Child-safe Finishes

[Knurl]

I usually use Orange Oil or Boiled Linseed Oil on wooden chopping boards for the kitchen, but my daugher is expecting a baby and I am wondering what baby-safe paints are available.

What brands of paints and oils are safe in baby's mouth?

I'm sure it's uneccessary to mention "lead-free" these days!

At the moment I'm leaving the wood untreated for safety sake - but it looks crappy.

[RufflyRustic]

Paraffin oil is always recommended here for chopping boards. I have no idea about baby-safe paint though.

cheers
Wendy

[ubeaut]

Shellac is extremely safe. Linseed oil shouldn't be used on chopping boards or anything that comes in contact with food or babies. As for orange oil...............

Think you will find that these days pretty well all finishes are safe after they are dry. But for purely organic and 100% child safe you can't beat shellac. In the regular paint and timber finish field there are virtually no lead based finishes available.

Cheers - Neil

[Bleedin Thumb]

I think Neil? posted an article a few weeks ago regarding research on the natural disinfectant properties of wood.

Have a search for that.....the upshot (to me) is don't treat your cutting board with anything, but I am very one eyed on this subject as a few people may have gathered by now.

[toddles]

Dave
The Wattyl website has a downloadable pdf with relevant information on the suitably of their finishes (others may have the same). One of the not-for-profits like Childsafe (Aust and International sites) will probably be a good place to search.
I use olive oil with a teaspoon of tea tree oil (to disinfect and demould) to oil my boards at home.
I would also seek specific assurances about using nut oils (tung, almond, etc) as my lovely wife and I have just had our first baby and the paediatrician was quite firm that research has shown not to expose infants to nuts until they are two years of age to help avoid debilitating nut allergies.

[Knurl]

So if I understand Neil's advice I could French Polish a toy with no chance of hurting a toddler, who will almost certainly put it in his/her mouth and chew it!

Obviously you'd ensure it was completely dry before using!

I read that you mix Shellac flakes in metho. Ubeaut's Shellac flakes make 1litre from the 220g jar. So does the metho evaporate completely? It's a long-chain hydrocarbon, isn't it? Isn't that a poison if it accummulates in the body?

The trade-off seems to be that the untreated timber will harbour germs in its grain. Won't that also happen with a polished toy? I have read the other thread that discusses the growth of microorganisms promoted by vegetable oils. Does "no-vegetable" with Shellac equate with perfectly safe both from the residue of the treating-substance and the lack of food for bugs to feed on?

Most imported wooden toys seem to have a coating similar to Estapol.

[soundman]

It is almost imposible to get a safer finish that shelac.

they have been using it for coating tablets and confectionery for donkeys.

If you are concerned you would want to make sure you are using the high spec pure meths and not the " flavoured" consumer grade stuff.



On another note chek out RESENE products at their .com.au or .com.nz site. these folk are pretty keen on the whole harmless water bassed thing.
have a look at lustacrill and enamacril.

cheers

[Bino]

What about polishing with pure beeswax, an edible substance that dosn't go off.

Bino

[Knurl]

Thanks Soundman. I'm planning to go the Shellac way, after your re-assurances.

Does Ubeaut sell this "pure" meth? What brand should I be asking for and wheredoyougedit?

[ubeaut]

U-Beaut does not sell pure metho which by the way is pure alcohol (not a hydrocarbon) and evaporates completely.

Your best bet is to buy premixed Dewaxed White shellac which wont change the colour of the timber any more than wetting it with water. If you wish to colour the timber use Non Toxic Water Dyes first, these are also completely child safe.
For about the 400th time PARAFFIN OIL is about the only 100% safe oil for use on chopping boards.

I use olive oil with a teaspoon of tea tree oil (to disinfect and demould) to oil my boards at home.

Tea tree oil, even a minute amount taken internally, can cause impaired immune function, diarrhea, and potentially fatal central nervous system depression (excessive drowsiness, sleepiness, confusion, coma). Olive oil is one of the worst oils to use on a cutting board because it can go rancid very quickly.

I would think that mix could do you and your family more harm than it does good for the board.

We have 2 pine cutting boards I made some 27 years ago. They are used every day. Never has one gone moldy, never has anyone become sick from using them or the wooden spoons, made at the same time. None of them have been coated with anything. They are washed in hot soapy water and left to air dry after use.

_________________________________________

If your chopping board goes moldy then you or whoever made it used the wrong timber. Disinfecting it won't cure the mold, it will keep coming back and that could cause a serious health hazard. Get rid of any chopping board that is inclined to mold. Replace it with one that doesn't mold.

Cheers - Neil

[echnidna]

We have 2 pine cutting boards I made some 27 years ago. They are used every day.

Just as a matter of interest Neil are your cutting boiards Radiata pine or something else?

What glue did you use?

[ubeaut]

Radiata pine clears purchased from a manufacturer of beehives. The good ones have (or used to have clear pine boards up to 14" wide and often a few meters long without a knot beautiful tight grained timber that didn't bow or warp. Always used the timber cut from either side of the centre of the log with no pith inclusions.

If you take the time it is possible to get some good clear pine bu habd selecting the timber from racks at bigger Mitre 10's and maybe Bunnies (never looked there) I have seen some really nice stuff at Faggs Mitre 10 here in Geelong.

The 2 used daily are 9" x 14" and there is a third that is used mainly for roasts or for cutting juicy fruit 11.5" x 15" this one has a trench cut into it towards the outside to catch juices etc. All have a molded edge and are used on both sides with the edge up for cutting meat. breads, vegetables, etc. and the bottom side is used for onions, garlic chillies etc which may taint other food or bread. (nothing worse than toast and honey tainted with onion flavor)

I have always used solid timber never jointed wood. It tends to have a shorter life than the solid and doesn't like being submersed in water for too long. I have made and sold hundreds of bread boards and chopping boards. Back in 70's used to go to Ferntree Gully market on Sundays with them and a heap of other stuff and would turn over a few hundred $'s for the day as well as get orders for the following week. All the boards were pine most had pyrography done in one corner or across the top, things like a sheep dissected into cuts of meat, a sheaf of wheat and loaf of bread, a stack of vegetables, etc. At the time I couldn't make enough of them.

The only finishing done on them was very fine sanding and a coat of paraffin oil applier with excess wiped off. They were then sealed tightly into a plastic bag whick was then pressed down hard onto the timber to show off the grain and pyrography, etc.

Couple of others tried copies of what I did using peanut oil, and other vegetable oils including olive oil and had real disasters. None of them liked being sealed in a plastic bag (especially in the middle of summer) and all went rancid really quickly the smell was absolutely atrocious and would almost made you want to .

On that note I take my leave.

Cheers - Neil

[Knurl]

Thank you Neil. That's why I belong to this Forum - because I always seem to get the correct advice. Now I'm off to find some "pure" alcohol.

Last question: What's "White Spirits" - right next to Metho at Bunnies? It's a "wonder" stain remover and sounded a lot like a purer form of Metho. I'll bet that it's not pure alcohol. I'd sure like to know where I can get some pure alcohol for my shellac mix.

[powderpost]

We also have been using the same solid single piece radiata pine chopping boards for twelve years. They were treated with walnut oil originally. The boards have been lightly sanded twice to restore the surface. They haven't ever gone mouldy and are used regularly to cut up fish, chook and raw meat.
Jim

[ubeaut]

White Spirit now there's a long-chain hydrocarbon for ya. It's a petrochemical kinda like turpentine only not quite the same.