I'm looking for safe finishes for my son's bed frame since he's likely to chew on it. I've read that pure tung oil, Danish oil, beeswax, and shellac could be good options. However, I have some reservations: shellac isn't waterproof, tung oil seems to take ages to dry and needs multiple coats, and I'm not sure about other options. If anyone has experience with these finishes and can offer some advice, I'd really appreciate it!
1 Answer
I’ve used tung oil before, and it actually dries pretty fast if you mix it with orange oil—it can be recoated in about 24 hours. While it takes a while to fully cure, you can use it after just a few days if you don’t mind some residual chemicals. But honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it for your son’s bed since shellac is a safer bet for kids. If it gets wet, you can easily reapply it. You might also want to check out Rubio hard wax oil; it's food-safe once cured and great for furniture. Just remember, most finishes are fine once they’re fully cured, so there’s usually less to worry about than you might think. If you're really focused on safety, stick with shellac or Rubio, since they have lower VOCs.
Thanks for the detailed info! I used Rubio before, but I didn’t know it was food-safe, so that's a relief. I just wish it wasn’t so pricey, especially for a kid's bed frame. I’m considering it since it only needs one coat and cures in about five days. But why wouldn’t you recommend tung oil? If it’s just as expensive, I might as well go with Rubio.