# Awkward but Important Question



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Hi everyone,

I'm new to turning and have only done some pens and bottle stoppers so far. I hope this question doesn't offend anyone, as thats not my goal, its just a question that needs answering lol.

My girlfriend saw my finished stuff and has since been begging me to make her an adult toy on the lathe. I turned a couple, and was actually fun and really educational. My question is what finish would be appropriate. 

I know salad bowl finish would work, because most of the people that make these things use that. But would a CA finish work? I mean it would be much more durable and after it dries/cures on the lathe wouldn't it be non toxic? Im a total newbie in finishes, although i have done some CA with good success.

I can post pics of the two that i have done, but do not want unless asked in case it would offend some. Also, you wouldn't look at them and immediatly think they are adult toys, so its not over the top haha.

Thanks for any responses, looking forward to some input!


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I'm not exactly sure what finish would be appropriate for this sort of thing. I don't think that I've ever really thought about it. With that being said, I would think that a very durable finish would be best. All I can really say, is make sure that the wood is super stable and that you have sanded VERY well. Interesting thread.


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Yea I never gave it a thought until she asked me. Then i tried researching finishes, which led me in circles. Some say CA finish is safe and durable and glossy once it cures.

I made them out of hard maple and they are very sturdy, sanded to 800 grit, smooth as glass, micromesh will follow once i have a finish nailed down.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Any sort of film finish would work. Something that will stand up to repeated washing.


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Epoxy is the way to go. I have a friend who makes wooden sinks. If it will hold up to that it should hold up to most things.


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Epoxy is a good idea. How would I apply it? I have taken these off the lathe, but the next batch I could on it for application.


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Also is epoxy when cured safe for internal use you think? Haha just feels weird to even ask that question lol.


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

i wanna see one of these lol


----------



## HLW (Nov 19, 2008)

Make sure the CA has dried before use.That applies to any project.:smile:


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

robert421960 said:


> i wanna see one of these lol


That would likely violate the TOS of the site.



Have you considered a hand rubbed finish :blink::laughing:


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Haha well I don't wanna get banned from the site, way too much valuable info around this place.


----------



## gstanfield (Dec 23, 2011)

> Have you considered a hand rubbed finish


Best comment so far, just to let you know, all the guys at the Sheriff's Office are laughing our butts off over that! 

Seriously though, epoxy would be the way to go. When cured most all epoxies are food grade kinda stuff. I buy all of mine from www.boatbuildercentral.com


----------



## Theobroma (Nov 19, 2011)

Leo G said:


> Have you considered a hand rubbed finish :blink::laughing:


<<Rimshot>>


----------



## Barncat (Dec 26, 2011)

hi new to thesite nad need some help. have turned some spindels and bowls/. now i need to turn some penns boy do i need help. what do i need to do this??


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

So epoxy or hand rubbed finish lol. I might go with the epoxy lol.


----------



## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

I'd think an epoxy would be your only option for something safe. You definitely want the wood well sealed, no mineral oil/wax finish for this one.


----------



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

When cured, CA is completely non-toxic.

(It was developed for the military to quickly close wounds on a battlefield -- instant stitches.)

Whether it is as durable as an epoxy finish is a different question altogether, but there should be no concern about its toxicity.


----------



## RDufner (Jun 23, 2011)

have you considered making these "objects," out of a composite material?


----------



## scottj963 (Jun 24, 2011)

It has been many years since I was in a "Health" class (as it was called at the time), but I remember something about a whole bunch of little swimmers getting killed off in a hostile region before they reached their goal.

From everything I have heard, most finishes are safe after being completely cured. (I like to err on the side of safety and consider one year a good time for cured, but that is me.) The thing that everyone is looking at is the possible toxins that your finish may export. Perhaps you should be looking at what a finish could import. Could a finish be dissolved or broken down in this "hostile region?"

I have done a couple of turnings where I sanded down to 2000 grit (I had to get that from an auto parts store) and then burnished with a brown paper bag. I got a very smooth finish and a light sheen. Maybe you could try this, but mist with water in between sandings to raise the grain. I’m not sure if this would work or not, but perhaps some of the more experienced turners could help.

Another venue for opinions would be to call a gynecologist for their advice, but make sure to record the conversation for us to hear.

By the way, my earlier mention to a "hostile region" is not a reference to my ex, but to an anatomical part of the body and its contents.

A final option would be to just dress it in a suit. Us guys don’t care for it, but you probably won’t hear any objections from a piece of wood.


----------



## sedgar2 (Dec 28, 2011)

Great topic, Don't make it too big or you'll need to start making napkin rings!


----------



## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Put a condom on it, Duh!


----------



## loneframer (Mar 28, 2009)

This wasn't my suggestion, but I'm gonna post it....

Tung Oil :tt2:


----------



## Theobroma (Nov 19, 2011)

loneframer said:


> This wasn't my suggestion, but I'm gonna post it....
> 
> Tung Oil :tt2:


I lol'd.


----------



## VaureyWWC (Feb 21, 2011)

So I noticed this topic yesterday, and it reminded me of something. I remember a link being forwarded around about a year ago from my co-workers about wooden "toys". I found the site NSFW .

They're may be some helpful things located around the site about finishes, and woods.
http://www.jildos.com/


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*By golly, I think I've got it....*

It's everything you'd want in a protective coating, durable, hard but soft, and comes in colors sure to please.

in exciting Black:
Amazon.com: Dip and Grip Rubberized Plastic Coating- Black Coating: Home Improvement

or daring Red:





for those "down days" when feeling Blue:





and finally if all else fails, and there's a need for those "good vibrations" as the song says:
http://www.vibrators.com/

Caveat: These are only suggestions :yes: and the originator of this Post takes no responsibility for injury :blink: or other results :thumbsup: of the use of the above listed products.  bill


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Hey bill your getting to worry me. lol.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*thanks pal*

You don't reach my age without learning a few tricks.... :yes: bill


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> You don't reach my age without learning a few tricks.... :yes: bill


Hey if someone has to learn something, 
Why not you. Hahahahaha


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

My first suggestion would be to orient the grain along the length, as that would give it the strength it might need. A turning such as this might benefit from a species named appropriately. We wonder how some woods were named. In alphabetical order:

Beefwood
Bimblebox
Black Box
Blackbutt
Boxwood
Brushbox
Cumaru
Fir
Jongkong
Little Bone
Monkeypod
Rubberwood

Any wood would have to be sealed significantly to protect it from fluids, and allow it to be washable. That should be done by hand, not machine. Once sealed, and for first time use, I would recommend using extra virgin olive oil.

To maintain an element of privacy when in the company of family, relatives, and friends, making reference to your "new friend" should sound like it's a real person. You could use a wood name like Billy Webb.










 







.


----------



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Nice Cabinetman, got a good chuckle from that. I suppose Dogwood could get you in trouble with the authorities. :blink:




Barncat said:


> hi new to thesite nad need some help. have turned some spindels and bowls/. now i need to turn some penns boy do i need help. what do i need to do this??


Barncat,
Go to the Woodturning section of the forum here: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/
and start a new thread with your question so you are not hijacking someone else's thread. Be as specific as possible. I'm sure you will get lots of great answers. And welcome to the forum. :smile:


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*old dogs can't learn new tricks*



Dominick said:


> Hey if someone has to learn something,
> Why not you. Hahahahaha


Yeah, I've learned a lot on this thread. 

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2997.html


----------



## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Check out knotty wood. Google it or look on Etsy.


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

So I turned another one yesterday, I used 12 coats of thin CA then micromeshed up to 12000 grit, its like glass. This is pretty funny, my GF had told a few of her friends and showed them the pics, and they all want one now, might have found a new market segment to go after lol.

I ordered some GF salad bowl finish yesterday also, the woodcraft in my area closed its doors yesterday which is a bummer, now i have to get all my supplies online.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)




----------



## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

leo g said:


> that would likely violate the tos of the site.


No pics 

...geaux knicks...


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

*No Pics*

Yea it kind of sucks not being able to show off my work haha. But I definitly understand lol.


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

New2Woodworking said:


> Yea it kind of sucks not being able to show off my work haha. But I definitly understand lol.


 it is just wood.ask a mod if you can post pics


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

No pics please.


----------



## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

deleted..


----------



## Majestic Builders (Nov 15, 2008)

how about some wes system as a finish?


----------



## zacker (Mar 25, 2010)

Nice thread, I was wondering the same thing. is there a market for these things? That "Jilldo" site is funny, she says shes all sold out. if thats so, we as men are in big trouble, soon we will only be needed to fix the car or to lift things.


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Ahhh, don't worry about it. Just look the woman straight in the eye and tell her why don't you have BOB* fix it.

*(Battery Operated Boyfriend)


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Leo G said:


> Ahhh, don't worry about it. Just look the woman straight in the eye and tell her why don't you have BOB* fix it.
> 
> *(Battery Operated Boyfriend)


I heard a story...don't know if it's true or not, but a woman couldn't retrieve *BOB*. So she went to the doctor. Doctor told her it had to be surgically removed, and gave her the cost. She said she couldn't afford that. Wanted to know what the charge would be just to change the batteries.










 







.


----------



## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

duncsuss said:


> When cured, CA is completely non-toxic.
> 
> (It was developed for the military to quickly close wounds on a battlefield -- instant stitches.)
> 
> Whether it is as durable as an epoxy finish is a different question altogether, but there should be no concern about its toxicity.


The CA developed for closing wounds was a medical grade formula. The CA we use in woodworking is an Industrial grade & little too caustic & would burn the skin when curing in most cases.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate


----------



## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

New2Woodworking said:


> So I turned another one yesterday, I used 12 coats of thin CA then micromeshed up to 12000 grit, its like glass. This is pretty funny, my GF had told a few of her friends and showed them the pics, and they all want one now, might have found a new market segment to go after lol.
> 
> I ordered some GF salad bowl finish yesterday also, the woodcraft in my area closed its doors yesterday which is a bummer, now i have to get all my supplies online.


I feel sorry for you if you ever cast your own pen & stopper blanks. She might want you to expand your scope of work & request some extra molds.


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

Well finally got the salad bowl finish in. I have put 5 coats on and it has a very nice finish, think I might do 2 more just to see how it looks. I might just use this stuff and not the CA, and ere on the side of caution.

On a side note, I made my first wood turning related sale today. An order for 5 bottle stoppers, ironically it was from one of my gf's friends who was interested in the WoodPecker(just one of the potential names for this new venture). Feels good to have your work wanted by others!! 

Thanks to all that commented on this thread, i know it was a weird topic, but hey, that's why I called it "awkward but important" haha.


----------



## zacker (Mar 25, 2010)

New2Woodworking said:


> On a side note, I made my first wood turning related sale today. An order for 5 bottle stoppers, ironically it was from one of my gf's friends who was interested in the WoodPecker(just one of the potential names for this new venture). Feels good to have your work wanted by others!!
> .


you can also sell them as a bottlestop on one end, woodpecker on the other and call it the pecker stopper...lol,lol,lol...


----------



## zacker (Mar 25, 2010)

Leo G said:


> Ahhh, don't worry about it. Just look the woman straight in the eye and tell her why don't you have BOB* fix it.
> 
> *(Battery Operated Boyfriend)


 
I tell my wife all the time.. "the first time the car broke down or you had something heavy to lift you'd go running for the first guy!" 

can you imagine if we guys all dissapeared off the earth? there would be alot of cars on the sides of the roads with one flat tire.....lol


----------



## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

zacker said:


> I tell my wife all the time.. "the first time the car broke down or you had something heavy to lift you'd go running for the first guy!"
> 
> can you imagine if we guys all dissapeared off the earth? there would be alot of cars on the sides of the roads with one flat tire.....lol


And think of all the jars that would go unopened.


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

And who would make all those batteries????


----------

