Wooden Dishes

What others have said.

Some things, just are.
Wood Care from Wyoming Wood Turner

Good Answer. Not so good from MY experience

Probably goes back to the time that I finished a set of wooden candlesticks with mineral oil and ruined my grandma's hand embroidered table cloth. I don't like mineral oil for that reason. Obviously some folks believe in it. Personally...I don't want to risk my grandma's wrath again!

(And she has been dead for 22 years!)

Thank you for the help, another fast question, the guy at the local menards said that clear poly resin is fda approved for food, but im thinking probably not to actually eat or drink from, also titebond 2 woodglue is fda approved for food products and is 100% waterproof, gorilla glue is not fda approved but according to there customer servce email, is activly and legally used on and around food products in Europe and has been for years, apparently it dries to.a "inert" resin based plastic? Any thought on using any of these as a one time waterproof finish? I just dont want to end up poisoning one of my inlaws lol!

This may become a handmade heirloom. Therefore it is not a question of what it will be like now, or this year, but ten or fifteen years from now! Some resins are UV sensitive, and most if not all varnishes and resins will eventually crackle. Cracks in the finish will allow the fluid to seep into the pores of the wood, creating problems. So...the usual answer is to finish the inside with an oil finish. The outsides can be varnished like any fine piece of woodwork...though to prevent cracks due to uneven drying, they are usually finished with the same finish as the inside.

An oil finish of course (whether a drying or non-drying oil) will need to be maintained. And this is not too difficult. The saying "once a day for a week, once a week for a year and once a year after that" is not wrong. Its easy to do...just wipe it down with an oil wet rag, put it on a shelf.

There are other things you can do, and there may be new finishes on the market now, but this is what I have found based on about 45 years of experience. How can you get easier or cheaper than that? Why would you risk molecules of petrochemicals such as urethane getting into your system?

I'm with Yusef1.

The fact that these products are "approved" for use as a glue means that it's probably ok to glue two pieces of wood together to make a bowl, but the actual exposure of glue is very limited to just a glue line, where most/all of the squeeze-out is removed.

I would NOT paint these products on anything I would ever use for food or drink.

Epoxy Formulations --work well.

From dozens of cutting boards I made as gifts when I was a teenager, I simply used corn oil.

Obviously safe to eat. Makes a nice rich ummm Finish? It surely brings out the color and grain.

dip or wipe it on. and enjoy, re apply as needed in the future.

Joe

Bees Wax...that's the only thing I was ever told to use. Smells great too!

I feel like the wooden ware is a little like cast iron cookware -- over time it develops a patina from all the good things that have seen it in use. While I do hand wash them, I don't want to let them soak or use harsh cleaners or scrubbers. Think of how we treat wooden furniture. Oils are appreciated, and so is humidity; dryness is your enemy! (I have seen Japanese wooden items displayed in a case with a glass of water. Kitchen items shouldn't be so sensitive, but consider their needs.) And remember for wooden handles on knives -- no soaking, no dishwasher.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions im going to go with something natural ill probably give the linseed oil a try and maybe the bees wax, ill try and post some pictures after Christmas =)