GOT MY lathe back

[alex carey]

I finally got my lathe back up and running. I have been without it for about 6 weeks. They completely replaced the entire lathe even though just the headstock was messed up. It was kind of a pain because I had to unbolt my lathe from a giant piece of wood which is bolted to a table. Took me like 2 hours both ways. BUT I finally got it back.

I decided I would try out the Ficus I just picked up a week ago. I didn't have a ton of time tonight so I turned a small bowl. I am not a huge fan of the grain(too plain) and it is not a very strong wood but it turned out alright.

I have never used anything I have made for food and had a few questions.

Do bowl need to be coated with anything to be used or can they have no finish at all?
Will they stain from olive oil, salad dressing and so on?
Can it be washed in dish washer safely?

[Benjamin Dahl]

glad you have your lathe back. you can put some mineral oil or walnut oil on it or leave it as it is. just do a search on "food safe" finishes and you will find a huge range of opinions. you might get some staining, especially since it is a light wood, from what you put in the bowl but I would not worry about it. I would not put it in the dishwasher.

[robert hainstock]

Just finished reading Bob Flexners article on this subject last night. It was in rhe spring issue of the AAW magazine. As I do not know the properties of your wood, I do not know about leaving it bare other than to say it would most likly be OK. He did say that any clear finish that "cures" Is alright. It is cured when you can not smell any thing with a closeup sniff test. Nice bowl by the way. :)
Bob

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alex - congrats on getting your lathe back and up and turning again! Nice looking bowl!

I would think any clear oil based finish - something that soaks into the wood - would work just fine for you. On cleaning your bowl - you don't want to soak the bowl, just wash it out, rinse and wipe dry. You don't want to clean any wood in a dishwasher - including wooden handled knives - as the dry cycle will destroy it.

[john taliaferro]

some of us use a blend of lenseed oil denathard achol , sheelack an even mix and put on a coat every 2 or 3 days 3 or 4 times. johnt

[Bernie Weishapl]

Alex most all finishes are really food safe now if left to cure for minimum of 72 hrs. I either use Minwax Antique Oil or General Finishes Seal-A-Cell followed by Arm-R-Seal. I have a cereal bowl I have been using now at least 3 days a week for over a year with the General Finishes on it and it still looks good. No dishwasher. Just some warm soapy water to wash it with, rinse and then dry. I leave it to air dry before putting it away. If you leave it plain with no finish anything with tomato's, etc. will stain it.

[Reed Gray]

Alex,
Just about any oil works. I use Mahoney's walnut oil which is different from the walnut oil you buy in the store, but have known people to use olive oil, canola, peanut, etc. Mike doesn't put anything on the wood ware he uses in his home. Anything you put in your bowl food wise will stain it. It can go through the dishwasher, once. Bowls do not like sudden or big changes in temperature and/or humidity.
robo hippy

[John Strait]

I either use Minwax Antique Oil or General Finishes Seal-A-Cell followed by Arm-R-Seal. I have a cereal bowl I have been using now at least 3 days a week for over a year with the General Finishes on it and it still looks good.

Bernie,

Any advice where to buy the Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal finishes?

Thanks,
John