Here: Check out "Oxide Pigments from the Earth Pigments Company"
http://www.earthpigments.com/products/index.cfm?subcat_id=4
ubeaut
4th May 2008, 09:57 PM
Non Toxic Water Dyes (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/dye.html) from guess who...... Sheeeesh :doh:
wayneo75
18th August 2008, 07:51 PM
so bosun, did you ever find a baby safe paint?.....i am keen to find one too. I recently painted some wooden blocks for my nephew with "Child safe paint" designed for kids to paint with...only issue is that you clean it up in water......i found that even after being on the blocks for two weeks it cleans off the timber with saliva too:doh: i looked a tad silly in front of my sister.
Neil I see you mention the dyes, but I too am after vibrant paint colours.
Should I just get some sample pots of some gloss outdoor paint???
RufflyRustic
18th August 2008, 08:11 PM
I've used UBeaut's Water Dyes on timber and carving leather and I tell you what, the red is BRIGHT, the Yellow is BRIGHT, the orange is BRIGHT :cool2: http://www.ubeaut.biz/sunny.gif http://www.ubeaut.biz/cool.gifand the blue..green etc etc etc. The dye is dead easy to apply and looks great under UBeaut's White Shellac.
Personally, I wouldn't even look at the paint, bt that's just my personal choice.
cheers
Wendy
wayneo75
19th August 2008, 09:06 PM
so you think even though I am being a cheap skate and using pine, with the combination of dye and shellac they will still look good?
RufflyRustic
20th August 2008, 01:17 PM
Yes :) Tell you what, I'll do a sample pine board for you and you can see for yourself.:)
RufflyRustic
20th August 2008, 01:55 PM
UBeaut Water Dyes on radiata pine - no shellac
wayneo75
20th August 2008, 03:27 PM
well then, i am convinced....straight to the ordering page it is!
wayneo75
24th August 2008, 06:56 PM
and here is the finished product. A couple more coats of danish oil over the top and we're done.....chewable colour blocks for my nephew
RufflyRustic
25th August 2008, 05:11 PM
er Danish oil????????? :?
What the??????:oo::o
I do hope you meant shellac!!
wayneo75
25th August 2008, 07:04 PM
what's wrong with Danish Oil:?
below is quoted directly from Rustins Danish Oil product data sheet
"Brings out the natural beauty of wood and veneered surfaces, gives a natural open-grained low lustre finish. Easy to maintain. Conforms to Safety of Toys Regulations BS EN 71
Part 3 1995."
http://www.rustins.co.uk/product.htm?chgprod=DANO
RufflyRustic
25th August 2008, 08:58 PM
Let's just say that Shellac would be the only finish I'd use for baby-safe toys - that is my personal choice.
I didn't know that rustins conforms to Safety of Toys Regulations. That's good news.
:2tsup:
cheers
Wendy
ps The coloured blocks look great!!!
wayneo75
26th August 2008, 11:23 AM
phew! I was worried, you were aware of something that would be an issue.
I have been researching for a while and was trying to use something that I already had rather than go and buy yet another finishing product......if i buy too many more i will have to display a HAZMAT sign on the front of my shed!
Bloss
27th August 2008, 01:37 PM
I'm puzzled about Shellac for children's toys? :? Shellac is a poor performer with any moisture and will discolour and soften if directly in contact with water. A very young child sucking and rubbing on a shellac coating just doesn't make sense to me although for older children past the sucking age it seems a good choice as it is non-toxic (after the solvent has dried completely) and quite durable. I suppose the fact that it is approved by US FDA and others for such use means it is fine and in any case the main affect of sucking would be aesthetic. Answered my own post! :D
preeng2
28th August 2008, 07:04 AM
Bosun,
Milk paint. Natural, non-toxic, highly water resistant and most durable.
Conrad
forunna
4th September 2008, 10:29 PM
I never would have thought die could give such deep colours.
Im intrigued.
How would you do white and grey?
what about details like thin lines and simple lettering?
how does end grain effect it?
Might just have to give it a go and see what happens.
wayneo75
11th September 2008, 02:21 PM
ok so now i have put three coats of Rustins Danish Oil over the top of the dyed pine that is in my previous post and when moistened with water or saliva and then rubbed with a white cloth the dye still shows up on the cloth not much but still a little (i don't want to dye my nephew's face when he chews on a block)
what's going on?? I even followed the instructions!!:o
Heres hoping a further few coats will do the trick and seal in the dye:?
preeng2
11th September 2008, 11:22 PM
Better go with a coat or two of shellac over the top.
munruben
12th September 2008, 09:26 AM
Yes, go with Shellac. I would have used that in the first place but same as Wendy said, thats just my opinion.
bsrlee
12th September 2008, 09:39 PM
Danish Oil usually contains 'heavy metals'. Without a copy of 'Safety of Toys Regulations BS EN 71 Part 3 1995' I don't know if that refers to small parts, choking hazards or what, from BS EN I'd guess that it is a UK standard and the date is over 12 years old, so it may allow things that are now prohibited in newer regulations - trust a marketing type like you would a politician.
wayneo75
14th September 2008, 11:04 AM
Better go with a coat or two of shellac over the top.
Ok I will give it a whirl
ubeaut
17th September 2008, 09:15 AM
Water dyes must be sealed with a surface coating. NOT an oil or a wax. I reckon it actually says that somewhere in the instructions.
Polyurethane, lacquer, epoxy or shellac. By far the safest is shellac. As well as being used for fine furniture and to coat tablets, fruit etc it was also used in the past for records, electrical wiring insulator and a whole heap more hard and tough stuff.
Shellac is easy to apply and can be completely colourless so will bring out the highlights in the timber without darkening the stain and if it gets damaged, simply recoat it.
Children can chew on it till the cows come home and it won't hurt them. Sucking their fingers would be more of a health hazard then shellac.
Shellac is still one of the most waterproof finishes, but it does show a mark that looks like it's come off. Most times this is because moisture through heat has been drawn out of the timber. It's main enemy is alcohol so keep the children off the grog and there shouldn't be a problem.
If you want to paint. Buy paint. To my knowledge there are no lead based paints available so unless your tight and use stuff your dad had left in the garage there shouldn't be a problem.
Almost any acrylic should do the job. Most spray cans etc. are alright. It's not rocket science any more as the govt. has legislated us into a completely paint safe environment. Just buy good quality Aussie stuff and keep away from the cheap imported stuff. You never know what's in it. Don't rely on MSDS to tell the truth. I know they should but many don't or at least some omit important stuff. But as a rule anything made by well known Australian paint manufacturers should be fine due to our strict controls.
Cheers - Neil :)
cricket_ali
14th August 2009, 07:19 PM
Hi all
I stumbled on the first part of this post needing some advice on finishing some blocks for my nephew. I purchased the non toxic water dyes which look great :U then finished with Danish Oil. I tested them by licking a block myself and apart from a momentary nasty taste of the oil (probably a good clue NOT to use it :rolleyes:) they seemed okay - wrong move ... my 1yo nephew chewed on the block and ended up with yellow all over his face. So the consensus is use Shellac.
Question: do I need to remove the Danish Oil before coating with Shellac? How do I remove it?
Thanks
soundman
15th August 2009, 11:57 PM
you will find the Ubeaut hard shelac a bit more resistant to moisture.
If you are looking for a "paint"...have a look at receene lustacril & enamacril.
they are engineered from the ground up enamel substitutes unlike the modified acrilics the others are trotting out.......this crowd are very big into low toxisity.
cheers
madmac123a
26th August 2009, 12:11 PM
I have been looking for information on how to finish my kids furnature and this information helps out alot... much appriciated.