Safe Finishes

[john]

Ivan:

Thanks for your support. I believe the claims of safe finishes by the manufacturers are generally correct and I don't normally worry about them, but as I attempted to point out there are exceptions in the population and they can be difficult to pick up on, even for someone like me who has experience with an allergy.

Peanut allergy seems to be the one most people are aware of but as you mentioned latex allergy is another that has become more advertised lately. My daughter is a nurse with that allergy so when she was praticing had to wear non-latex gloves purchased especially for her as the problem was not as well recognized then.

One of the problems with a milk (protein) allergy is that people usually mistake it with lactose intollerance so it gets downplayed when you mention it with respect to ingredients in food. Believe me people, it is not the same.

I can sympathize with your story about the doughnuts. One of the "safe" restaurant foods the kids could eat was Sushi. Just this past summer my granddaughter went to her favourite Sushi resturant and ended up in the hospital. It seems, that for some reason, the restaurant decided to add a cheese product to the Sushi. Strike one more eatery from the list of "safe houses".

All this to say as woodworkers we must be vigilant in the finishes and products we use, and as knowledgable as possible about end users and uses for which our projects are intended.

And now I will finally get off my soapbox.

John

[Ed in Tampa]

John,
thank you very much for the post. it made me think and pointed out that I had gotten less attentive to some of the "safe" claims than I want to be. after today's work day, you accomplished something that I didn't think possible.
much obliged.


Ed,

a former cow-orkers wife has the latex sensitivity severely enough that she can no longer perform most of the duties of her career - she is a nurse. she likely got sensitized by the latex dust/powder used to lubricate surgical/medical gloves. she can no longer go into any area of the hospital where powdered gloves are used (or any area downwind in the HVAC system). she cannot safely go into Sam's Club because the tires are racked next to the entrance. they have extreme difficulties buying new cars because of the latex plasticizers used in the seats and the dashboards (the stuff that leads to the white coatings on the inside of windshields). she can be around latex paint once it is well and truly dry. that level of dryness may take an application of heat in our humid climate unless one wants to wait a long time.

in terms of oils, I would never use a peanut oil finish on anything. one of my friends has the peanut sensitivity and has barely survived a few shock events. one of the worst (and most surprising that I heard about) was at a biker rally from eating donuts. it turned out that the closest donut shop to the rally had switched to frying the donuts in peanut oil because it was healthier for people.

Ivan

Ivan
I'm not sure the Mystic paint is latex. If you listen to the video the guy from Woodworker journal says latex but the demo'er kind of hesitated and then stumbling said it is water based. I don't know if it is latex or not. Before anyone writes this paint off as latex I think they need further research.

[kalynzoo]

I was very interested in the Mythic paint blog. Always like new and better. Reduced paint odor, fast dry time, all good. But using the word paint is like call a four wheeled vehicle a car...there is very little description. If anyone uses this product I'd love to hear how it covers, absorbs into the wood, can it be thinned to show grain. Like I said, lots of questions. Oh, does it come in pint cans? :confused:
First person to try it, please post.

[jimthej]

From question one of their FAQ:


1. What is Mythic Paint?
Mythic Paint is the only zero-VOC, zero-carcinogenic, premium quality line of latex paints available.


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