Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish common
to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including the neck.
The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem to
recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not something
you want to be in contact with for long periods of time. Obviously, this
would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and not for an end
table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
Behlen's Salad Bowl Finish is very similar to other oil finishs (Tung Oil
Finish, Danish Oil Finish) that is a blend of a drying oil (probably linseed
'cause it's cheaper, but could have tung oil also), some resins (varnish) and a
solvent (mineral spirits). As I remember, it has a moderate amount of resins and
can build up a significant (for oil finishes) surface film by applying 3 coats.
I haven't made a guitar, but I would guess the normal finish would be a lacquer,
which would be more durable than oil. But a good thing about renewing oil
finishes, is you just put on another coat!
--
JeffB
remove no.spam. to email
Doug Kanter wrote:
> OK....let's go in another direction, then. I won't hold anyone responsible
> for any disaster which might ensue from this. :-) I have a can of salad bowl
> finish in the cellar, from some company that starts with a "B". Whatever.
> Anyone wanna lay odds on how that might affect the BACK (not the fretboard)
> of a guitar neck, compared with tung oil?
>
> "JeffB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Pure Tung Oil is not toxic, and neither are most wood finishes. The
>>various solvents and driers added to finishes are why there are warnings
>>about toxicity on the labels. In general, after wood finishes have
>>_completely_ dried, they are non-toxic. For food surfaces or anything that
>>a child would chew on, it's good to be extra cautious.
>>
>>Of course, one could have allergic reactions to various ingredients in
>>finishes, or to certain woods for that matter.
>>--
>>JeffB
>>remove no.spam. to email
>>
>>Doug Kanter wrote:
>>
>>>Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish
>>>common to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including
>>>the neck. The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I
>>>seem to recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's
>>>not something you want to be in contact with for long periods of time.
>>>Obviously, this would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and
>>>not for an end table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
>>
>
>
Doug Kanter wrote:
> Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish
common
> to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including
the neck.
> The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem
to
> recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not
something
> you want to be in contact with for long periods of time. Obviously,
this
> would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and not for an
end
> table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
You can develop an allergy to almost anything.
Unless there were toxic materials added to it cured tung oil is
non-toxic. It may have had driers added to it, or other oils,
or it may have been an oil finish that didn't even have tung
oil in it. I've never seen "Tung Oil" for sale that didn't say
on the lable that it was 100% pure tung oil (contrary to what
a pipular book on wood finishes) but have seen "Tung Oil Finishes"
that said on the lable that they had other stuff in it.
But in general wood finsishes are all safe for handling after
they have cured.
The only wood finish I would be concerned about handling
after it was cured is Chinese Laquer. People who have
been sensitized to poison ivy can get contact dermatitis
from Chinese Laquer.
--
FF
Andy Dingley wrote:
> On 12 Apr 2005 13:28:06 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >The only wood finish I would be concerned about handling
> >after it was cured is Chinese Lacquer. People who have
> >been sensitized to poison ivy can get contact dermatitis
> >from Chinese Lacquer.
>
> "One final note on this subject is to clarify the mistaken idea
> that [urushiol] lacquer is still toxic after drying. This is not so.
> Once polymerized it is no longer toxic. Even when lacquer breaks down
> with exposure to light, the degradation products are not toxic."
>
> Marianne Webb, Lacquer: Technology and Conservation, =A7 1.7 p10,
> Butterworth Heinemann
> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0750644125/codesmiths-20>
>
>
> For specifically "Chinese" lacquer then this was often filled with
red
> vermillion (synthetic mercury sulphide). This is toxic, although not
> by contact dermatitis.
OK, but you can be alergic to lots of stuff that's non-toxic,
consider food alergies, for example. Contact dermatitis from
exposure to lacquer (I thought my spelling looked funny) among
Americans traveling in the Orient is well-documented. One
particularly (in)famous example is the entourage that went
with Nixon to China. Several people in the party had a reaction
to the lacquered toilet seats.
Aparently it is generally not a problem for most Chinese, only to
people who have previously had a reaction to poison ivy, (or poison
oak or poison sumac I would suppose). Maybe an immunologist
could explain it.
--=20
FF
Andy Dingley wrote:
> On 12 Apr 2005 18:13:25 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >One particularly (in)famous example is the entourage that went
> >with Nixon to China.
>
> You expect me to believe _Nixon_ ?
Would you REALLY want to see for yourself?
>
> >Several people in the party had a reaction
> >to the lacquered toilet seats.
>
> ...
--
FF
The Behlen's I had was tung-based.
"JeffB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Behlen's Salad Bowl Finish is very similar to other oil finishs (Tung Oil
> Finish, Danish Oil Finish) that is a blend of a drying oil (probably
linseed
> 'cause it's cheaper, but could have tung oil also), some resins (varnish)
and a
> solvent (mineral spirits). As I remember, it has a moderate amount of
resins and
> can build up a significant (for oil finishes) surface film by applying 3
coats.
>
> I haven't made a guitar, but I would guess the normal finish would be a
lacquer,
> which would be more durable than oil. But a good thing about renewing oil
> finishes, is you just put on another coat!
>
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Aparently it is generally not a problem for most Chinese, only to
people who have previously had a reaction to poison ivy, (or poison
oak or poison sumac I would suppose). Maybe an immunologist
could explain it.
Or, you might read some of the information available at
http://www.asthmacasestudies.org/
You have to have manufactured antibodies from a previous exposure to a
similar substance. This does not mean you had to have experienced anything
you'd recognize as a reaction.
As OSHA advises "Don't drink the Tung Oil'. <G>
--=20
PDQ
--
=20
"Doug Kanter" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
| Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish =
common=20
| to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including the =
neck.=20
| The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem to =
| recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not =
something=20
| you want to be in contact with for long periods of time. Obviously, =
this=20
| would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and not for an =
end=20
| table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?=20
|=20
|
Pure Tung Oil is not toxic, and neither are most wood finishes. The various
solvents and driers added to finishes are why there are warnings about toxicity
on the labels. In general, after wood finishes have _completely_ dried, they are
non-toxic. For food surfaces or anything that a child would chew on, it's good
to be extra cautious.
Of course, one could have allergic reactions to various ingredients in finishes,
or to certain woods for that matter.
--
JeffB
remove no.spam. to email
Doug Kanter wrote:
> Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish common
> to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including the neck.
> The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem to
> recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not something
> you want to be in contact with for long periods of time. Obviously, this
> would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and not for an end
> table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
>
>
Awww crap. I was gonna use it, with garlic & thyme & pepper, as a marinade
for grilled shrimp.
"PDQ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
As OSHA advises "Don't drink the Tung Oil'. <G>
--
PDQ
--
"Doug Kanter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish common
| to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including the
neck.
| The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem to
| recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not
something
| you want to be in contact with for long periods of time. Obviously, this
| would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and not for an end
| table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
|
|
OK....let's go in another direction, then. I won't hold anyone responsible
for any disaster which might ensue from this. :-) I have a can of salad bowl
finish in the cellar, from some company that starts with a "B". Whatever.
Anyone wanna lay odds on how that might affect the BACK (not the fretboard)
of a guitar neck, compared with tung oil?
"JeffB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Pure Tung Oil is not toxic, and neither are most wood finishes. The
> various solvents and driers added to finishes are why there are warnings
> about toxicity on the labels. In general, after wood finishes have
> _completely_ dried, they are non-toxic. For food surfaces or anything that
> a child would chew on, it's good to be extra cautious.
>
> Of course, one could have allergic reactions to various ingredients in
> finishes, or to certain woods for that matter.
> --
> JeffB
> remove no.spam. to email
>
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>> Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish
>> common to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including
>> the neck. The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I
>> seem to recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's
>> not something you want to be in contact with for long periods of time.
>> Obviously, this would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and
>> not for an end table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
>
Doug Kanter wrote:
> Just bought a bass guitar which does NOT have the high-gloss finish common
> to many electric guitars. It's got an oil-rubbed finish, including the
> neck. The manual suggests rubbing with tung oil occasionally. But, I seem
> to recall reading somewhere in the past few years that tung oil's not
> something you want to be in contact with for long periods of time.
> Obviously, this would be an issue for a salad bowl or cutting board, and
> not for an end table. But, anyone know about its safety level otherwise?
Well, the Real Milk Paint Company claims that their Pure Tung Oil is FDA
approved for food contact surfaces. Their MSDS says that a mild dermatitis
is possible with prolonged contact.
Now, there are a lot of finishes that are called "tung oil" that have quite
a lot besides tung oil in them.
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
On 12 Apr 2005 18:13:25 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>One particularly (in)famous example is the entourage that went
>with Nixon to China.
You expect me to believe _Nixon_ ?
>Several people in the party had a reaction
>to the lacquered toilet seats.
Good.
On 12 Apr 2005 13:28:06 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>The only wood finish I would be concerned about handling
>after it was cured is Chinese Laquer. People who have
>been sensitized to poison ivy can get contact dermatitis
>from Chinese Laquer.
"One final note on this subject is to clarify the mistaken idea
that [urushiol] lacquer is still toxic after drying. This is not so.
Once polymerized it is no longer toxic. Even when lacquer breaks down
with exposure to light, the degradation products are not toxic."
Marianne Webb, Lacquer: Technology and Conservation, § 1.7 p10,
Butterworth Heinemann
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0750644125/codesmiths-20>
For specifically "Chinese" lacquer then this was often filled with red
vermillion (synthetic mercury sulphide). This is toxic, although not
by contact dermatitis.