"Safe" finish option?

[clintfaas]

Okay, so this doesn't have to do with a duck call, but I wasn't sure where to put it.  I'm making a baby rattle for my son (due any day now!!)  What kind of finish can I use that would be safe for him?  Its oak wood and my calls are finished with Teak Oil.  Is this okay to use since when it dries it hardens and is no longer an "oil"?

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Congrats on your son!

Any finish that dries will be safe to use, including teak oil.  You'll want to consider that kids are going to put the item in their mouth repeatedly and they drool a lot.  An open grained wood is going to allow that drool to sit in the tiny open pockets of grain, and could lead to a mighty unsanitary condition in a hurry.  If you're going to use oak, I'd strongly recommend filling the grain somehow first.  Wet sanding with the teak oil would do it.  Let that dry, then give it at least a couple good coats. 

I have twin boys that are almost five years old and I quickly learned that clear coat finishes don't work with kids.  They ate the clear coat off of the crib rails, and managed to chew the CA and spar finishes off of the first duck calls I put in their mouths as toddlers.  Oil is a good choice.  I think I'd lean towards a tight grained wood like maple.  Of course avoid woods that are prone to causing allergic reactions with people (walnut and other nut-bearing trees, cocobolo and other exotics). 

[David @ Mad Duck Game Calls]

Like Aaron said any finish that dries will be safe. Another option would me mineral oil, I think that would be safe to chew on? Lol, congrats on your son!! 

[dogcatcher]

Shellac, a lot of shiny candies get their shine from shellac coatings.  My next choice would be mineral oil by itself or making a mineral oil and beeswax mix.  Not sure on the ratio between mineral oil and bees wax, but a bottle and a quarter cup of beeswax sounds about right.  Find instructions on the Internet.

Marvin

[Brent Winingear]

Go to any of the wood working catalogs and get "Salad Bowl Finish". It's food safe and non toxic. Congrats on your son!

[Henry H]

I would suggest tung oil, since it dries and hardens naturally.  Mineral oil is non-drying and evaporates over time (which is why, if you use it for butcher blocks or the like, you have to redo it periodically).  There have been a number of "scare articles" about ingesting mineral oil claiming it is carcinogenic, but I think most of those have been debunked (well, not really debunked, but clarified that low grade mineral oils may be carcinogenic but that the refined mineral oils in "food grade" mineral oils are probably ok).  Mineral oil might be good if your little one is suffering from constipation, though, as it was traditionally used as a laxative - I think this is no longer a common practice.

[Joe Short]

Any drying oil... I prefer Teak oil for most projects but BLO and a host of others including Tung oil (most brands are sort of a misnomer if you learn about the history of Tung oil) will do the trick. Just don't go with a non-drying oil unless you want it in your rugs and on your furniture. Rattles tend to get around the house. To follow on what Aaron said, porous woods welcome bacteria... unless you want to wash it and refinish it twice a week.

[wlain]

We had lead in the paint when we growing up, still here.

[Jared at Woodruff Outdoors]

We had lead in the paint when we growing up, still here.

Did you eat lead paint chips as a kid 

[wlain]

We had lead in the paint when we growing up, still here.

Did you eat lead paint chips as a kid 

Didn't we all?

[Henry H]

I did!  Explains a lot!!!

[majordog]

This is what I use on Baby rattles

http://answers.lowes.com/answers/0534/product/3153369/questions.htm

[dogcatcher]

This is what I use on Baby rattles

http://answers.lowes.com/answers/0534/product/3153369/questions.htm

It is mostly beeswax and mineral oil, unless you need a 16OZ can a block of beeswax at Hobby Lobby and a bottle of mineral oil at Walgreens will be cheaper.

Marvin

[Rick Howard]

Shellac would be my choice.

[majordog]

This is what I use on Baby rattles

http://answers.lowes.com/answers/0534/product/3153369/questions.htm

It is mostly beeswax and mineral oil, unless you need a 16OZ can a block of beeswax at Hobby Lobby and a bottle of mineral oil at Walgreens will be cheaper.

Marvin

Yeah.......but then I would have to nix it myself!!!!