I’ve been making some swivel top saltboxes. They are easy and fun to make but I’ve come up with a problem and I don’t have a good solution. I finish the boxes with my combo finish of tung oil, high gloss polyurethane and odorless mineral spirits (1:1:1 ratio by weight). When the boxes are stored in a closed position, the insides start to smell. It’s not a terrible smell for a woodworker but others have objected since these are intended to hold salt for seasoning our food. Some of the bowls were finished inside and out while I took pains with others to keep the finish only on the outside. Both of types of boxes have the smell. I know that this finish is food safe once the solvents have evaporated so it’s not the safety but just the odor that I am worried about.
I am willing to consider other finishing materials.
Are there treatments that will mitigate the odor?
Any suggestions?
Cheers,
David