[TheForge] Finishes for food contact items

[David E. Smucker]

To me Beeswax mixtures (with no chemical dryers) do dry at room temperature 
but very slowly.  We have use on our timber frame home a material called 
Land Ark.  It is made of beeswax, tung oil, linseed oil, and citrus extract. 
Applied to wook this finish take a long time to "dry" -- about a month.  If 
wiped from the surface it is dry to the touch in several days.  Used on warm 
metal the finish is dry just like any beeswax blacksmith finish.  This 
"stuff" is a very user friendly finish.  As note above this finish has no 
chemical dryers added.

It is not cheap, and you would have to buy it direct but I have really like 
working with this material on both wood and metal if you are not in a hurry 
in the case of the wood use.    This is the website for more information.

http://www.universalweb.com/wood/index.html

Dave Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Finishes for food contact items


> The information I have (Merck Index) suggests that the carbon chains in
> beeswax are saturated - not unsaturated.
> The basis for oxidative drying in "drying oils" (i.e., unsaturated
> oils) is the oxygen-induced crosslinking of the double bonds
> (unsaturation).
> Lacking such unsaturation, it would seem to me that beeswax would not
> "dry".
> Drying, in this sense of the word, is the conversion of an oil to a
> polymer.
> Bruce
> NJ
>
>>>> bamablacksmith at comcast.net 10/12/2006 9:08 AM >>>
>
> The bees wax cooks on like the aforementioned oils. If you treat your
> item
> like you would cast iron cookware you shouldnt have any problem. I use
> the
> wax mainly because I have a bee keeper friend that gives it to me, and
> its
> easier to transport to demos and forge meetings. I keep a block in my
> tool
> bag at all times. As long as your not allowing your piece to get above
> the
> "cooking" temp of the wax.. (the temp at which it burns) it should be
> ok.
> Ive used it for years and never had a complaint.
>
> But as mentioned before you can use olive oil, and Ive used spray on
> PAM to
> the same effect.
>
> mike
>
>
>
> At 07:40 PM 10/11/2006, you wrote:
>>Thank you for your response Mike. An additional question, if I may.
>>Once the roaster is used by the end-user, perhaps even once over a
>>campfire or bbq, would I assume the wax would melt off? Even after
>>its use and washing by hand, won't the beeswax wear off and have to
>>be re-applied for fear of rusting? Beeswax to keep on-hand for the
>>average end-use consumer, may be difficult to find. This may be a
>>good solution to get the item initially out the door, but perhaps not
>>a returning customer.
>>---
>>On 11-Oct-06, at 7:25 PM, Mike Linn wrote:
>>
>>>I use bees wax.
>>>
>>>heat until wax smokes and spread all over. Buff with a cotton cloth
>>>and it looks great.
>>
>>
>>            Mike Linn
>>      Artist Blacksmith
>>          McCalla, AL
>>        AFC Webmaster
>>http://afc.abana-chapter.com
>>
>>______________________________________________________________________
>>
>>"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how
>>   close they were to success when they gave up. "
>>   ~ Thomas A. Edison
>>______________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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