Child-safe Tinted Stain

[lovesmyles]

Are there any tinted stains out there, or ways of tinting stains, that are child-safe? I really liked the array of colors that Minwax has, but understand they would not be safe for my 10 month-old. What, other than paint, would ya'll reccomend for color??

[wood-n-things]

It depends on the project but acrylic paints, food coloring, Rit dye, aniline dyes. I'm not sure why you think minwax stains are unsafe. Once they cure (24 hours or so) they are safe.

[lovesmyles]

I am talking about toys he would put in his mouth. About half the places I've found say if it's made in the USA it's safe if it's cured, the other half says no way. Not sure who to believe, so I thought the scroll-sawers would know. I want the wood grain to show, so I don't want to paint them. I read one place that food coloring doesn't have a binding agent, so it will forever bleed on things. Minwax smells like a chemical, don't see how that would be safe for my son to teeth on. But this is why I am asking the pros. Wouldn't mind fabricating my own "organic" stain/dye, but wanted to be absolutely sure there was no other options.

[wood-n-things]

So you don't necessarily want to change the color of the wood. You think a stain will perhaps seal the wood. Then the answer is shellac. Shellac is totally safe and organic used in foods and pills etc. use the search function to read about shellac on here. You are right food coloring may very well bleed but not if you dye the wood and then cover with....shellac...

[lovesmyles]

very cool. I've done as you suggested and have been reading about shellac... interesting stuff. Great info posted also. Sounds like just the thing to go over whatever I come up with to color the wood. Thanks!

[wood-n-things]

You are very welcome....BTW Acrylics are totally safe so long as they are manufactured in Canada or US.

[oily]

I've used unsweetened coolaid and instant coffee for stains and washes

[BobD]

If you're using shellac as a food safe finish, be sure to use pure ethanol to dissolve the shellac (not denatured alcohol). Denatured alcohol is ethanol treated to be poisonous...

Another easy finish is pure beeswax or carnuba wax...

Best Regards,
Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[Bill Wilson]

If you're using shellac as a food safe finish, be sure to use pure ethanol to dissolve the shellac (not denatured alcohol). Denatured alcohol is ethanol treated to be poisonous...

Another easy finish is pure beeswax or carnuba wax...

Best Regards,
Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

I think that would be more of a problem if you were to drink the shellac. Everything I've read indicates that once the alcohol has evaporated (which it does very quickly), it is not harmful. I believe the issue of the poisonous additives was a means of being able to use alcohol as a solvent without it being coming under the same restrictions for sale and use as pure ethanol, which is pure grain alcohol, which can be pretty harmful of ingested as well.

[BobD]

Intellectually, Bill, I can agree. That said, when I make things for my 21-month old, I use pure ethanol in the shellac, or, more often than not, just use beeswax.

Bob

[handibunny]

Before I used shellac flakes for woodworking, I mixed them with 190 proof grain alcohol for a completely nontoxic finish for my sugar paste decorations. Shellac is also used in commercial food products, like chocolate, for a shiny finish, since the flakes themselves are nontoxic. I started using the flakes because I wanted the lighter color that super blonde flakes give. Now, we use the flakes for the color, cut, and freshness, using regular denatured alcohol, since wood has replaced sugar paste.

I had to go to Connecticut to get the grain alcohol, since it's illegal in NY. I was told it's used for punch, by college students. Never tried it, never will, since my tolerance is about a 1/2 glass of wine.

[kamara]

What colors are you looking to color the toys? I would absolutely recommend Wood dyes for coloring. They will absorb into the wood grain instead of laying on the surface like the pigment stains, and are much more durable. There are some fairly inexpensive dye kits that I have recently posted about with the result pictures, but for sealing I would agree with Mike, Carol and Bob, Bees wax or shellac; shellac probably being more durable. Water based resin varnish can peel off if worked on with teething incisors that are pushing through the gums, and I wouldn't trust polyurethanes just because of the ingredients.

I have also heard that about Minwax stains and a few other canned stains, but since I have found Water-Dyes I have never touched a can of smelly stains ever since, but that is the finish that I like, others have different opinions.

Good Luck,

Kam

[Steve_S]

I've read the "Once they cure (24 hours or so) they are safe." many places on the web. But when you send most all of them an email, the companies to confirm that, they all refuse and actually tell you to not use for anything coming in contact with food or children.

An exception seems to be the milk paint people. See this website page and go down to "Safety".

I haven't actually used their dye yet.

Bob - This keeps coming up and interpretations made. Could the magazine contact each of the major paint/dye/stain vendors and get their official position on it?

Steve.