I just completed a baby rattle of Northern Catalpa with a Maple handle and am not sure what finish to put on it. I was going to use Walnut Oil (Mahoney's) but am second guessing myself. I do not want to start yet another "food safe" discussion, but this will probably be mouthed and chewed on by a little one. Any thoughts?
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Baby Rattle Finish
- Thread starter Wally Crawford
- Start date
Plain old bees wax.
I used Tried and True original on a few I made. It's supposed to be food safe.
Newborns shouldn't have honey so maybe stay away from beeswax. I would probably just leave it with no finish or just mineral oil from the pharmacy.
As someone who has had a lifelong Walnut allergy I would suggest using some other choice than Oils of tree nuts.
Catalpa is listed as a low level irritant. I always use hard maple since it is super benign and not easy to splinter. Catalpa will be easy to dent and splinter once the child gets a tooth or two. https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/
I leave them unfinished (maple)
Shellac is sprayed on the food and meds we eat to keep it fresh and not sticky. That's what I used.
Look up "wood and bacteria relative to cutting boards" and you will find that wood does not support bacteria, which is a good feature considering where a baby will likely throw the rattle.
Bottom line maple (no spalting) is best without any finish.
Bottom line maple (no spalting) is best without any finish.
Polyurethane, just give it a couple weeks to cure completely.
I'm with maple only, no finish. But I'd go one step further- I'd use only sugar (aka rock) maple, which is the traditional wood for actual butcher blocks. Covered in blood and whatever other tissue juices daily, coated nightly with salt, chop the meat for a hundred years.
If a finish is really desired, I would not use any film finish that little sharp teeth will destroy (poly, shellac, etc.). I'd use Tried and True Danish Oil, which is nothing more than the pure, food safe, heat (not chemical) polymerized linseed oil, just one, maybe two, penetrating coats to the mfr. instructions. Give it a full 30 days to cure, then hand it over to the little recipient.
If a finish is really desired, I would not use any film finish that little sharp teeth will destroy (poly, shellac, etc.). I'd use Tried and True Danish Oil, which is nothing more than the pure, food safe, heat (not chemical) polymerized linseed oil, just one, maybe two, penetrating coats to the mfr. instructions. Give it a full 30 days to cure, then hand it over to the little recipient.
Thank you for all your thoughts and input. I chose Catalpa, knowing is was soft, for it's light weight, and hard Maple for its strength. These are really good parents of a newborn and I will advise them that, once the baby starts teething, to get him a different toy. I intentionally made the head or rattle part a little more bulbous so that little mouths will not be able to get a purchase. Thanks again to everybody.
Wally
Wally
I like and use Osmo Top Oil finish. Food safe hardwax oil.
- Saliva-resistant and sweatproof, suitable for children’s toys
I thought the term “danish oil” referred to an oil with some sort of varnish/ film added. Am I mistaken? I agree with others that you don’t want a film finish.
Furniture Clinic boiled linseed oil is marketed as 100% linseed. Food safe with no additives. They boil it instead of using metallic dryers.
You can also go the grocery store and buy flaxseed oil. Food grade and pure, and the alternative name to linseed oil.
I'm thinking that the raw, food-grade flaxseed oil, since it has neither been heat nor chemically treated, will take even longer to cure than most versions of linseed oil.
Mike- I don't put much stock in any company's use of the term "Danish", it seems to mean something else to each of them. But your Furniture Clinic seems about the same as Tried and True Danish.
I've tried the raw flax oil but followed a video where they minimally processed it first. Mixed 50/50 with water in a glass jar, shaken vigorously, then left for the oil and water to separate in the sun. Some of the solids in the oil precipitated out. When I used it, it took weeks or even months to cure.
Right, raw linseed/flaxseed oil probably does take a while to fully cure. I know @Kalia Kliban uses it with much success. Maybe she can speak to her protocol?
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Yep, what Steve and Rick said - Like pure linseed oil, flaxseed oil can take several months to cure - Used to use it quite a bit on farm tools & implements, an oily rag laid out to dry took just over 4 months to cure completely to where the rag was hard as a rock.
Some light reading on the topic of linseed oil. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2024/03/03/the-lowdown-on-blo/
Another way to make your own oil/wax blend. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2021/07/12/cook-your-own-linseed-oil-wax-finish/
Another way to make your own oil/wax blend. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2021/07/12/cook-your-own-linseed-oil-wax-finish/
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I think Danish oil most often has varnish or other additives. Watco Danish oil certainly does. Tried and True Danish Oil is pure linseed oil with no additives. You have to read the label on pretty much any Danish oil to understand what else is in it.
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No finish will withstand a baby teething on it for long. I do not use a finish but use a Beall Buff system so they start out shiny.