Salad Bowl Finish

Works perfectly for what I need it to do. Only issue with this finish is that it doesn't keep that well over the long haul. The more you use it and the less product there is in the can, the more air gets left inside and the finish will start to congeal. This only really becomes a bigger issue when you get down to about the last quarter of the can and it's not really a fault of the product.

had a hard time finding much info about this stuff, other than it being recommended for its 'food safe' rating, so i wanted to post something for others. i am no woodworker, just learning as i go, and happy to share what i've learned. i mostly just followed the directions on the can, with good results, but wanted to give a bit more detail about the process. bought the salad bowl finish to seal our new butcher block counter tops, and so far so good. can't speak to how well it will wear, but it looks and feels good to start. it is SUPER easy to apply- i used a shredded old t-shirt, and did multiple light coats, not trying to build up too much at once. worked out really well. for my practice revamp of an old salad bowl, i sanded with 1500 grit paper between coats (inherited it from a handy relative), and it turned out so glassy and smooth i almost couldn't believe it. for the counter tops, stained them a dark walnut to start (just the stain carried by the local hardware store, nothing fancy), let that sit for 24hrs, then applied the first coat of salad bowl. worked like a charm! hit the counter with a coat every six hours (or more)- used 4 coats for the piece not near the sink, will do more for near the sink (where there's likely to be more water contact). remember to do both sides- the wood can/ will warp more if only one side is sealed, esp if you live someplace humid. also, when i tried to apply the salad bowl before letting the stain set, the stain came off onto the rag, and the test piece ended up much lighter than it started (or than i wanted). when i gave the stain a chance to soak in, applying the salad bowl reddened the color a tiny bit, but otherwise the wood held its darkness, and no yellowing. using 320 or 400 grit paper LIGHTLY between coats seems to work very well, and produced a more natural sheen. if you want more gloss, this finish can get there, but with more coats and finer grade sanding between. the finished product looks really classy and high end, and feels really nice. i won't be cutting on it, but feel pretty good about being able to put food on it, and not worry too much about stains. good luck- i'm really happy with this product, and hope it lasts as well as it goes on. i would give 5 stars if there was more info about the product itself, and how to use it (# of coats rec'd, implications of using over stain, how to achieve different levels of gloss, etc), but no complaints so far on the product itself.

I got this and then let it sit on the shelf because I was afraid I would mess it all up. It was super easy to use. I used an old salad bowl for practice, because I figured it was in such bad shape I wouldn't feel bad about throwing it away. There was a big crack down one side. Not only did the Salad Bowl Finish bring back the beautiful finish of the wood, it sealed that crack. There is still a tiny little bit of the crack at the top edge, but my Salad Bowl is more beautiful than ever. I have made several salads in it. I love this Behlen salad bowl finish.

Apparently this stuff is safe to use on items that come in contact with food, so I used it on some wooden utensils after having stained them. Goes on very easy and seems to leave a hard surface. I put on 3 coats, just to be safe. It is a little shinier than I'd like, hence the 4 stars, but otherwise it is just fine.

Used it on a cutting board that was getting a little buggered up. Sanded it down and refinished with this product. Only problem being the amount left over. By the time I use it again, it will probably be too old to use. Wish it came in a smaller sized container.

This is a capable finish, but became unusable after just a few months. I minimized exposure to oxygen and stored it appropriately but, the second time I went to use it, it had an almost moldy appearance...as if the solids came out of suspension and binded.

Goes on smoothly either brush or spray dries quickly

Used this to season three cutting boards I made as Christmas gifts and it works great...the only problem is that its less than a month old and is already starting to harden in the can so the shelf life is a little short...thankfully it comes in a relatively small can...I suggest making all your projects first and then open the can because once you do it wont last long it seems..