How to make a teak table food safe
October 26, 2023 9:13 AM Subscribe
I am interested in buying a vintage teak dining table with very dry wood, like this. How can I refinish it to make it food-safe? I want it to be sealed enough to fill four conditions:
I'd like the table to be sealed well enough that:
- a warm coffee cup won't leave a heat ring (I won't put hot pots on it, but just normal coffee cups need to be ok)
- a wet drinking glass won't leave a water ring
- if something greasy like salad dressing drips on it, it won't stain
- it's safe to eat off of (we use plates, but also, we have kids).
And, the products need to be available in Canada.
Thanks for any advice!
I'd like the table to be sealed well enough that:
- a warm coffee cup won't leave a heat ring (I won't put hot pots on it, but just normal coffee cups need to be ok)
- a wet drinking glass won't leave a water ring
- if something greasy like salad dressing drips on it, it won't stain
- it's safe to eat off of (we use plates, but also, we have kids).
And, the products need to be available in Canada.
Thanks for any advice!
I've no experience yet but have bookmarked Waterlox Coatings Corporation for future projects. They ship to Canada via GlobalPost International. Delivery can take upwards of 2 weeks.
posted by tinker at 10:28 AM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by tinker at 10:28 AM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Waterlox original is great, that's what I put on our kitchen table and coffee table. The only thing that's stained it so far is when someone left a dripping bottle of nail polish remover after some craft project - regular water / oil / coffee cups are totally fine. In theory it can be spot touched up as well, so if you do have a nail polish accident you can fix it up. Semi-Gloss or Gloss are better finishes for that than satin though.
Application can be time consuming, but mostly because of the dry time. Each coat takes like 10 minutes to put on, but the better part of a day to dry. You'll need some place where it can sit out of the way for a few days, and it needs to be warm enough to dry so things like unheated garages are out.
posted by true at 10:40 AM on October 26, 2023
Application can be time consuming, but mostly because of the dry time. Each coat takes like 10 minutes to put on, but the better part of a day to dry. You'll need some place where it can sit out of the way for a few days, and it needs to be warm enough to dry so things like unheated garages are out.
posted by true at 10:40 AM on October 26, 2023
I’m sitting at an old Heywood Wakefield table I bought 25+ years ago at a thrift store, and that someone had clearly stripped in preparation for refinishing, but never got around to.
I never got around to it either, and though it has seen extremely hard daily use ever since, including food prep, all kinds of appliance repair projects, exposure to every liquid, solid, paste and colloid known to kitchen science and a few more, it is almost completely unmarred and looks more beautiful than ever after the rare occasions when I scrub it down with a stiff nylon bristle brush and completely additive free dish liquid.
He only thing which ever really stained it was a large, unlaquered cooper platter that sat on it for several days with water under it that I had failed to notice. That gave one side of it a bluish tinge I thought would be permanent, but even that faded within the year.
I’ve always thought my table (and the chairs) are red oak, but a quick look just now says most or all such tables were birch, and my table is not birch.
Teak has the reputation of being one of the most durable and stain resistant woods in the world because of an intrinsic oil — some WWII battleships had teak decks, for example, which are still in pretty good shape, I hear — and I scarcely think your table would be less likely to improve with age in the unfinished state than mine was.
posted by jamjam at 11:36 AM on October 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
I never got around to it either, and though it has seen extremely hard daily use ever since, including food prep, all kinds of appliance repair projects, exposure to every liquid, solid, paste and colloid known to kitchen science and a few more, it is almost completely unmarred and looks more beautiful than ever after the rare occasions when I scrub it down with a stiff nylon bristle brush and completely additive free dish liquid.
He only thing which ever really stained it was a large, unlaquered cooper platter that sat on it for several days with water under it that I had failed to notice. That gave one side of it a bluish tinge I thought would be permanent, but even that faded within the year.
I’ve always thought my table (and the chairs) are red oak, but a quick look just now says most or all such tables were birch, and my table is not birch.
Teak has the reputation of being one of the most durable and stain resistant woods in the world because of an intrinsic oil — some WWII battleships had teak decks, for example, which are still in pretty good shape, I hear — and I scarcely think your table would be less likely to improve with age in the unfinished state than mine was.
posted by jamjam at 11:36 AM on October 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
Vintage teak probably means the existing finish is danish oil or tung oil.
I’d use Rubio Monocoat personally, it’ll be more durable (contains a hardener) but retains the character of the original finish.
posted by supercres at 11:37 AM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’d use Rubio Monocoat personally, it’ll be more durable (contains a hardener) but retains the character of the original finish.
posted by supercres at 11:37 AM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Tung oil is often recommended.
Tried and True is polymerized linseed oil and beeswax.
Stumpy Nubs: Is any wood finish REALLY food-safe?
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:08 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Tried and True is polymerized linseed oil and beeswax.
Stumpy Nubs: Is any wood finish REALLY food-safe?
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:08 PM on October 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
> retains the character of the original finish.
Meant to add: most things mentioned here will do well with this, except polyurethane. Please don’t use polyurethane, especially water-based poly, on vintage furniture.
posted by supercres at 12:13 PM on October 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
Meant to add: most things mentioned here will do well with this, except polyurethane. Please don’t use polyurethane, especially water-based poly, on vintage furniture.
posted by supercres at 12:13 PM on October 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
I'd suggest Tried and True's "Varnish Oil" product. Follow the directions. No, really - follow the directions.
posted by Glomar response at 4:15 PM on October 26, 2023
posted by Glomar response at 4:15 PM on October 26, 2023
I'd personally use tung oil diluted with gum turpentine or limonene, about 1/3 tung oil. Once cured it's very durable and it buffs to a nice sheen. I have a beeswax and tung oil finish on our dining table and it works fine against all your criteria. Search for the lost arts press soft wax 2 recipe and use either linseed or tung oil if that appeals.
I'm not sure why you mentioned the dryness of the timber however it won't be especially dry due to its age - it will be at moisture equilibrium with its surroundings and will be if it's ten years old or a hundred.
posted by deadwax at 7:00 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure why you mentioned the dryness of the timber however it won't be especially dry due to its age - it will be at moisture equilibrium with its surroundings and will be if it's ten years old or a hundred.
posted by deadwax at 7:00 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of Osmo oil. It goes on beautifully and produces a really hardwearing finish. The top oil and chopping board oil (at the bottom of that page) are specifically designed to be food safe.
posted by matsho at 7:03 AM on October 27, 2023
posted by matsho at 7:03 AM on October 27, 2023
yeah poly will look like utter dogshit on this. If you have time and are really concerned about food safety you can use multiple coats of walnut oil as it will polymerize. I treat bowls and wooden utensils with walnut oil with nice results. You do have to be careful in dealing with the oil soaked rags in a similar manner to linseed soaked rags, they can spontaneously ignite if not disposed of properly.
posted by Ferreous at 8:48 AM on October 27, 2023
posted by Ferreous at 8:48 AM on October 27, 2023
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posted by pipeski at 9:48 AM on October 26, 2023