Waterbased or oilbased sealer??

[Isa]

Hello Everyone

I went to the wood store yesterday, and I bought the wood for the tort table (the dimension is going to be 6*3 and the wood we bought Aspen). My bf told the guy the sealer we bought the seal the wood, the guy told us it was not good and that it was not a sealer. He told us to buy a varnish kind of sealer non toxic, he told us they use it for baby furniture and that you can drink it (well not really but if you drink it it wont be dangerous) but it is not water based, it is oilbased and that it smelled a bit when you put it. The guy told us that if we put that, we wont need to put a tarp on the sides because after a couples of coats, it is super resistent. Does it matter if it is oilbased and non toxic or does it have to be water based?

Thanks

Isa

 

[Crazy1]

Isa, I am not an expert on this but I would think that if it is non toxic and made for baby furniture it would work well even being oil based. Just make sure you let it sit until any smell is gone, like maybe a week. Can you post the name so the more experienced can comment on the brand maybe.

 

[Isa]

Thanks a lot for your reply and all your help Robyn.

I dont remember the brand of the varnish. I will go back afterwork this evening and I will let you know.

Thanks

Isa

 

[old4x4]

Oil based will take a very long time for the odor to dissipate. I used a shellac for a sealer, then a water based polyurethane (brushes clean up with water). Make sure to give everything a week or so to really cure (outside, if you can, where the air is moving)

 

[Isa]

Thanks old4X4, nice setup by the way .

I am not sure if it is oil based or water based. I bought it yesterday. It is not even a sealer but the guy told me it was really good, it is a finish. The brand is BEHLEN, the name of the product is Salad bowl finish. On the bottle is says A non toxic food safe cured finish, this product contains FDA regulated ingredients complying with 21 cfr 175.300. Is it ok if I put a finish on the wood?? The guy told me that was the best product I could find.

I found a site that describe the product

http://www.woodfinishsupply.com/SaladBowl.html

If anyone has a comment, please let me know

Isa

 

[Crazy1]

Isa, as I have said, I am no expert on paint, sealers or anything for that matter, but after reading the site you posted, I would be hesitant to use this. I would be looking for a water based polyurethane. The “Salad Bowl” would work well on furniture your child may chew on, not something that may need to hold moisture over time. That is my concern. You Hermys enclosure will have dirt or substrate and be pottied in and possibly misted at times water from his food bowl will be spilled as he enters and exits and if you are like me sometimes you will spill when filling it up. If you chose to use this it will take some cure time. I would give it 1 to 2 weeks or more, even though it said 72 hours. As your little tort will be inside and if there are any fumes he will continually subjected to them. Just my opinion hopefully others will comment.

 

[Isa]

Hello Robyn

Thanks for the advice, I will go back to the store tonight and will exchange the product. I will get a polyurethane waterbased and put laminate on the side and on the bottom and use sillicone to glue the laminate to the wood. Maybe I will seal the laminate. The product seems not too bad but better to be safe than sorry. I want my little Hermy to be safe and happy in her new house .

Isa

 

[Jentortmom]

I used water based polyurathane on my enclosures, I placed 10 coats on the insides and bottoms and 5 coats or so on the outside, I place laminate floor squares on the bottom of each enclsoure for extra protection, and so far I have had no problems with water,

 

[Isa]

Thanks Jenn

I will put a sheet of laminate, in case Hermy wants to dig in. I will also put 8" of laminate on the sides (4" for the substract and 4" in case Hermy wants to escape and wants to dig in the wood on the sides). Did you put a coat of sealer on the laminate?

Thanks

Isa

 

[Isa]

I am going crazy here, I just went to home depot and they have the brand winmax but they dont have the waterbased polyrethane. I went to the wood store and the guy told me that if i dont want the salad bown product i should go with a natural oil (kind of sealer, non toxic, apparently you could drink it). There are no polyurethane waterbased in montreal, I cant believe it!!!!!!!

Should I go with the natural oil he wants me to buy?

Thanks

 

[Itort]

Ask him for what nontoxic sealer would he use on a boat.

 

[Isa]

Thanks Itort

I am going to go back to the wood store and ask him. He told me all the polyurethane were toxic when liquid. Does it have to say non toxic or just waterbased on the bottle. On the natural oil (he made me smell it and it is true that it does not smell like anything). I think I will go with the oil since i cant find anything else, at least it is natural and it wont hurt Hermy.

 

[Itort]

When we speak of curing, this is a process by which the sealing agent (oil or water based) is absorbed into the wood and the aeromatic properties are dispersed into the air (dryed). I think multicoats of polyurethane are your best bet. If the enclosure is constructed without any protusitions then your guy will not actually come in contact with the chemical ( when it dries, it is a hard plastic-like covering). The key is to let it cure well (at least a week).

 

[Isa]

Hello Larry

What should I do? Try to find a polyurethane waterbased but it wont matter if it does not say non toxic on the bottle?

Thanks

 

[Itort]

I don't think waterbased polyurethane exists. The oils in the poly dissapate during the curing process, leaveing you with a hard clear finish. I have been in many resturants and bars with this finish on the tables and it is almost bulletproof. It should seal your enclosure well and will not harm the tort. The key is to let it cure untill you don't smell anything. The salad bowl finish sounds very much like the process of using vegetable oil for preserving wood, it works well but is not waterproof.

 

[Isa]

Thanks Itort

I will see what I find at the stores ( I will go back to home depot and the wood store today).

Isa