Product
Finishes:
The preservation finish I use is totally
organic,
non-toxic & food safe. That
finish is produced by a company;
Tried
& True.
The following information was taken off their web site; "All Tried
& True Wood Finishes are completely plant derived from
sustainable
agricultural resources. Linseed oil is pressed from the seeds of the
flax plant whose fiber is used for making linen. The waste products are
used for animal feed. We also use beeswax, which is a by-product of
honey production, and natural varnish resin (hardened tree sap) which
is a traditional forest product. Linseed oil is a drying oil.
Polymerization is an internal process in the oil which changes the oil
from a liquid to a solid. After the impurities are removed, the oil is
processed to accelerate its drying properties, creating a polymerized
linseed oil.
No
petroleum distillates, or other solvents, or their derivatives are
added. No heavy metal driers are used.
The methods we employ are adapted from 18th to early 20th century
varnish making We combine quality control, current technology and
traditional formulations to enhance the inherent properties of this
natural resource. Tried & True Finishes are packed in
recyclable steel cans. Our products are
food safe
so these cans can go to recycling with your household products. The
labels are made from recycled paper and are easily removed for
recycling. All Tried & True Wood Finishes comply with the inner
most circle of product safety established by the FDA: "safe for food
contact surfaces"(FDA 21m Sec 175.300). Beeswax and natural
varnish
resin are FDA approved as
non-toxic
and non-allergic.
NON-HAZARDOUS. Our products, and or any of their ingredients, are not
regulated under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (Title 40)
or the EPA Resource and Recovery Act (Title 49). Our oils are
non-toxic
and non-inflammable. The use of these finishes in
commercial applications is not regulated by OSHA.
No
heavy metal driers.
These metallic salts of cobalt and manganese are a health risk to those
who manufacture them. In use they are considered a health risk only in
long term exposure.
Fume
Free-Zero VOC.
No
solvents or petroleum distillates
are present in Tried & True Wood Finishes. Therefore, there is
no
compromise in environmental impact, worker health and safety, or indoor
air quality".
http://www.triedandtruefinish.com/standards.htm
Adhesives
Used:
Although
I do very little gluing when making my kitchen utensils &
cutting
boards, I do occasionally laminate a board (glue two or more pieces of
wood together). When doing this I use: Titebond II Premium Wood Glue.
Taken from the Titebond Website. "It is the only leading brand,
one-part wood glue that passes the ANSI Type II water-resistance
specification. It is ideal for exterior woodworking projects, including
outdoor furniture, birdhouses, mailboxes, planters and picnic tables.Titebond II Premium
provides a strong initial tack, fast speed of set, superior strength
and excellent sand ability. It is FDA approved for indirect food
contact (cutting
boards) and is ideal for radio frequency (R-F) gluing
systems."
Woods Used:
At
the present time, I use primarily Mesquite Wood for all my projects. Mesquite
wood is very hard, making it a favorite for making furniture and
implements. It
is also used for decorative woodworking and wood turning.
It is highly desirable due to its dimensional stability, after being
fully cured. T
eak
and mahogany are equally ranked as the most stable hardwoods in the
world. The American Hardwood Association classifies mesquite as
"replenishable, rare and exotic." Mesquite is a very stable
wood
and when it shifts or moves, it doesn't buckle or split,
Long-lasting, it can withstand heavy weight and moisture changes.
Mesquite cutting boards used in commercial kitchens and washed
repeatedly in dishwashers retain their integrity for a lifetime with no
checking, splitting, or warping, No other hardwood offers mesquite's
wide range of color and grain. It varies in tone from lemon, honey, and
caramel, to burgundy and from straight grain to highly figured
including burled, quilted, bird's eye, and fiddle back. I use both
Sonora Mesquite and Argentine Mesquite. The Sonora Mesquite is
generally darker colored, while the Argentine Mesquite usually has a
slightly reddish hue. When I work with other woods, I only use
hardwoods; Maple, Cherry and Black Walnut. All are select
grade
and kiln dried.
Other Materials Used:
My turquoise comes from primarily the Cripple Creek Mine, in Colorado
and the Sleeping Beauty Mine, near Globe, Arizona. I buy it in crushed
form, but have to re-crush it down through two screening cycles to get
the proper size to inlay with. It is all totally “natural,”
meaning no treatment products have been added to
“stabilize” or enhance the gemstone. Cripple Creek
Turquoise color varies from blue-green to a true turquoise blue color
with brown matrix and sometimes with a golden limonite matrix. Not only
is it beautifully colored and figured it is also very hard for
turquoise with hardness of 6.7 to 7.7 on the MOHS scale. Sleeping
Beauty Turquoise is known for it’s even blue color with little
matrix and is highly prized by silversmiths. The inlay adhesive is a
epoxy type resin actually developed by the U.S. government in the
1960’s. It’s totally food safe and doesn’t shrink or
warp. Besides setting in the turquoise, the epoxy also aids in
protecting the turquoise so that it will stand up to the rigors of
daily use. After the final finish sanding, a non-toxic, food safe, bees
wax based varnish is hand rubbed on. This brings out the natural grain
and color of the wood, enhances the color of the turquoise and aids in
protecting and preserving the wood.