Question:
Food grade stencil dye for wooden cutting board?
Cassie
2008-03-01 07:02:32 UTC
I have a hand made oval bread cutting board that my dad made when he was a kid. We have used it lovingly and much over the years, so it is well oiled. I now have it displayed on my kitchen wall, and am thinking that it might look nice with the word " Home" stenciled on it ( Dad likes the idea ) . Is there a vegetable based dye I can use to stencil it so that we can still put the board on the table for Thanksgiving, etc? I'd like to find something natural but that wouldnt wash off. I dont really want to sand the board as it looks beautifully aged. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Five answers:
Paula B
2008-03-01 08:11:02 UTC
You cannot dye a well-finished wood board. The oil will prevent dye from reaching into the wood.



If you sand off the finish, you can use food-grade dyes to color the wood. Since food dyes will not bind directly to cellulose, which is the material that both wood and cotton are made of, you will then have to seal the wood so that water cannot reach the dyes and cause them to run, blur, and wash out.



The only dyes which you can be sure are safe to use on food preparation surfaces are certified food colorings. Even non-toxic paints are not suitable for use on food preparation surfaces. "Non-toxic" on the label tells you that accidental ingestion will not cause death, but it does not imply that the paint is safe to eat.



The easiest form of food coloring to use would be markers that contained certified food dye. One brand that you can buy is called Food Doodlers. Use cautiously at first, dabbing the marker only lightly onto the sanded wood, to make sure that the color does not spread farther than you want it to. Test on scrap wood first.



A type of dye called solvent dye could be used on the oiled finish without sanding, but it is very definitely not safe to use on food serving surfaces.



An alternative would be to use a wood burning device. Practice a lot on less important pieces of wood before you even consider marking your prized heirloom.
2016-12-18 08:53:59 UTC
Food Grade Dye
katnib
2008-03-04 18:28:04 UTC
None of the veggie based dye will have any real longevity, But you can re-apply them. The blocks are a good idea too, and regular wood glue would hold them on well, and you can get non-toxic glues. Bakery supply or candy making stores should have the dyes. Hope this helps:-)
2017-01-25 18:51:52 UTC
1
oldtimer
2008-03-01 07:31:01 UTC
Just a thought. Don`t they hove finger paint for little kids that is harmless and washes off? All i can offer. Have a nice weekend.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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