Finish for Bread Bowl

[Ray Vivian]

I am carving a bread bowl for my wife out of box elder (some red flame) and it has lots of beetle holes. When finished, she will place a towel in it then place the bread/rolls and cover them.
Should I use shellac to seal the wood and holes before applying the final finish? She wants me to use wipe on poly.
Thanks in advance for suggestions, recommendations and/or advice.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> She wants me to use wipe on poly

Not a good idea. Oil based finishes off-gas as they dry and cure. The odor lasts almost forever and anything you put into the item will pick up and retain the odor.

Use shellac or a waterborne finish to minimize the off-gassing.

The best finish would be no finish at all.

[Ray Vivian]

Thank you Howie.

[Sam Puhalovich]

Why not saturate it with mineral oil like you would a cutting board ?

[Ray Vivian]

I have heard that mineral oil never dries and you have to reapply later.

[Bill McNiel]

Ray,
Check out General Finishes "Salad Bowl Finish". Like most GF stuff it is really easy to get right.

[Alan Lightstone]

Personally, I would use a combination of mineral oil and beeswax, like I use on most cutting boards.

Easy to apply, with decent durability and, of course, food safe.