General Finishes salad bowl finish is no more

[David Sloan]

One of my favorite finishes is General Finishes salad bowl finish. I have used it on many different types of projects for many years. I went in to Woodcraft last Saturday to get another can and to my shock on the shelf was only General Finishes Wood bowl finish. Salesman said it was the same product but does anyone know if that is true.And if so, why the change in name? Something to do with lawyers? Connecting a potentially toxic product (if you were to drink it) with the word salad? Just curious but I hope they haven't fixed what isn't broken!

[Frederick Skelly]

Have you called General Finishes and asked? Bet they'd try to help clear you up.
Fred

[John Goodin]

My guess and it is only a guess would be marketing. Wood bowl finish has a broader appeal.

[John K Jordan]

I don't know the specifics but the description says it's an oil and urathane finish like a variety of others. It apparently contains oil, varnish, mineral spirits, and a small amount of Methyl ethyl ketoxime. Many people mix up similar finishes from scratch for less cost. A popular recipe is 1/3 each of BLO, poly, and mineral spirits.

I always suspected putting the word "Salad" in the name label was a marketing scheme since people often shop by name.

If you are a rich man you can still order it from Amazon.

JKJ

[Steve Schoene]

According to Bob Flexner the Salad Bowl finish is a wiping varnish, not an oil/varnish mix. Oil is a raw ingredient in manufacturing varnish, but once made, it's not a separate thing. I don't know about the renamed Wood Bowl Finish, but the literature associated with it on the General Finishes web pages remains virtually the same, not always getting the name changed from Salad Bowl Finish. The instructions for use are consistent with varnish application, and not appropriate for oil/varnish mixtures.

[John K Jordan]

According to Bob Flexner the Salad Bowl finish is a wiping varnish, not an oil/varnish mix. Oil is a raw ingredient in manufacturing varnish, but once made, it's not a separate thing. I don't know about the renamed Wood Bowl Finish, but the literature associated with it on the General Finishes web pages remains virtually the same, not always getting the name changed from Salad Bowl Finish. The instructions for use are consistent with varnish application, and not appropriate for oil/varnish mixtures.

Depends on what you read, I guess. I found lots of variation.

"Wood (formerly Salad Bowl Finish) Bowl Finish is our heavy duty oil and urethane oil based topcoat..."

Rockler still has the salad name in their ads and suggest wiping it on:
"General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish...Create a beautiful and safe finish on wooden bowls, cups, spoons, and countertops. Easy to apply - just wipe on with a soft clean rag." but the picture shows "Oil Based Wood Bowl Finish" where the earlier picture omitted "Oil Based"

Just like other like other finishes:
"General Finishes' Salad Bowl Finish is non-toxic and food safe when dry."
Probably not good to drink, inhale, or inject.

But where mentioned, they all say it is the exact finish as before. Maybe someone with both can smell them or something. If it is identical, makes me wonder why they changed the name.

JKJ