There is an article in the most recent American Woodturner saying the
conventional wisdom about food safe finishes has been wrong since an
article in Fine Woodworking in 1979. The article says there is no
proof that eating off of wood finishes that are totally cured (meaning
you cannot smell the finish) is bad for people. Another interesting
part of the article was it said salad-bowl finishes (recommended by
people as safe) were thinned varnish and had driers to cure the
finish. Once the stuff had dried they were safe but not before (or at
least nobody has any evidence they are not).

Has anyone ever heard of actual evidence (not anecdotal) of health
problems caused by eating from bowls with the finishes we aren't
suppose to use since they are not food safe? ? People may be
shortchanging their work by playing it safe. We are not talking
about lead paint here but may be acting like it. .

tww wrote:
There is an article in the most recent American Woodturner saying the
conventional wisdom about food safe finishes has been wrong since an
article in Fine Woodworking in 1979. The article says there is no
proof that eating off of wood finishes that are totally cured (meaning
you cannot smell the finish) is bad for people. Another interesting
part of the article was it said salad-bowl finishes (recommended by
people as safe) were thinned varnish and had driers to cure the
finish. Once the stuff had dried they were safe but not before (or at
least nobody has any evidence they are not).

Has anyone ever heard of actual evidence (not anecdotal) of health
problems caused by eating from bowls with the finishes we aren't
suppose to use since they are not food safe? ? People may be
shortchanging their work by playing it safe. We are not talking
about lead paint here but may be acting like it. .

In an article Jeff Jewitt states:

"All finishes are non-toxic when fully cured, despite what you may have
read or heard. Once the solvents are evaporated, the cured film is safe
enough for contact with food. This does not mean that the finish itself
is safe to gobble up. It means that additives such as driers or
plasticizers are encapsulated enough so that they do not migrate to what
you’re eating. For edible finishes, wax and shellac are the only ones
I’m aware of (which is why apples and candy are coated with these)"

http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/ht...singFinish.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

On Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:46:28 -0800 (PST), tww wrote:

There is an article in the most recent American Woodturner saying the
conventional wisdom about food safe finishes has been wrong since an
article in Fine Woodworking in 1979. The article says there is no
proof that eating off of wood finishes that are totally cured (meaning
you cannot smell the finish) is bad for people. Another interesting
part of the article was it said salad-bowl finishes (recommended by
people as safe) were thinned varnish and had driers to cure the
finish. Once the stuff had dried they were safe but not before (or at
least nobody has any evidence they are not).

Has anyone ever heard of actual evidence (not anecdotal) of health
problems caused by eating from bowls with the finishes we aren't
suppose to use since they are not food safe? ? People may be
shortchanging their work by playing it safe. We are not talking
about lead paint here but may be acting like it. .

IMHO, it's not "conventional wisdom" that he was shooting down, but as he put
it, "a few panicked groups" or something like that..

As someone here said a few years ago, (I think it was George), how much poly
would you have to chew off a goblet to get sick?

I'd like to point out something he said that I thought was excellent, referring
to curing the finish..
If you can hold your nose up to it and smell finish, it's not cured...
Would that be a "rule of nose"?


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"tww" wrote in message
...
There is an article in the most recent American Woodturner saying the
conventional wisdom about food safe finishes has been wrong since an
article in Fine Woodworking in 1979. The article says there is no
proof that eating off of wood finishes that are totally cured (meaning
you cannot smell the finish) is bad for people. Another interesting
part of the article was it said salad-bowl finishes (recommended by
people as safe) were thinned varnish and had driers to cure the
finish. Once the stuff had dried they were safe but not before (or at
least nobody has any evidence they are not).

Has anyone ever heard of actual evidence (not anecdotal) of health
problems caused by eating from bowls with the finishes we aren't
suppose to use since they are not food safe? ? People may be
shortchanging their work by playing it safe. We are not talking
about lead paint here but may be acting like it. .

The power of Oprah notwithstanding.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/w...1cfrv3_03.html

All you ever wanted to know about what the FDA has to say on the subject.

A lot of the exotic woods we hear about are more dangerous than the coatings
we apply.