Food varnish: types, composition, application features, varnish application technology and expert advice. Processing of wooden utensils Varnish for wooden utensils

Gaining popularity. This happens largely because it is environmentally friendly and has many advantages: it does not break, gives food a unique taste, keeps it warm for a long time, etc. This type utensils are also called cooper's utensils.

Wood for utensils

Many people are interested in what kind of wood wooden utensils are made from. It should be noted that different types are suitable:

for making glasses, mugs, shot glasses, it is better to use ash, hornbeam, oak and linden;
for barrels, linden and oak will be relevant;
Linden and aspen are suitable for spoons, and only the first type of wood for plates.

The most resistant to temperature influences are maple, cedar, bamboo, rowan and linden. However, in addition to the technical and operational properties, it is necessary to take into account the medicinal characteristics of wood. For example, oak has a beneficial effect on teeth, rowan ensures good blood circulation, and alder has calming properties. It should be noted that daily contact with such cooperage utensils will give a positive result.

Product coating and processing

The weak point of wood is its lack of resistance to chemical and temperature influences. For this reason, wooden utensils must be treated and coated with protective materials.

Food grade wooden utensils are processed different ways. The simplest of them is soaking in hot oil (it can be flaxseed or vegetable). Another way is to use a combination of oil and wax.

What do you use to cover wooden utensils? For this purpose, a special food varnish is used, which protects the painted surface from the effects of substances present in food products.

This varnish has a number of properties:

waterproof;
durability;
heat resistance;
coating strength;
resistance to infection by fungi and mold;
protection against cracking;
quick drying and lack of specific odor;
resistance to influence detergents and direct sunlight.

Thanks to this coating, the dishes last longer, because the varnish protects them from the negative effects of the external environment.

Painting cooper's ware

Question about painting wooden utensils ambiguous. As a rule, wood itself has beautiful color, therefore, in order to preserve its natural appearance, transparent coatings are used for processing, which include the above-mentioned food varnish.

Caring for wooden products

If you have cooperage in your home, you should adhere to certain rules storage and use of wooden utensils:

It cannot be washed in dishwasher, since there is a risk of damaging the surface.
Due to the sensitivity of wood to moisture, it is advisable to store dishes in dry places to avoid mold. Also be sure to dry and wipe the product after use.
For elimination unpleasant odors and for disinfection purposes can be wiped with an alcohol solution.
As time passes, cooper's ware darkens. In order to restore its original color, it is recommended to wipe the surface with hydrogen peroxide.

Sticking to these simple rules, you will extend the life of wooden utensils.

A simple thing you can apply is this sunflower oil, stain and varnish disappear immediately. For many, the question arises whether to heat or not to heat, but still to heat, although not to the point of high temperatures, due to oil burnout (bad burnt smell).

Soak a wooden spoon, leave it in the aisles for twenty minutes, then dry it, then after each use and washing of the dishes, wipe it with a napkin soaked in natural oil.

You can choose your own oil according to your tastes and preferences, for example, sea buckthorn oil or some other. But you need to know that after sea buckthorn oil, although the dishes take on an amber appearance, the oil quickly becomes discolored and the spoon takes on its previous appearance.

I once coated a spoon twice and sent it to a friend from Moscow. But when he sent me a photo, I was very surprised; the spoon was stained, and in some places there was no oil at all.

Linseed oil good remedy for covering wooden utensils. IN early times all wooden kitchen utensils only soaked in this way.

It is better to use artistic bleached paint; you can buy it at any art paint store. Application:

Do water bath, (take a pan of water and place a smaller container with oil in it, and lower the object into the oil);
After the bath, wipe the accessory clean, gradually cooling;

Dry in the sun and here's why

They do this to accelerate polymerization (ultraviolet helps this process). Wood treated in this way is more resistant to moisture and mechanical stress.

In a similar way, you can impregnate with sea buckthorn and any other, it all depends on performance characteristics kitchen utensils.

Now why is this necessary - oil impregnation

The main goal is to increase service life, the second is to eliminate unpleasant odors due to the wood surface absorbing everything that gets into the dishes. The oil prevents the item from scattering and blocks the formation of odors.

Wooden utensils have a long history. Before spoons and dishes began to be made of metal and plastic, our ancestors carved kitchen utensils from blocks of fruit and forest trees: linden, birch, oak, cherry, plum, juniper.

Modern people, tired of “artificial life,” began to return to the traditions and customs of the Russian people. Crockery and kitchen utensils from natural materials is gaining popularity, because holding a warm, “living” tree in your hands is much more pleasant than cold metal.

In order for such dishes to last a long life, they need to be treated. This is especially true for carved spoons, which are used more often than other products. And here it is important to know how to treat a wooden spoon for food so that it remains intact and your health does not suffer.

In our article we will talk about recipes for treating wooden spoons with hot oil and how to prepare mastic for waxing.

How to choose the right oil for processing and impregnation

There is no single correct answer to the question of what to soak a wooden spoon with. Different craftsmen, through trial and error, develop individual recipes and recommend this or that oil. The main rule is that the oil must be edible.

Benefits of oiling kitchen utensils:

Edible oil does not cause any harm to the body;
It has good waterproofing properties, closing even the most microscopic cracks in wood;
Does appearance products more attractive.

example of carved wooden spoons from our catalog (on the right covered with beeswax)

The most simple option can be refined sunflower oil, which is sold in any grocery store. If you are a beginner and just trying your hand at this - this option will be optimal. One of the most popular oils for processing wooden spoons is linseed. Even in the old days, all wooden utensils were impregnated with it. It is better to buy bleached flax oil, which is sold in art stores.

When the question arises of how to coat a wooden spoon so that it acquires beautiful shade, experts recommend sea buckthorn or pumpkin. But in general, any edible oil is suitable for impregnating a wooden spoon: olive, hemp, sesame, coconut, walnut and others.

What to coat and how to oil a wooden spoon for eating

Impregnation - there are two main ways(this process is often called how to paint a wooden spoon, although it is not actually painted):

Using only oil
Using a composition of oil and beeswax (mastic)

In the first method, it is soaked in a bowl of oil and left to warm up in a water bath. It is better to keep the temperature within 80 degrees Celsius without letting the oil boil. Turn the product over periodically so that there are no “dry” places left and oiling proceeds evenly. The first signs that the process has begun are air bubbles appearing on the surface of the wood. As soon as the air stops escaping, you can turn off the heat and let it cool naturally.

Take out the spoon and wrap it several times paper towel. When excess oil remains on the napkin, dry the product in the sun for 3-4 days. After this you can safely use it. If necessary, the procedure repeat several times. Flaxseed oil is an excellent antiseptic. Wood impregnated with it will no longer crack or become covered with mold or mildew.

Some craftsmen, in order to give the tree a pleasant smell, make tinctures from oil and medicinal herbs and roots. Such plants can be mint, dandelion, burdock, cinquefoil or elecampane roots. The plant is crushed, poured into a glass container, poured with oil and left for about two weeks, shaking daily. Then filter and store in a cool, dark place. Tannins, which are contained in plant roots, give the oil increased protective properties, which wooden surfaces only for the benefit.

In the second method, melted beeswax is added to the oil. Depending on the initial proportions, the result is either soft or hard mastic. It is better to treat soft woods with hard mastic, and hard woods with softer ones.

What varnish is used to coat wooden spoons?

If you plan to constantly use a wooden spoon for its intended purpose, then it is better to refrain from coating it with varnish. Over time, even the most expensive and high-quality varnish can crack due to temperature changes, and moisture entering the wood leads to its rotting. Oil treatment is considered the perfect way preserve and protect wooden utensils from environmental influences.

If you are lucky enough to buy wooden cutlery at a fair, or with your own hands , then, following the joy of new things, you will think about what and how to process wooden utensils for food?

Various types of stains and varnishes are no longer needed; they are not at all suitable for processing wooden cutlery, as they can be harmful to health.

In any undertaking, it is better to rely on the advice and recommendations of craftsmen for whom the procedure of impregnating wood products has already become “native”. In the process of mastering different methods, you will probably settle on the one that is most suitable for you, or you will be able to develop your own unique method.

No matter how the processing recipes differ among different craftsmen, two main impregnation methods can be distinguished:

Treating wooden utensils with oil (vegetable or linseed)
Impregnation of wood products with mastic (oil mixed with beeswax)

Vegetable or flaxseed?

If you are a beginner, you can soak your first wooden spoon or spatula with vegetable oil. Take better oil refined, it has less odor. But still, “experienced” craftsmen eventually switch to linen. It does not give a rancid taste, is better absorbed and is healthier. And if we look at our wise ancestors, they coated all wooden kitchen utensils with linseed oil.

Recipes for oil soaks with herbs

For the most sophisticated people who enjoy the constant search for something more, there are several recipes for oil infusions. They are made from different types medicinal herbs and roots:

Peppermint oil. Pre-dried mint needs to be ground well. The powder from dry leaves should be approximately 100g. Pour it into a glass bottle, add 0.5 liters of linseed oil, seal it and shake thoroughly. Let it sit for about 2 weeks. Don't forget to shake the infusion every day. Then we filter the resulting mint impregnation through cheesecloth.
Oil with dandelion roots, or with angelica roots. The preparation procedure is the same as in the first option with mint, but in this case the roots of the plants are finely chopped and poured in the proportion of 1 part root to 5 parts oil.
Collection of seven roots. This oil infusion is good for its strong concentration of tannins contained in plant roots. These substances remain in the oil, and when impregnated with wood, they perfectly strengthen its upper layers. We take burdock, dandelion, elecampane, cinquefoil, meadowsweet, and comfrey roots in equal proportions. The infusion process is exactly the same.

If you want to play a little with color, you can try different food vegetable oils. For example, pumpkin and sea buckthorn oil Gives a beautiful golden hue to a wood product.

How to oil a wooden product

It is better to take freshly pressed flaxseed oil from trusted sellers; if the technology is not followed, flaxseed oil may have a bitter taste and not a very pleasant smell.

The best solution is to heat the oil in a water bath. To do this, place the container with oil in a larger saucepan with water and put it on fire. There is no need to bring the oil to a boil; it is enough to heat it to a temperature of 60-65 C. When heated, the density of the oil decreases, and it is absorbed much better into the wood.

Dip a wooden spoon into the warm oil and wait until all the oxygen bubbles gradually leave the product. Take it out, wipe it with a dry cloth and put it out to dry in the sun. sunlight accelerates oil polymerization. In linseed oil, this process occurs at a natural level, unlike vegetable oil, to which a drier is added. A spoon or spatula dried in this way becomes very water resistant and will serve you for many years.

Impregnation with mastic

Before treating wooden utensils with mastic, make sure that the products are well dried. The mastic itself is made from a mixture of linseed oil and wax. The proportions here may be different, it all depends on how hard the mastic you need. For soft rocks more trees needed solid composition(2 parts oil to 1 part wax), for hardwoods a softer mastic (3 or 4 parts oil to 1 part wax).

Both ingredients are also cooked in a water bath until the wax is completely dissolved in the oil. After this, pour the composition into glass containers with a wide neck and let cool. The mastic is ready for use.

Before polishing with mastic, it is good to soak the wood product twice with oil. Remember to dry the spoon after each procedure. If the wood requires it, sand it with the finest sandpaper. After this, take a piece of felt and use it to rub your product with the prepared mastic.

Making wooden spoons is a simple and fascinating process that allows you to get in touch with the centuries-old traditions of decorative and applied arts. To create such products you will need a minimum of tools and materials. Making spoons with your own hands is great opportunity hone basic carving skills and get a better feel for how wood and carving tools behave. You can experiment with the shape and size of the spoon, as well as the design of its handle, creating a unique utensil that is not only decorative, but also functional.

In our material we will tell you in detail how to make a spoon with your own hands, introduce you to basic carving techniques and answer questions current issues concerning the manufacture of wooden utensils.

What are wooden spoons made of?

What kind of wood is best to carve wooden utensils from? This important question worries all novice carvers. For cutting spoons best fit blanks made from hard, but not splintered, hardwood - aspen, ash, maple, birch, elm, walnut, cherry or maple.

For beginner carvers It's better to use linden. This wood is softer and lighter, has a uniform density and is well planed in all directions. To gain experience and practice basic carving skills, this is the most suitable material. Among other things, linden products are not prone to warping and do not emit tannins.

Coniferous trees unsuitable for making spoons due to its high resin content and characteristic odor. Also avoid exotic tropical woods such as teak, which can be toxic.

You can use planks as a blank, or split the whole ridge deck into small logs. The first option is more practical, the second is more traditional. The orientation of the wood fibers in the workpiece determines the symmetry of the pattern of the spoon bowl as shown in the photo.

A set of basic tools

To make a wooden spoon with your own hands you will need a minimum set of simple tools:

Knife. For wood carving, it is better to use a Bogorodsk knife. Its double-sided sharpening makes it equally convenient to work both “pull” and “pull”, and the narrow nose makes it possible to cut wood along internal lines.
Spoon cutter (scraper). This is a chisel with a sharp bend, designed for scraping wood in recesses and working on the internal walls when carving dishes. An alternative to a spoon cutter can be a wide cranberry or a regular semicircular chisel.
Straight chisel– used for even cutting of solid wood from a workpiece.
Clamp– necessary for convenient fixation of a piece of wood.
File for roughing and sandpaper of various grits (320, 180 and 120 grit) for perfect polishing products.
Stichel– a thin steel cutter for creating decorative carvings on the handle.

How to Carve a Spoon from Wood: Step-by-Step Guide

Using the template, transfer the top and side view drawing onto wooden blank. Please note that the orientation of the wood fibers is longitudinal, in this case the spoon will have maximum strength.

Having fixed the workpiece with a clamp, proceed to roughly forming the bowl. For these purposes, a spoon cutter is used, but you can limit yourself to an ordinary semicircular chisel or a wide cranberry. Wood is sampled in the direction of the grain. When deepening the bowl, do not forget that you need to leave a small allowance in thickness for finishing trimming and sanding.

Hollow out the bowl on the workpiece rectangular shape much more convenient, since the piece of wood is rigidly fixed and maintains a stable position.

When the recess is formed, you can begin cutting off the excess mass in horizontal and vertical plane, following the top and side contour. To do this, it is most convenient to use a jigsaw or band saw, but if desired, you can perform all the manipulations with a straight chisel or hacksaw.

Using a Bogorodsk knife, cut off the convex part of the spoon. Using a wide chisel, we give the bowl a perfectly even, rounded shape. Using a knife and chisel we work out the shape of the handle.

Using a spoon cutter, trim the bowl cleanly and carefully align its edges as shown in the picture.

Grinding is carried out in two or three passes, each time reducing the grain size of the abrasive.

Advice!

When in contact with water, even a perfectly sanded surface can begin to fluff. The raised lint does not spoil the appearance of the spoon, but it does feel unpleasant in the mouth. Therefore, if you plan to use the utensils you made yourself for their intended purpose, you can solve this problem using the old proven method. After grinding, the spoon is wetted and thoroughly dried, passing again with a fine-grained abrasive. This procedure is repeated two to three times.

Our version of making a spoon is a more adapted technique. It is designed to use a modern tool, which, although it simplifies the work process, but at the same time removes centuries-old traditions carving art.

The secrets of primordially Russian carving of a wooden spoon - watch in the presented video:

How to cover a wooden spoon for eating?

The final touch to creating a wooden spoon is its treatment with a finishing compound. And here, as a rule, many questions arise. If you are cutting out a decorative spoon, then everything is simple: you can paint it, apply any varnish coating or treat with wax. With products that are planned to be used for their intended purpose, everything is more complicated. When choosing a composition for impregnation, it is important that it is practical and safe.

In the Russian tradition, wooden spoons were and continue to be used for processing. This impregnation is environmentally friendly, has antibacterial properties, emphasizes the texture of wood, and is easy to apply. But it will have to be updated periodically. At the same time, using raw material as finishing linseed oil, over time it may begin to impart an unpleasant rancid odor to food.

More practical solution is the use of special mineral oils for finishing wooden utensils. This impregnation gives the surface water-repellent properties, but does not form a film - the pores remain open and the wood continues to breathe. Mineral oils do not affect the taste of food and are more durable.

About practicality and food safety finishing compounds We talked in detail in our .