Finish for Trivet

[Teresa Jones]

I am making a couple of trivets for a friend and I need to know what finishes are durable enough to stand up to the heat of pan bottoms right off the stove.

Someone has suggested metal inlays and I was wondering if there is anything that will permanantly attach metal to wood?

Any ideas or suggestions welcomed.

Thanks for your help.

TJ

[Jim Becker]

If you're going to put a finish on them, the metal (or ceramic) inlays are sounding really good, TJ. Epoxy is what I'd use to hold them together.

As to a heat resistant finish, polyurethane "supposedly" is more heat tolerant, but I guess it would also matter what kind of heat you are talking about. A glowing red piece of iron that you just blackened a hunk of fish on will probably burn the finish/wood quite nicely! BTW, I know awhile back that Fuhr International developed a water borne finish that was heat/fire resistant...aimed primarily at schools and similar situations, but perhaps useful for this kind of thing.

[Teresa Jones]

Do you think it would work to just expoxy the strips of metal to the wood instead of inlaying them?

TJ

[Jim Becker]

It certainly would be more secure to inlay a little as it "captures" the metal, rather than just depends upon the adhesive. Suggestion...make a mock-up with some plain wood and the same metal you intend to use...and play "musical trivets" with some hot pots of water for awhile! ;)

[Dennis Peacock]

Just remember that epoxy can liquify under heat. I used to take apart airplane parts with a 400ºF heatgun that would loosen up the glue joint so you could remove the part.

I have made trivits....with realtime use? They all wear and turn black over time because of the heat and the metal on the wood. We still use them and over time? At least you can sand them down some and get that "new" look once again. ;)

[Teresa Jones]

Thanks for the suggestions Jim and Dennis.

I'll try to post some pics when I get them finished.

TJ

[Howard Acheson]

While oil based polyurethane is more heat resistant than standard oil based varnish, we are talking 10-20 degrees. There is no clear finish that can take heat much over 160 - 180 degrees. Pots right off the stove would damage a finish.