Care and Usage
Usage
Contrary
to common opinion, wooden bowls can be used for more than mere decorative
objects. Short of being used to serve hot liquids, there are many uses to which wooden
bowls can be put. Use as a salad bowl springs to mind, followed by serving
bread, fruit or other dry or semi-dry foods, candy, nuts and other table fare.
Just follow our recommendations with regard to cleaning and maintenance and
you can't go wrong. Naturally, some bowls are made in such a fashion or
from such materials that their use may be more limited. In these cases,
such limitations are readily apparent.
Care The next
questions which we most often hear relate to caring for wooden bowls.
In truth, bowls do not require either an inordinate amount of care or a
sophisticated and unusual regimen of care. Decorative bowls require only a minimal amount of
care. Simply dust them on a more or less regular basis and occasionally treat
them to a restoration of their wax finish. This is done by using a good
quality paste wax on a rag. Good quality is here defined as a paste wax
containing beeswax, carnauba wax or one of the newer microcrystalline
waxes. It should be noted that beeswax and carnauba wax are both edible so
can be also used on bowls which are used to serve foods. Other ingredients
in the wax formula may not be edible, so use caution and check the label for the
ingredient list. If unsure, ask the supplier or manufacturer for
assistance. Never use a spray wax which is not food safe or which
reacts with the finish. Apply
the paste wax in reasonably small quantities to the entire surface of the bowl
or other wooden ware. Spread uniformly and allow it to dry for about 15-20 minutes.
Then
vigorously buff the surface with a soft, lint-free cloth. That's all there
is to it!
On the other hand, if you are using one of our salad bowls,
some more intensive care is required. First wipe the dressing from the
bowl with paper towels. Then wash the bowl with lukewarm
water and some mild detergent. Rinse the bowl and dry thoroughly with a
soft cloth. If dried thoroughly, further care can be delayed until you
have time or feel that it is necessary to restore the wax finish as described above. Be particularly
careful when using bowls made of porous woods for salad use. Be sure to
remove the dressing thoroughly lest any remaining dressing turn rancid in the
pores of the wood. DO NOT put any wooden bowl in a dishwasher!
Finishes Wood is usually
finished with a myriad of more or less special products. Responsible woodturners strive to use finishes which are food-safe. It has been said
that any finish is foodsafe as long as it has thoroughly dried between coats and
after all coats have been applied. Wax not only serves as an additional
beautifying treatment but also as an additional barrier between the finish and
the food when the wax itself is food-safe (beeswax and/or carnauba).
Unless you know what the finish schedule used consisted of, better to be safe
than sorry. Common finishes include:
Edible Oils These include linseed oil, mineral
oil, walnut oil, and tung oil. Each of these oils in its natural state is
food safe. The problems occur when materials of various types are added to
cause the oil to dry. These range from simply
heating the oil to cause it to polymerize partially and so dry quickly.
Tung oil (the oil from an edible nut) and linseed oil (pressed from flaxseed)
are often so-treated. Mineral oil, a highly purified hydrocarbon mixture
and walnut oil are often used without any additional materials added.
These dry painfully slowly so are not often used. Often turpentine and/or
volatile hydrocarbons are used as driers. When these evaporate thoroughly
(assuming that no other driers are used), usually after 72 hours, the finish is
considered to be food-safe. If heavy metal driers are also used, it
should NOT be considered safe until several more days have passed.
Linseed Oil and Wax This is applied together,
usually only beeswax is applied while the oil is still wet. The wax and heat from
buffing cause the oil to dry and the mixture may be considered food-safe after
the usual drying period.
Shellac This finish consists of a mixture of
more or less equal parts of shellac (an edible natural product), alcohol and
linseed oil shaken together to form an emulsion and then applied with pressure
to the turning woodenware until it dries thoroughly. Ordinarily not used
on large turnings such as bowls. When carefully applied, this finish (also
known as French Polish) is stunning in appearance . Unfortunately it not a
very durable finish and is attacked by water and alcohol. Most useful on small
turnings not to be used for serving foods although it is food-safe.
Lacquer and Polyurethane These materials are not
mixed together. Each is applied in various ways but should only be used on
products not to be used for serving foods
Woods The vast majority of
turned articles are made of wood of one sort or another. Other materials
are also used in various though minimal quantities. All of the woods
that we use as well as others which comprise much of the working stock of woodturners,
are shown in the Gallery under the obvious title Woods. While not an
exhaustive list, we believe that it is fairly comprehensive. You will
find this gallery of woods useful when you wish to have something made to
order. There are many choices and each wood is accompanied by a brief
description of its characteristics. A list of references is also
provided, should you wish to explore the matter more completely.
