Can anyone advise me whether elm is suitable for food use, provided I use a
suitable finish?
Thanks,

Steve

In article ,
"Stephen Selby" wrote:

Can anyone advise me whether elm is suitable for food use, provided I use a
suitable finish?
Thanks,

Steve

Elm is safe - though if you notice any off smells when working it,
you'll "taste" them when using the items.

As to finish, I only use a mineral oil, walnut oil or cooking oil on my
kitchen items, bowls included. If the implements are used often, there
is little if any chance for the food oils to go rancid. I also scrub
them with Scotch-brites in hot soapy water and re-oil when I feel like
it. They don't look anywhere near pristine by now, but they are used and
that's the whole idea.

A couple weeks ago, had dinner with Soren Burger. He mentioned using his
wood bowls for all sorts of food items other than salad and dry goods.
One of his examples was to use them for spaghetti - keeps the food
hotter than any glass, pottery, metal or plastic. Hot, soapy water with
a scrubber for cleanup.

In my/our kitchen we have Big Leaf Maple, Black Walnut, Am. Elm and
Cherry utensils and bowls. Off the top of my head, the only domestic
woods I'd shy away from are Cascara and Yew though there may be a few
others.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

Elm will work fine for food. American Elm when fresh cut smells like
the cats have been spraying it (some of the old timers call it ****
elm), but the smell goes away when it is dry. It will really soak up a
lot of oil. I have an ash bowl that I have been using at craft shows
for 6 years now. It was white when new. Now it is a nice amber color. I
have eaten just about everything out of it; pasta, pizza, ice cream,
bar b que, stirfry, Mexican, Greek, sushi, cheesecake, strawberries,
soup, etc. All I have done to clean it is to wash it out. Only once or
twice have I resorted to soap, most of the time, a good rinsing will do
it. I have never oiled it since I made it. Walnut oil is a good finish.
Also, if you don't want to use soap, you can use table salt and lemon
juice. With a lot of use, there can be a bit of a build up of residue
on the inside if you don't properly clean it. When you start to get the
build up, it is time to scrub. If you don't scrub this out, it can go
rancid, and when this happens, it is time to burn it.
robo hippy
Owen Lowe wrote:
In article ,
"Stephen Selby" wrote:

Can anyone advise me whether elm is suitable for food use, provided I use a
suitable finish?
Thanks,

Steve

Elm is safe - though if you notice any off smells when working it,
you'll "taste" them when using the items.

As to finish, I only use a mineral oil, walnut oil or cooking oil on my
kitchen items, bowls included. If the implements are used often, there
is little if any chance for the food oils to go rancid. I also scrub
them with Scotch-brites in hot soapy water and re-oil when I feel like
it. They don't look anywhere near pristine by now, but they are used and
that's the whole idea.

A couple weeks ago, had dinner with Soren Burger. He mentioned using his
wood bowls for all sorts of food items other than salad and dry goods.
One of his examples was to use them for spaghetti - keeps the food
hotter than any glass, pottery, metal or plastic. Hot, soapy water with
a scrubber for cleanup.

In my/our kitchen we have Big Leaf Maple, Black Walnut, Am. Elm and
Cherry utensils and bowls. Off the top of my head, the only domestic
woods I'd shy away from are Cascara and Yew though there may be a few
others.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

"Stephen Selby" wrote in message
...
Can anyone advise me whether elm is suitable for food use, provided I use
a
suitable finish?

Doesn't sound very appetizing to me, have a steak instead.

B.

Stephen Selby wrote:

Can anyone advise me whether elm is suitable for food use, provided I use a
suitable finish?
Thanks,

Steve

I have used English Elm, quite rare now, and its variation in grain
makes it excellent for turning and for culinary use , you may need to
use several layers of sanding sealer as its an open grain wood but it
finishes very well if you use "turners stick" carnuaba wax and high
speed friction buff, this is ideal for the outer surface, the food
contact areas would be best finished with Lemon Oil ,several coats as
this imparts a pleasant odour and also has natural antibacterial
properties.

Best wishes Foxwood