Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"Andy Leavens" wrote in message
...
Hi I am wondering if it would be possible to make a food warmer, something
along the lines of this http://www.sicoinc.com/solid_fuel_food_warmer.php
but in wood? It is for my church, we put on a meal once a month but most
warmers run from $500 and up, the kick is I need to be able to have a
constant temp. inside of 140 deg.

You can probably do it, but the Board of Health will shut you down. If it
is not stainless steel or an approved plastic, it is not allowed in food
service. No room for negotiation on important food safety rules. It most
be capable of being washed down and sanitized. Wood, even with coatings,
will not qualify.

Depends on what you are doing. Certainly food contact surfaces need
to be sanitizable (and they like to see coved corners too) but some
things can be sealed/painted wood. Though this probably varies
somewhat by state. I'd check with the local health inspector
on this usage since it does not seem to be a food contact situation.
I.E. the stuff will be plated or packaged in some way. It still
has to be cleanable. I would wonder how well wood would hold
up to the temperature and probable moisture.

Check for used equipment from a restaurant supply house.

A good idea. You might find some sort of stainless shelf unit
that you could clad with wood if the goal is to keep the outside
from getting too hot. I recently got a good deal on an 8ft long
stainless steel table in which I mounted two stove tops for my
wife's chocolate shop. For health inspector purposes the top
is stainless, but for building/safety inspector purposes I had
to enclose the underside of the stove tops and the wiring leading
to them with a wood skirt. This is acceptable for the health guy
because it's not a food contact surface and is painted to be
cleanable. The cost of the table bought used was cheaper than
the cost of materials alone if I had had it custom fabricated.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.