Developing a food-safe finish for my wooden spoons
5 days ago
- #sustainability
- #DIY
- #woodworking
- The author is on a quest to develop a food-safe, fast-curing, solvent-free wood finish for hand-carved wooden spoons and coffee cups.
- Natural drying oils like tung oil and linseed oil are considered but have drawbacks such as long curing times and undesirable finishes.
- Hardwax oils like Osmo Polyx Oil offer fast curing and food safety but contain solvents with strong odors.
- Experiments with blending tung oil, carnauba wax, beeswax, and lanolin aim to create a durable, easy-to-apply, and visually pleasing finish.
- Damar resin is introduced to enhance sheen and durability, with additional ingredients like coconut oil and vitamin E to improve the blend.
- Metallic driers are used cautiously to speed up curing without compromising safety, with manganese, zirconium, and calcium salts being preferred.
- The current formulation combines tung oil, carnauba wax, beeswax, lanolin, damar resin, coconut oil, and a minimal amount of metallic driers for a balanced finish.
- Comparison tests show that the damar resin and drier blend performs well in terms of water resistance and visual appeal, though Osmo Polyx Oil still offers the highest sheen.
- Future experiments may include fumed silica to improve the finish's light scattering and application properties.