# Best finish for child's stepstool



## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

I am planning to make a small child's stepstool out of red oak. I plan to leave it natural wood or stain it, not paint.

What finish would be best for looks, water protection (possible bathroom use), and non-slip?

I saw that rustoleum has a "matte" finish polyurethane that seems much less slippery than normal satin or gloss finishes. That's what I am thinking for now.

What about something like tung oil or another finish? I have never used anything other than normal, salad bowl, and mineral oil + wax.

Thoughts? Thanks.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

secutanudu said:


> I am planning to make a small child's stepstool out of red oak. I plan to leave it natural wood or stain it, not paint.
> 
> What finish would be best for looks, water protection (possible bathroom use), and non-slip?
> 
> ...


Interesting, first, a fully cured film [usually 30 days curing time or longer] of most ordinary coatings is for all practical purposes safe as to children chewing or teething on them. by ordinary i mean lacquers, acrylics, polyurethanes, shellac, etc.. Where you have to avoid is any material that contains toxic metals such as lead, cobalt, mercury, aluminum, [yes aluminum since they have now found its affects as to alzheimer's and other brain functionality] or other heavy metals. 

So you would want to avoid BLO [boiled linseed oil] due to the metal driers as well as tung if not chemically pure. tung, along with nut oils when pure do have one concern and that is of nut allergies, but if your child or friends don't have such, then it would be safe in that instance. 

I say poly is safe but i also must state many additives are not, they may not be listed as toxic, but they still are not good by any means. Since your asking about a flat or matt poly, that means there is some type of stearated metal for the flatting agent incorporated into the coating, usually it would be a metal base of aluminum, zinc, or other. But there are also amides, silica's, etc.. So give further concideration on this by first reading the label and asking for an MSDS sheet, to see what it contains besides the oil or poly portion of the coating make up ok? do the same with any coating you choose also.

If desired to stain, i would reccomend a bottle each of food coloring dyes, blue red and yellow /green and red/ to produce brown stains, or other brite colors if your looking for monocolor schemes. Cheap and mainly safe since there food grade stains and can be weakened by thinnig with water for lighter colors if needed. 

Leaving it unprotected especially in a bathroom environment, would not be wise. Even your mineral oil and wax would be better than bare wood in that case.

So try this, use a poly that is gloss instead of flat, or the same with lacquer or acrylic and just use very thin coats thin 8 to 2 - 8 prts reducer to 2 parts coating. The less build , the less sheen, after the first coat, use a scotchbrite pad to smooth and then the next coat. If more coats are desired you can always finish the last by again scotchbriting the last coat down to a less shiney look ok?

Sincerely,

Chemmy


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Since the mid 1970's, ALL finishes (including stains) intended for the interior of a home or on items that will be used by children are required to be non-toxic when cured. Exterior finishes are also required to meet the same requlations. Any metals that they may contain are either of such small quantity or fully encapsulated by the non-toxic film as to judged safe for children and/or infants.

Boiled linseed oil is also judged to be non-toxic as the chemicals used as driers are of such small quantity as to non-toxic to humans.

The additive put into a finish to make is a non-gloss is a silica (very finely ground glass). It is not a stearate and it not harmful to humans. Stearates used in sanding sealers to make it easier to sand are a form of fats and "soap" and are non-toxic.

Food coloring dyes are not generally used in wood working as they rapidly lose their coloring.

I would recommend an oil based varnish or poly varnish. It is the most durable and protective. You can thin it 50/50 with mineral spirits and make a wipe-on finish that works very well. For non-skid, get a non-skid additive to mix into the finish and apply this to the areas that will be stepped on. Or, go to a big box and by some non-skid self-adhesive strips to put on the steps. Do something, as wet feet on a smooth surface are as slippery as ice.


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

The thing is, it will also be a seat, so the non-skid additive may be uncomfortable to sit on.

Would this be a sand-type mixture? I'd definitely liek to avoid those adhesive strips, as they are hiddeously ugly.


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

What about this "matte" polyurethane. It's water-based. Can I thin it with...water...to make it wipe-on?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_157772-90-2...uct_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=Polyurethane


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

secutanudu said:


> The thing is, it will also be a seat, so the non-skid additive may be uncomfortable to sit on.


I read in an article from one of the artist-style woodworking mags (FWW or Woodwork, I forget which) an article by a guy who designed a funky looking chair. It was a kind of tall and narrow stickley-does-acid form. Well it didn't sell all that good until he chopped it down to make it a child's chair. It didn't look quite as bad then, more of a stickley-with-a-hangover. And apparently he sold quite a few of them. 

Anyhow, how does that relate to this? One of his comments was that when it comes to children's furniture comfort doesn't matter. Kids just don't sit long enough to care. And that actually makes a bit of sense. Even more so for a stool vs. a chair with arms that they can slump back into and sit/lay. 

I'm not suggesting that you use a pile of tacks as your non-slip surface, but if it's just the normal sandpaper-like strip like in front of doors or on stairs, I don't think any kid is really going to notice.


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

Good point, Joe.

So..I can try getting the sand additive,but how much do I add? Should i still mix it with 50/50 mineral spirits to make it a wipe-on?


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

secutanudu said:


> So..I can try getting the sand additive,but how much do I add? Should i still mix it with 50/50 mineral spirits to make it a wipe-on?


Can't help you there, sorry. The only time I used it was with paint and I put in about half a coke-can's worth into a gallon. That is the extent of my experience with the stuff.


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## secutanudu (Oct 13, 2011)

The project i am working on is the "I can do that" stepstool (popular woodworking). When i finally read the whole thing, they suggest using an aerosol shellac (6-7 coats) then using steel wool to get rid of the high sheen. Then they say to use a coat of paste wax for protection. Thoughts?

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Extra_Stool_Steps.pdf

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/i-can-do-that-step-stool


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