I just googled "Xylene" and the National Institute of Health describes it as toxic. It may be an issue of quantity of ingestion but that is enough to discourage me from using it.
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I just googled "Xylene" and the National Institute of Health describes it as toxic. It may be an issue of quantity of ingestion but that is enough to discourage me from using it.
I had the same concern, and emailed Watco. Here is their response:
Hi Bill,
Thank you for contacting Rust-Oleum Product Support.
We appreciate your interest in using our products for your project.
The cautions on the cans refer to the liquid form of the coating and are driven by the solvents in it. Once the coating is fully cured, the solvents have evaporated and are no longer in the coating; the remaining coating is the resin and can be considered non-hazardous and non-toxic.
Our Butcher Block Oil penetrates into the wood, drying in it, not on top of it. Once fully cured after 72 hours, it is considered food-safe for contact (meeting government standards of 21 CFR 175.300).
If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regards,
Kelli
Thanks for checking on the Watco, Bill. Food safe for contact is what I'm looking for and their explanation works for me. Think about it. With the amount of time food spends on a cutting board you could almost invoke the 'five second rule'.:p
An update: after 9 months I have not had to re-coat the top, and water still beads up on it. We use it every day and it is still a beautiful finish. Extraordinary product.