Salad bowl

[hawkeyefxr]

I have just started to make a salad bowl, its made up of three types of wood, Ash, Oak (i think) and a dark wood which i do not have any idea as to what it is.
I have glues these together using a mix of Titebond wood glue and Gorilla glue. It has really gone off well. I have noticed that the two white woods turn perfectly but the dark wood comes off in chips and they are dammed hot as well. I have to stop every few seconds. I was think of wearing a pair of those yellow gloves and are very grippy, things is this goes against everything i was taught those many years ago.
What do you guys do when your getting burnt when turning.

The other thing is how to finish it, i want a wax finish on the outside as it will be on show but the inside surface will want a food safe oil, but whats best to give a finish and be food safe..

 

[Pierre]

If the wood is getting hot then your gouge should be sharper which will also avoid the chips. As for food safe oil, liquid paraffin (the comestible sort) from the chemists (or Vets) will do, ask Glenn Lucas, that's what he uses and at 3500 salad bowls per year I think he knows a bit about food safe oils.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

I did sharpen my chisel thinking the same as you Pierre, the wood itself is not getting hot just the chips coming off it. The other two types of wood cut beautifully, long strings flying off.
I will look at the Liquid paraffin. As an aside my dad used to put that on his hair in the early 50's and butter as well though that did pen and ink a bit at the end of the day lol.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

I looked up Glenn Lucas on youtube, that man likes his salad bowls that for sure.

 

[Bill Mooney]

A word of warning. I bought some liquid paraffin from a vet to make sanding wax because it was cheaper than the chemist but it is not for human consumption, just for animals so check first. Bees ax or carnauba wax can be used.

 

[Pierre]

A word of warning. I bought some liquid paraffin from a vet to make sanding wax because it was cheaper than the chemist but it is not for human consumption, just for animals so check first. Bees ax or carnauba wax can be used.

Actually its the same stuff to the same quality manufacture its just that a Vet cannot allow his products to be labelled for human consumption, the reality is that it won't be consumed, it is there to prevent the wood from exuding its sap into the food but even then the quantities are so minuscule that in the main it is people hedging their risk analysis. It is in fact more dangerous to make a pen out of yew (or iroko et al) and allow the owner to chew the end!!

If you want a really safe product which won't go rancid, then take 80% oil of grape pips (huile de raisin in the supermarket probably waitrose) and 20% pure beeswax, mix the 2 in a bain Mairie (ie a dish in hot water so as there is no direct heat) when it is properly mixed as a liquid it should cool to a paste BUT NOT LIQUID mixture and you apply it in 1 thin coat which you then finally sand and finish with one last coat. It is a pfaff to make but brilliant (matt) in finish.

Think about it in different way people age wines and whiskys in oak barrels with no treatment... they allow the natural tannins to mix with the aforesaid liquors and then they sell it for a fortune but you only die if you exceed the maximum recommended quantity. :nonono:

PG

 

[Dalboy]

The chips coming off which feel hot is due to the very hard wood being very dry and dulling the edge faster than normal this causes chips rather than streamers of wood and the sensation can feel like it is burning, I had the same problem with my yew bowl I am working on at the moment.
I spent more time at the grinder as it was taking the edge off my tools so fact a lot of the time I resorted to a TCT cutter so that I spent more time cutting rather than sharpening.
I also resorted to putting a glove on but made sure it was a tight fitting one

 

[hawkeyefxr]

If you want a really safe product which won't go rancid, then take 80% oil of grape pips (huile de raisin in the supermarket probably waitrose) and 20% pure beeswax, mix the 2 in a bain Mairie (ie a dish in hot water so as there is no direct heat) when it is properly mixed as a liquid it should cool to a paste BUT NOT LIQUID mixture and you apply it in 1 thin coat which you then finally sand and finish with one last coat. It is a pfaff to make but brilliant (matt) in finish.

Think about it in different way people age wines and whiskys in oak barrels with no treatment... they allow the natural tannins to mix with the aforesaid liquors and then they sell it for a fortune but you only die if you exceed the maximum recommended quantity. :nonono:

PG

I will give the paraffin a miss i think and go for Pierre's grape pip concoction, it sounds good and it will mean i will be making the finish myself, well after nature has had it turn as well lol. yes i will show finished bowl but that is a few days away yet. I have the garden fence to treat tomorrow as it will be sunny.

 

[Penpal]

I really like bees wax.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

What do you guys do when your getting burnt when turning.

.

I just grin and bear it and

The chips coming off which feel hot is due to the very hard wood being very dry and dulling the edge faster than normal this causes chips rather than streamers of wood and the sensation can feel like it is burning,

That is normal with the wood up here, it is all very hard wood and very dry.

 

[Winemaker]

Bees wax for me