Non-Toxic Finish

[Allen Grimes]

Hey everybody,

I need a non-toxic finish for a baby's crib. It doesn't really matter what kind at all since the crib will be used for a very small amount of time (only 2 or 3 months).

[Cecil Arnold]

Shellac. Well I tried to submit the one word but th eprogram said it had to be longer. Shellac is the only finish that I know of as they use it to finsih pills so the FDA must be happy with it.

[Jim Becker]

ALL finishes sold today are non-toxic when fully cured. Use what you are most comfortable applying and that will give you the characteristics you prefer. And for the record, there is no governmental body that "approves" finishes for things like "food safe" or anything like that!! The shellac in Cecil's example is really considered an ingredient, not a "finish"...

[Allen Grimes]

Thanks guys,

Jim, does what you say apply to salad bowls too or is there a special finish for that?

[Jim Becker]

Jim, does what you say apply to salad bowls too or is there a special finish for that?

Strictly speaking, it applies overall. That said, some folks prefer a renewable finish for salad bowls, such as mineral oil; others prefer a film finish such as the "rock hard salad bowl finish" which is a varnish. They just "clean up" differently after use...

[Allen Grimes]

Thanks again Jim

[Russ Filtz]

If you are truely paranoid (like me!) go with pure shellac flakes dissolved in Everclear (pure grain alcohol). Some denatured alcohols and shellac solvent use metallic driers or "denaturing" agents. I'm not sure the metals would "flash off" when drying, so I erred on caution. I'm sure the amounts left in the finish are miniscule and that's why they are labelled non-toxic when dry, but why take chances? Doctors and EPA, etc. have been known to be wrong in the past and change allowable exposure limits.

[Matt Meiser]

If you are truely paranoid (like me!) go with pure shellac flakes dissolved in Everclear (pure grain alcohol).

Russ, what do you with the leftovers?

[Russ Filtz]

Mmmm, not much left over after the mandatory taste testing to see if it's OK!

edit - PRIOR to shellac mixing!

[Mike Cutler]

Hmmm.. If I remember my Navy days correctly, I'm not so sure that Everclear is the lesser of the two evils.
All joking aside, does Everclear really work well?

[Jay Knepper]

Tried and True Danish Oil finish does not contain any toxic compounds. It's an alternative to shellac which might be attractive to you in case you don't want a film finish. It makes cherry look almost edible.

[Jim Becker]

Tried and True Danish Oil finish does not contain any toxic compounds. It's an alternative to shellac which might be attractive to you in case you don't want a film finish. It makes cherry look almost edible.

The only difference between the T&T product and regular BLO in this respect is that it would be "safer" if you were drinking it since they use a heat process in manufacturing to provide curing rather than metalic dryers. Once cured, there is absolutely no difference in "safety". Please note that I am very much a T&T fan of the original oil formula and the oil/beeswax formula and use it on decorative objects that I have no intention of putting any additional finish over the oil. (The varnish oil formula is horrible, IMHO) But their labling is misleading are with respect to "food safe", etc. (as misleading as many other finish companies are about certain claims about this and that) There is no testing or certification of the same done...

[Gail O'Rourke]

Good info, thanks for the question, I have to finish a cradle for my friends twins this month!

[Russ Filtz]

Everclear works as good or better than denatured, basically it's PURE alcohol which evaporates during the drying process so your kid won't get drunk! It's 190 proof (95%) which is the strongest you can get outside the lab. My old chem prof. said if you could make 100%, it would immediately absorb water from the air and become 190 proof due to the dilution factor of water.