# Proper finish for eating surface



## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

I did a search for this, but only turned up one response. Forgive me if this is old territory.

I have raw unfinished black walnut that I built as a side table. It will see food products for time to time, drinks, plated items, and the like. What finish should I give it so that I can properly protect the wood from water and food particles. Will that same finish protect ME from any chemicals that are used in the finish and/or on the wood itself.

Honestly I was looking at BLO, but I wasn't sure if that would actually protect the wood from damage or be a proper eating surface.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Chances are that 99.999% of the tables you can buy are finished with lacquer. Chances are that 99.999% of the tables you ever owned are lacquer. 
If you can spray, that is the way to go. 
If you can't, there are other alternatives that others can help you with.


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## Ogee Fillet (Aug 20, 2009)

http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=26893


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## Just Bill (Dec 29, 2008)

Lacquer does not do well with moisture, my choice would be oil based poly. Resistent to most anything, but not for a food prep surface, for that, what Ogee linked.


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## jlhaslip (Jan 16, 2010)

Wipe on Polyurethane is 'food safe' once it cures hard.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Lacquer not doing well with moisture is somewhat of an urban legend. Dining tables have been finished with lacquer for almost 90 years and most manufacturers continue to do so. 
I personally have never had a store bought dining table finish fail from normal everyday usage including spilled hot coffee, alcoholic beverages, spilled water from centerpiece flower vases, mustard, mayo etc. 
There are better finishes than lacquer but are usually limited to high end furniture.


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## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

jlhaslip said:


> Wipe on Polyurethane is 'food safe' once it cures hard.


I'm inclined to go with an oil based poly finish then.
No reason to turn an end-table into a chemical experiment if the simple solution works.

Actually I'm itching to try the mineral oil/beeswax option offered in the link provided, but I have no experience working with paste wax on raw wood.


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## ~WoodChuck~ (Jan 17, 2009)

mineral oil will offer almost no protection at all. All mineral oil, or any type of wood oil such as blo or tung oil will only provide protection against water vapor exchange. which means the wood will not expand and contract as much. Bees wax or any other paste wax is technically a film finish but a very poor one, and needs to be reapplied often.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Woodchuck, you beat me to it.*



klr650 said:


> ...Actually I'm itching to try the mineral oil/beeswax option offered in the link provided, but I have no experience working with paste wax on raw wood.


Don't worry. after you apply oil and wax on raw wood on a table top, you will get plenty of experience. You will probably food stain it after every meal.


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## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

jlhaslip said:


> Wipe on Polyurethane is 'food safe' once it cures hard.


After poking around the web at lunchtime today I'm beginning to think that the entire "food safe" label might be overblown a bit. There's enough literature out there to suggest that most if not all finishes aren't going to poison you. So really the challenge is finding one that will withstand the rigors of active use.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

klr650 said:


> ....... So really the challenge is finding one that will withstand the rigors of active use.


You just completed step 1. 

Step 2). Start a new post to "find the one that can stand the most rigors." You will get lots of varying opinions here. Most of your decision will be based on your skill level, space available and whether you can spray or not. 
Give it a shot and see how it goes.


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## Brian_Hinther (Sep 13, 2009)

The toughest varnishes are phenolic resin-based like Waterlox or Behlen's RockHard. Both are highly recommended for table tops.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

Custom wooden fishing lure guys use nitrocellulose lacquer. Most all lacquer is moisture resistant. lacquer once cured properly is about as good as it gets in my opinion.


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