Best seal for a Pop corn bowl?

[Bret Schaffner]

what"s best way to finish a Pop Corn to stand up to the Salt
I assuming cleaning the bowl will be done this a damp lighty soapy cloth and rinsed with a damp cloth then hand dry
Thanks

[Brian Kent]

I would use dewaxed shellac, followed by more dewaxed or regular shellac.

[John King]

Stick with an oil finish. Mahoney Utillity Finish (heat treated filtered walnut oil) followed by Mahoney oil wax finish comes to mind. Tung oil based finish would be good. Don't seal the bowl (shellac, polyurethane, epoxy, etc.). The objective should not be to protect the bowl from the popcorn oil and salt. Allow the oil in the popcorn to feed the wood. After use, just wipe the bowl with a dry paper towel to remove salt and excess oil. Bowl will last forever. - John

[Dan Forman]

Hot popcorn going into a bowl would likely harm any "on the wood" finish - it is still emitting water vapor. I agree with Jhon, just use oil or oil/wax.

[allen thunem]

why use anything?? with enough repeated use and the butter from the pop corn that should eventually add enough oil to seal it pretty well i would think
just my two cents

[Brian Kent]

There you go. Finish it with butter!

[David A. Peterson]

The first time...use walnut oil, and 'cure' it by putting it under a UV blacklight for a few hours until it is dry. then...let the butter do the work.

[Michael Stafford]

Plain old mineral oil straight from the drug store is the cheapest safest and easiest finish to renew. There have been problems with some batches of the Mahoney oil curing and the Mahoney oil wax finish has a limited shelf life. A container I bought turned to a gelatinous mess in less than 6 months.

A mixture of mineral oil and beeswax has served Richard Raffan well on his bowls for nearly 40 years so that might me worth considering.

Of course nothing will work just fine also.

[Ralph Lindberg]

why use anything?? with enough repeated use and the butter from the pop corn that should eventually add enough oil to seal it pretty well i would think
just my two cents

That's what I do

[Brian Ashton]

why use anything?? with enough repeated use and the butter from the pop corn that should eventually add enough oil to seal it pretty well i would think
just my two cents

The only issue I could see with this is the butter going rancid on and in the wood. Rancid butter is foul to say the least. I'd be putting a mineral oil on first to limit the ability of the butter fat to absorb... YMMV

[Jack Gaskins]

Couldn't you soak the bowl in dewaxed shellac, let it sit for a few weeks then use it. Just don't wash it. Use a damp paper towel and wipe clean.

[Brian Kent]

I think that the de-waxed shellac would work fine. But also a soak in mineral oil until no more absorbs would work fine - like finishing a salad bowl or a cutting board. Both of those options can be updated in the future.

[John King]

Forget about using shellac in this application! From Understanding Wood Finishing, How to Select and Apply the Right Finish by Bob Flexner, Shellac Pros & Cons: Cons = 1) weak resistance to heat, water, solvents, and chemicals, 2) only moderate resistance to wear and 3) short shelf life. Salted popcorn would be a killer for (1) and (2). Go with an oil finish. No regrets.

Not sure what Stafford is talking about regarding Mahoney walnut oil. Never had a problem with it curing. Shelf life of Mahoney oil wax finish not a relevant comment. Properly stored the wax will last indefinitely. I have a container that I have had for 3 1/2 years and it is still in mint condition. Keep it stored at room temperature in the house. Not in the garage/shop/studio where there at hot to cold temperature extremes.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use Mahoney's or Dr. Workshop walnut oil. It has worked in my popcorn bowl for over 5 yrs. I have did many this way.

[Hayes Rutherford]

I recommend La Tourangelle roasted walnut oil for treating utility bowls and for making the popcorn as well.

[Michael Stafford]

Sorry John, your statement about Mahoney oil wax finish lasting forever is not accurate. Mike Mahoney himself says it has a 2-3 year max shelf life in the container depending on storage temperature. That doesn't mean there are some tubs that last longer or shorter amounts of time. My tub lasted less than 6 months before it turned into a gelatinous mess in the shop. It is the only finish I have ever had do this. He also said that there were problems with some batches of the walnut oil and its heat treatment that prevented proper curing.

Your experience may be different but does not reflect everyone's experience.

[Pat Scott]

Don't use Shellac for a utility bowl. Mike Mahoney used shellac when he first started out because that's all that he knew. After several years of use his bowls looked terrible and were ready for the trash.

Don't use straight varnish, poly, lacquer, etc., because it creates a film finish. Mineral Oil and beeswax that Raffin uses is not a durable finish. He uses it because it makes the bowl immediately look pretty for his demo's. Ever seen a Raffin bowl a year later? It looks dry and not so pretty.

I don't use Mineral Oil because it's a non-drying oil. Meaning it never dries. Pick up a bowl a week or month after putting Mineral oil on it and you'll have oil on your fingers. While being food safe, Mineral oil is not very durable. Wash the bowl a few times and you'll have to reapply more oil.

Mike Mahoney had a problem years ago with a batch of his oil. But that was years ago. My jar of Mahoney oil/wax is stored downstairs and after several years it has dried out a little. I asked Mike about this and he said buy some fresh stuff! Why try and use a finish that is years old? We wouldn't think of using 5 year old glue, the same could apply to finishes as well.

Walnut oil is certainly safe to use and a good option. I don't use it because it can take weeks or months to dry. If I pick up a bowl and my fingers are shiny afterwards, it's not dry. I don't want to have a bowl of popcorn sitting in my lap and get oil on my clothes. I don't use Walnut oil on my salad bowls because I don't want to take a chance of leaving an oil ring on my nice Cherry kitchen table. Mike Mahoney uses Walnut oil because it will dry (eventually), it lasts a little longer than Mineral Oil, it's easy to apply, and anyone (his customers) can maintain the finish. It doesn't take any skill to wipe on more oil. I asked Mike about the drying aspect. He applies the oil, wipes the bowl off, and packages it up. One coat. His galleries know the bowls will still be wet when they get them and will have to be wiped off again. Ever see pictures of Glenn Lucas's drying room? Glenn uses Mahoneys Walnut Oil on his bowls. Why does he have a drying room if not to wait for the oil to dry?

I use Danish Oil for all my utility bowls (or Salad Bowl Finish, etc). These types of finishes are all 1/3 oil of some kind, 1/3 varnish or poly of some kind, 1/3 Mineral Spirits of some kind. Yes they have some varnish or poly in them which can build a film finish if you apply too many coats. So don't. Apply the DO, let it soak in, wipe it all off. You're wiping it off the surface but there is still finish in the pores that will seal the pores (which is the objective).

D.O. dries to the touch overnight and provides more protection than Mineral oil or Walnut oil. I've never had to reapply Danish oil (or Salad Bowl Finish) to any of my utility bowls , yet those finished with Walnut oil require re-oiling every few months depending on use. Mike Mahoney said he'd use Danish Oil but he can't afford to wait for the smell to dissipate. Stick your nose right up to the bowl and sniff. If you can smell the finish, it's not fully cured yet.

I can hear the arguments already - if it takes a couple weeks for Walnut oil to dry, and if it takes a week or two for the Danish Oil smell to dissipate, then what's the difference? The difference is D.O. won't leave your fingers oily and the finish lasts longer.

Why use any finish at all? To protect the wood from stains, to bring out the grain, to make it look pretty.

Wash your utility bowls like any other bowl. Use soapy water, scrub it, rinse it, wipe it dry. Don't leave it sitting in water, don't leave water sitting in it. My popcorn bowl looks just like it did years ago and all I've done is wash it. Open up that bag of steamy hot microwave popcorn and dump it right in the bowl. If you don't finish eating all the popcorn and it sits around till the next day or two while you munch on it, no problem. The Danish Oil will protect it from staining. Just wash and dry when done.

[David C. Roseman]

Thoughtful discussion here.

Curious if anyone has had long-term experience with Arm-R-Seal by GF on popcorn bowls, or for that matter on any often washed utility bowls or turned kitchen items? It's become my go-to finish for darker woods over the last couple of years, since I was given a small sample. Seals pores quickly, dries overnight, repairs well, and a film can be built or not, unlike full varnish or poly. But I don't know the ratios of oil to poly, or have long-term experience with frequently washed pieces.

David

[Prashun Patel]

I have several bowls that are finished with varnish or shellac. I use them as popcorn bowls. If you are like me and only eat a bowl a couple times a month, then I bet yours will last as long as mine have. They look brand new. Just don't scrub them. A little rinse is all they need, and try to minimize the standing water. I have repaired shellac several times on other things like tables, and am not daunted by the eventual reapplication, which by my estimation won't be for several more years.

[Prashun Patel]

Arm R Seal is a varnish - not an oil varnish. It's just thinned with mineral spirits to make it a wipe-on-varnish. It repairs no better or worse than other pure varnishes. They call it an oil-urethane, but there's no 'non-drying oil' in it. I agree that you can use it to build a film or merely to seal the wood. But you can do that with any varnish, poly, phenolic or otherwise.

I'm in the camp that believes most curing finishes are food safe once cured. So, I have no qualms eating off of varnished cheese boards or bowls. YMMV.

[John King]

Sorry John, your statement about Mahoney oil wax finish lasting forever is not accurate. Mike Mahoney himself says it has a 2-3 year max shelf life in the container depending on storage temperature. That doesn't mean there are some tubs that last longer or shorter amounts of time. My tub lasted less than 6 months before it turned into a gelatinous mess in the shop. It is the only finish I have ever had do this. He also said that there were problems with some batches of the walnut oil and its heat treatment that prevented proper curing.

Your experience may be different but does not reflect everyone's experience.

Okay. Maybe not forever. But shelf life is not an issue if stored at room temperature. Sure, there may have been some batches of walnut oil that would not properly cure. But my understanding is that was years ago and not a relevant concern at this point in time.

Your tub of wax turned into a gelatinous mess after six months storage in the shop. What was the storage temperature during the six months?

Bottom Line = Mahoney walnut oil and wax are good finishes and, in my opinion, perfectly suited for the popcorn bowl.

[Jack Gaskins]

I don't see why you couldn't use shellac. Just enough to soak into the wood and leave the bowl looking natural. Your not going to wash it all your going to do is take a damp rag and wipe it out. What did they use back in 1850 when they made bowls?

[Michael Stafford]

I don't see why you couldn't use shellac. Just enough to soak into the wood and leave the bowl looking natural. Your not going to wash it all your going to do is take a damp rag and wipe it out. What did they use back in 1850 when they made bowls?

Not much of anything. An antique collector friend has an 18" cherry bowl that is dated 1790 and it appears to have nothing but the patina of use as a finish. He uses it for large salads and when finished wipes it out with soap and hot water, dries it and back on top of the china cabinet it goes. I would imagine that not much of anything is needed for a popcorn bowl although I have routinely wiped on a little mineral oil for bowls that will contain food. Most of it is soaked up by the wood an protect it from absorbing water, vinegar and other salad dressings and oils which will go rancid in the wood giving off a bit of a funky odor.

[Jim Phipps]

I'm curious as to why pure tung oil hasn't been brought into the conversation. I'm still a little uncertain about its toxicity level. It's considered food safe but not edible. I'm not sure that feels as warm and fuzzy as walnut oil you could drizzle on your salad.
As for curing time, I set up an unscientific test this spring testing pure tung from Real Milk Paint, Mahoney's walnut oil, and each of those mixed 50/50 with citrus solvent from Real Milk Paint. One cotton strip was saturated with each of the above and hung to dry/cure. The tung/solvent was dry in a week. Walnut/solvent in 2 weeks. Pure tung was hard and dry in a month. The straight walnut oil strip has thickened but is still oily after 3.5 months.
Far and away, the tung feels like what I'd want saturated and cured in my bowl. It is hard but somewhat pliable. Unless there is a toxicity issue, it seems like a very good option to me but I don't hear many people mention it. Am I missing something?

[Dennis Peacock]

I use mineral oil on every utility wooden ware in the kitchen. Forks, spoons, spatula's, bowls, platters.....I use mineral oil....and there's no oil on your fingers.
I saturate a new piece really well at first, let stand for an hour and then wipe dry. Each successive coating I apply (after it gets washed after use) is another lite application of mineral oil, set for a short bit, typically about 10 minutes, wipe with a clean dry rag....and all done. Been doing it that way for several years now. But of course, what works for me may not be satisfactory for you.......so YMMV