New to turning and I have a question...

[Dean Matthews]

I have been doing wood working for a long time but I got it in my head one day that I needed to start turning. Since then none of my other tools get touched now. :D

I was curious about something. One of the things I wanted to turn when I first got started were goblets. For the most part I know a lot of them would be ornamental but what if I wanted to make them safe to drink from? I have seen a lot of info on using Walnut oil for foodsafe bowls but I was curious if it would be good for beverages in a goblet?

Of the small "Tester" goblets I have made I have used friction polish as they will never be drank from.

I have used 100% Tung Oil on bowls that were not for food and someone mentioned to me that once the Tung Oil dries completely it can be food safe as well... but there seems to be a lot of controversy on that topic.

Any help would be appreciated.

Here are some of my recent works:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/went_postal/turning/IMG_2964.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/went_postal/turning/IMG_2988.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/went_postal/turning/IMG_2990.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/went_postal/turning/IMG_2984.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/went_postal/turning/IMG_2784.jpg

Some of my turnings (http://picasaweb.google.com/doctorew/Turnings)

[Paul Heely]

Can't help you with your finish question but wanted to say welcome to the creek. I understand not touching the "other" tools once you have the lathe. I've actually started to think about selling some of them to finance more spinny type stuff. :D

[Dean Matthews]

Can't help you with your finish question but wanted to say welcome to the creek. I understand not touching the "other" tools once you have the lathe. I've actually started to think about selling some of them to finance more spinny type stuff. :D


Thanks for the welcome.

I could not part with my other tools.... I still like making furniture but I really like the instant satisfaction you can get from turning. Well... unless you are doing a green turning for a bowl... I am mega impatient on that stuff. =) Although I did stumble upon Ron Kent's 50/50 dishwashing detergent trick and I had to pleasure of talking to Mr. Kent on the phone. I did the soaking in the mixture and about three weeks later the majority of the water was out of the rough turned bowl. And almost no checking. Good stuff. :D

[Dennis Peacock]

Dean,

WELCOME to SMC!!! Very nice turnings you have there and just so you'll know? Most modern finishes are food safe AFTER they have properly cured for a few weeks. After all, we've all eaten some form of shellac over the course of our lives and many women have sprayed their hair with shellac, called Hair Spray. In short, as long as a finish has cured long enough? It's considered to be safe.

Keep the pics coming...we like lots of pictures. :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome to SMC. Those are some nice turnings. Dennis said it all. Finishes are food safe when dried for several weeks. I am using bowls and plates for eating that have General Finishes, some have Mahoney's walnut oil, etc. Keep the pictures coming.

[Paul Engle]

Like Bernie, I use the salad bowl finish for food stuff, seals very well or use the minerial oil ( for salad bowls ) which can " repair" easily by customer. I am making two oak goblets for daughter and SIL and will use the salad bowl finish on these as they will be used for alcohol ( wine ) at their anniversay party.I am using glued up scraps for these and will dye em red.I'll post them next month when they are done.

[Patrick Taylor]

Search here for "food safe finishes" and you'll get lots of good discussions. I was worried about it for a while, and used mineral oil only for a while, but now I went back to Watco Danish oil, and someone I trust said he tells customers to wait 30 days (from finishing date) before eating from it (to be sure it's cured). I will do the same.

[Curt Fuller]

I have to qualify my opinion here by saying that I never drink anything with enough quality to bother pouring it into another vessel. The can suits me just fine. But on the goblets I've done for people that think they really want to use them to drink from I leave the inside of the goblet unfinished. I take care to sand it a little better than I might normally and then I stuff it with something like a paper towel while I spray a finish on the outside. The reason being that I'm not sure how finishes like lacquer or polyurethane will hold up to liquids, especially alcohol. And oil finishes seem to me like they would leave that irridescent oil slick look on the surface of the beverage.

[Dale Stagg]

I recently made a set of 8 goblets out of Gum and finished with spray laquer. These are for show only, but I have a couple of more that me and the wife have drank out of and have never see a problem with finish after putting wine in them. We don't do this often, but have used them a few times. I rinsed them out with water and when finished and dried with dry towel.