# Super Glue and things you eat from



## MastersHand

I've seen a lot of posts lately on using super glue as a finish especially on bowls. I am wondering if you think this is a good idea especially on things you put food in or eat from


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## Itchy Brother

i think most people use the bowls for basically dry foods like chips or candies ect.Which wont dissolve the glue.Everyone probably takes in more cancer causing things by just filling their gas tank or standing by a busy road breathing exhaust fumes.Basically on fumes if you smell it your ingesting it and some things you dont even smell your ingesting.Of course avoiding all things not natural is good.Im sure Lucas could advise you better as he seems very knowledgable on most subjects.


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## GeorgeC

Super glue as a FINISH? How would you do that?

George


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## MastersHand

GeorgeC said:


> Super glue as a FINISH? How would you do that?
> 
> George


That's what I was wondering. I have never tried it I'm just posting to see the views on it.


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## john lucas

CA glue is used to repair wounds. It basically is a plastic and will pass right though you if you eat it. I personally would not use it for a bowl that I eat out of. It won't hurt you but it will wear off and look bad as it peels. CA glue is not flexible so as the wood moves it will crack and let liquid through and will eventually fail. It's also expensive.
A better choice is something Like Walnut oil, especially Mike Mahoney's walnut oil. It's easy to apply and will move with the bowl. You can make it glossy if you apply enough of it but it would take many layers. A better choice is to sand to higher grit (600 and above) and then apply several coats and buff them to a very natural looking shine rather than a high gloss.
If it's a show bowl and not meant to be used and washed then I use lacquer or Shellac. You can make these glossy if you apply enough coats and they move with the wood.


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## mike s

i recently posted a few pictures of a bowl with a superglue finish, thats probably what you saw.
super glue is mainly used on pens because it is shiny and very hard, i used it on a bowl to see if it would work, and it did. i know my grandparents wont use the bowl, they will put it on the mantelpiece and show it to everyone that comes to the house.
i am unsure if it food-safe but the finish is fully dried and it hard enough not to wear off, so i guess so.


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## mike s

superglue is a great finish for dried wood. it takes a little while to apply the glue and let it dry but a little effort gives great results.
i have put the finish on a few turnings and it hasn't worn down or chipped on anything. i buy my super glue from the pound store, i get four small bottles for a pound and as you can see from the photos it is a good enough quality to give a nice shine.
for the bowl i used 2 and a half bottles, so only a 60p finish.
do you know of a finish that gives an even better shine and is strong?


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## Brink

a main ingredient in super glue is cyanide. I don't think ingesting it is a good idea.


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## MastersHand

Brink said:


> a main ingredient in super glue is cyanide. I don't think ingesting it is a good idea.


Things to make you think. The center of an apple seed is pure cyanide. How do you like those apples


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## mdntrdr

Once the finish is cured, I don't see any problems.

But I may have found a new use for apples. :smile:


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## MastersHand

mdntrdr said:


> Once the finish is cured, I don't see any problems.
> 
> But I may have found a new use for apples. :smile:


Apple Pie for the in-laws heavy on the seeds LOL


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## Kirkus

This is just me, but I wouldn't use anything that's even possibly toxic as a finish on something that might be used to eat from or with. I'm just thinking 60 or 70 years down the road and a wooden food item has been passed down a few generations, who knows that someone might not eat with it or from it. I'm just hyper-cautious like that.

BTW, I just saw photos of your bowl, and I think it's absolutely beautiful.


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## mike s

thank you :smile:
maybe it was a bad idea to put a potentially toxic finish on a bowl... does anyone have a better solution?
is this the bowl you saw?


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## GeorgeC

"it takes a little while to apply the glue and let it dry but a little effort gives great results."

I thought that "super glue" was that glue that came in a small tube and would bind almost anything to almost anything and dried almost instantly.

It the super glue being written about here something different?

George


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## sprior

If you wouldn't use a chemical which is a cyanide compound then surely you wouldn't add something that's a combination of an explosive metal and a toxic gas once used as a chemical weapon, right? Oh yeah, please pass the table salt...


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## pwoller

I use CA glue in my reef fish tank that is full of super sentitive animals and corals and I've never had a problem with it. I wouldnt worry about it once its dryed.


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## frankp

Super glue, once dry won't have any harmful effects that any other finish doesn't also have the possibility of having. Natural oils are about the only "food safe" finish (though I use pretty much any finish that will resist water) and many of those, especially the nut oils are having increasing reactions as more people seem to be allergic to nuts than ever before.

More important than the (non) toxicity of dried CA glue, would be the fact that it won't wear well as the wood ages and is used for foods. Go with a finish that can be easily reapplied as necessary by the intended recipient of the bowl without special tools. That pretty much leaves only waxes and oils.


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## reprosser

I am interested in how a CA finish was applied to the bowl. I have used CA as a finish for pens (sometimes difficult), but cannot imagine being able to get a smooth coating over a bowl.

(Of course, my first bowls did not look nearly as good as yours...nice job)


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## mike s

*applying the finish*

i put a few drops of super glue on a tissue and held it on the work, i put about 4 layers and then sanded it lightly through the grits from 600 to 1000. in between each grit i stopped the lathe and rubbed the bowl with a rag to get rid of the dust. when i reached 1000 a held a rag to the bowl with quite a lot of pressure. then i used burnishing cream to remove any tiny scratches and then buffed if with a rag with the lathe speed high.


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## john lucas

Would you eat out of a plastic bowl or drink out of a plastic glass. Well that's what CA turns into once it's dry. I've read all sorts of MSDS information and had several chemists inform me about the glue. Once dry it is not toxic. 
I still don't think it makes a good bowl finish. It is very durable on smaller items that don't have the wood movement problems such as pens and wine stoppers. 
If you want a really glossy finish that is more durable try Polyeurethane such as Minwax wipe on poly. It takes a few coats to make it glossy but the finish is smoother and better looking. 
Glossy finishes done correctly are not easy. They require patience and sometimes hard work. Quick glossy finishes look plastic and have uneven areas. The easiest really glossy finish I know of is Birchwood-Casey's True Oil. You wipe on a layer and let it dry overnight. Steel wool it to a satin finish and apply another layer. After about 6 to 10 layers it will fill all the grain and pores and will look really glossy and smooth.


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## Kirkus

mike s said:


> thank you :smile:
> maybe it was a bad idea to put a potentially toxic finish on a bowl... does anyone have a better solution?
> is this the bowl you saw?
> View attachment 19391


Yep. That's the one. I appreciate anyone who has the talent to turn a bowl. That was your first one, right? Very impressive. I've tried several times and I just don't have whatever it takes -- patience, maybe. As far as the finish, others have verified that what you used is A-OK. It is after all meant for display. I was just voicing my opinion... and I have very little experience with different kinds of finishes.

I'll be looking forward to seeing more of your turning projects.



sprior said:


> If you wouldn't use a chemical which is a cyanide compound then surely you wouldn't add something that's a combination of an explosive metal and a toxic gas once used as a chemical weapon, right? Oh yeah, please pass the table salt...


Apples and oranges, so to speak. :icon_cheesygrin:


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## mike s

thanks, i just bought some wipe on polyurethane from ebay


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