Rolling Pin Finish?

[Frank Kobilsek]

Got a quick question: Finish or not on a rolling pin? A co-worker gave me pictures from a catalog and asked me to turn a rolling pin and bisket cutter from maple for his daughter for graduation. The girl has her share of teen troubles and for some reason my wife and I are a couple of the few adults in the world she likes so I really need to do this. Picked up an appropriate piece of maple this week.

If I put a finish on it here are the choices in my shop that may be good choices:
Beewax stick
HUT lite wax (stick)
Mahoney Walnut oil
Mahoney Walnut oil wax, (paste)

I will probably turn these items tonight so your answers today would be wonderful
Frank

 

[Mark Mandell]

Frank,

Wax is a waste of time, it wears or washes off very quickly, and can spot and turn opaque with water, spoiling your nice work. If you want to get a little grain-pop, rub some mineral oil in and call it quits. Film finishes, even oils and polys will fail and peel, looking poor, in relatively short order. The mineral oil can be "renewed" with a wipe.

m

 

[Andy Coates]

foodsafe finish

Hello there,

the only finish I ever use for objects that will be used in food preparation or for eating from is oil...in this case, Walnut oil would be fine. You can of course use a wax finish on top but I would only use pure Bee's Wax unless the wax you choose is labled as foodsafe.

Hope this helps and good luck with what sounds like a worthy project. I hope the young lady enjoys them and puts them to good use for a long time to come.

Andy

 

[MichaelMouse]

Walnut oil would help keep moisture from soaking in without becoming a sticky like beeswax. The ultimate finish will be Crisco, of course. Can't get all of that off after a use.

Be sure and do a couple of water sets as you finish sanding to get the fuzzies off. They can hold a lot of flour or stick to the dough mechanically.

Ours have walnut oil, and the chief baker finds them useful. I do the big one, because if I want pierogi, I have to roll the tough dough. She does the smaller ones. With a moniker like yours, you might want to turn a pierogi cutter too. Be sure to vent it with a couple of holes so the dough drops out easily.

 

[pitchfork]

rollingspins

when I turn rolling pin I put 3 coats of SALAD BOWL FINISH on it I have had NO complaitns from those I have sold

 

[woodwish]

I've made a few as gifts, used walnut oil on some and mineral oil on others. Both seem to work. I know walnut oil is more food-safe than mineral oil, but mineral oil is more clear instead of yellow like walnut oil. Have also read about some people having allergic reactions to walnut oil, slthough I think it would be rare.

 

[Bill Boehme]

We have several rolling pins with no finish, but as MM said, Crisco will be the ultimate finish -- acquired, of course, from rolling dough! I also think that mineral oil would be good, but probably unnecessary except to provide a bit of moisture protection. I have not tried any of the other suggestions, so I can't comment on them other than to guess that they would also probably be fine. I suggest also printing up an instruction sheet on the care of the rolling pin -- such as "do not soak it in a sink of soapy water" and "do not use it to strum the head of any future husband".

Bill

 

[spinsdawood]

I use walnut oil and have had no complaints.
Jim

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

Delivered

The Rolling Pin and cutter are done and delivered to the Dad. He's happy. He has been showing it all over the office this morning. I used the Mahoney Walnut oil to wet sand and as a finish. Got fancy and put a couple inlaid rings of blue azurite on the handles. Graduations is two weeks away and we'll see what the 'grad' thinks then. Thanks for the advice.
Frank