I agree with your recommendation about using food safe finishing oils, with the exception if you're making one for your mother in law, then a heavily used motor oil is recommended.
Hello! I realize that this video was produced 6 years ago, but as a new turner (68 years old and 3 months on a lathe), I appreciate the details of your video. I got started with a 50 year old lathe that I found at a yard sale (I don't believe that it translates to "Boot Sale," but it is close), that I purchased for $50. There are no clubs or professional shops within a couple hundred miles of where I live, so 99.99% of my training is videos like yours and un-supervised playing on the lathe. Thank you again for the detailed video!!
Have you thought of making a play list of these beginner videos? I'm trying to get my sister hooked on woodturning and a play list might help catch her interest more easily.
New follower. Well done and I mostly use mineral oil because it is 100% food as it’s sold in the US as a laxative. Tung and linseed oils are also 100% food safe when completely dried. Boiled linseed oil is not.
Thank you Martin for this video I am looking forward to having a go at making rollingpin as it will be a great present for a friend of my wife who loves cooking. I am very pleased to see you are lefty like myself so your videos will be easier for me to learn from. Paul
Cheers again, Paul. As lefties, we need to learn to turn right handed straight from very first time on the lathe, and the rest kinda comes naturally, I find. Righties I think have a more difficult time of it.
Nice piece Martin. I agree with you on the continued arguments on what people use as food safe finishes. I am sure that this will be discussed long after we are gone. There are some projects that you can use various types of finishes but they are usually furniture or counter tops,etc. These situations are where there is no direct contact consumable goods. The way I was taught was that if you won't use it to prepare what you eat then don't use it. I've done it that way and my kids, nor I, have ever been sick. Keep it up man. Love the lessons.
I would be lying if I would say that I never turn those "beginner" projects for fun and practice, and even by need (the last I turned was a stick on a stick to help me create the most delicious of creps for me and the family) every once in awhile :) nothing wrong with a little back to basics ;) You just keep educating the "young"!! Yuval.
+Martin Saban-Smith whoops i already am turning a 400mmx90mm plywood piece to test with, slow and steady wins the race seems to be my logic with it, so far so good.
A great project again, thanks Martin! and also excellent for those who don't have a chuck yet. Love the close-up section at 5:18 of you using the parting tool, I find that really helpful.
I enjoyed the video and just might make that my FIRST project. I have just bought a chuck for an old lathe I have and I am going to try to learn how to turn in the next couple of weeks. You are a great teacher and thank you for sharing your talent. God Bless my friend.
Really enjoyed this project Martin. Each step well explained & filmed. I'm enjoying this series due to being out of the shop for the past year (health issues) & am seriously rusty !! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. Regards ...... Geof Harris
Great video Martin, very well explained and filmed, and the rolling pin looks a treat mate. I personally wholeheartedly agree with you regarding the food safe topic, if in doubt use a finish that clearly states "Food safe", then there is no comeback or possible nasty reaction. Cheers Mike
Great tutorial! Im just getting started in turning. Ive been watching a lot of videos to get the feel of it. I have some Arkansas black walnut from my uncles farm and I hope to turn several rolling pins for my children as they make great heirlooms. Thanks again.
Hi Kent. Thanks for watching. I'm sure your pins will be handed down for years to come. I hope you fall complete in love with turning and pass on your knowledge to others.
Great video! I will be using this as an intro to my Middle School and High School Wood Shop classes. We will attempt to make our own rolling pins. I agree with your opinion on food grade oil.
Another great video for beginners. Clear and precise descriptions on all points. Well done...as usual. The only thing I might have added is to mention not to move the tool rest while the lathe is running. Not a big problem for the experienced turner but beginners should at least know of the potential danger.
Great project Martin! I recently made a bowl and my wife wanted it to be food safe. I happened to have some mineral oil that worked out quite well, producing a nice satin finish on the maple bowl. After all, you can drink mineral oil, so I figured it would be safe to put on the bowl! Rich
Thank you your insight on food safe is on target if it is made by someone else they have to be able to prove its food safe. One of my favorite food safe stains is expresso coffee without sugar, I guess you could use tea for a lighter shade. At home we use vegetable oil for cutting boards and knife handles but this needs to be cleaned off once in a while as it can spoil.
really nice rolling pin. as predicted, lots of comments about the finish issue. I agree foodsafe finishes are important; i think sometimes the argument does get out of hand... I used to use predominately a butcherblock finish on my bowls, topped with a layer of carnuba wax to give them a bit of shine. (carnauba is used in many food-finishes, like on candies like M&Ms, gumballs and such) But in looking more closely, i discovered my butcher-block finish contained mineral oil (it's a name-brand product...) while "safe", I just didn't like that idea, as mineral oil doesn't really harden and requires periodic "refreshing". After I looked at various other finishes, and came across Walnut oil. I still top it over with carnauba just to give it a bit more shine to it. It's been holding up quite well. While it does darken pale woods slightly, i find it brings out the grain nicely as well.....
I like your video mostly because you talked during the video and explained what you were doing and why you were doing it. One question when you say food safe oil What product did you use?
Beautiful video, Martin. Smile, then it may indeed go "jaw, jaw, cake, ......." (Children's song in Germany) Or for a "Mafia cake" (Pizza) The rolling pin looks great.
Thanks, David. The only other wood I'd suggest would be beech. Both sycamore and beech are very safe for this type of application. Their grain is very tight. Cherry is temperamental and can be prone to splitting. Never turned maple and elm has open(ish) grain.
If you keep on turning culinary objects, eventually you will end up having to use them :) So keep at it, now you need a big wooden spoon, some wooden coasters, a honey dipper, and a few other things :)
Hi, love your videos, they are very informative and you are, obviously, a very good turner. Just a question, I have heard that yew is poisonous, some say very and others say not. I have a branch of yew and would like your opinion as to whether it can be used to make kitchen utensils, please?
Hi. Thanks for watching and your kind comments. In my opinion, Yew is best left for decorative pieces. There is a turner in hospital at the moment (he posted on Facebook) with Yew poisoning. All the Yew tree is poisonous, and effects people in different ways it appears. You should always work it wearing appropriate PPE (Face and dust mask etc) to look after yourself!
Great project Martin. Got to say that a 3" rolling pin is rather big. You covered some of the questions I was thinking of before you even started. My first question was going to be what wood is non toxic to use for food projects. After a little searching I came up with this if anyone is interested. www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/ The next question was about what safe finishes can be used. Well as you said it can be a big debate so looking for food safe on the packaging would certainly be a must for me to.It would have been nice to see the parting off etc. just to finish the video, something ideal for us beginners.
Great video Martin. I live in Canada and have a question about methylated spirits or denatured alcohol. I have asked for denatured alcohol in both our local hardware stores and the big box stores and come up with zero. I tried to Google the definition of denatured alcohol and get anything from lighter fluid to acetone. What is the proper English name for this product? Should also apply in Canada. Regards, Herms
Thanks for asking, Mike. Hampshire Sheen has a food safe Danish Oil here in the UK (only), but most people will use a mineral oil, or almost anything else, so I've seen. However, my advice would be to only use a certified food safe finish for items that will come into contact with non-wrapped food. Hope that helps, Martin
Hi John. Nope. Never use olive oil. It has been known to go rancid after a while. You're better off using a mineral oil for a long lasting foodsafe finish - and make sure it says Foodsafe on the bottle!
+Gary Harris Oak and other open pore woods aren't the best for a purpose like this as it's too easy to get flour and such stuck in the pores and have it go rancid. You usually want a real closed grain wood for this type of application.
+Gary Harris Also, on the tung oil. Be sure to read the ingredients as most things labeled as that don't actually have any tung oil in them and have petroleum distillates as the majority of the contents.
Martin, great video...a project I will have to try. What food safe oil did you use? I really liked the finish that it gave.....it didn't change the color of the wood.
Not very often, but I would if there was nothing else available. Both are softwoods and not that good for turning generally. Cedar is nice - smells awesome. Monkey Puzzle is a pain but lovely when done.
The "food safe" debate rages here in the U.S. also. Behlen's Butcher Block Oil is surely safe, as is straight mineral oil from the apothecary. I personally use Walnut oil from the grocers. Nut oils tend not to go rancid as salad oils and other vegetable oils do.
I noticed that you repeatedly say "set the tool bar perpendicular to the bed" when what you're actually doing is setting it parallel. Is this just a British custom of language or are you perhaps misspeaking? I can understand the use of "square up" to be correct because it intrinsically includes mutually perpendicular directions but when you explicitly say perpendicular when parallel seems more correct it raises the question. Great videos for getting through the days of "pandemic lockdown".
Great video Martin. I have a question about food safe oils ... what do you personally use? I recently made a coffee tamper that I finished with an oil that my friend uses when he makes end grain cutting boards and butchers blocks for sale, but he didn't say what it was. All I know is that it smells like oranges! Also, would I be right in assuming that your Hampshire Sheen is not foodsafe? Thanks again for sharing :-)
It has been known to go rancid after a while. You're better off using a mineral oil for a long lasting foodsafe finish - and make sure it says Foodsafe on the bottle!
Not sure why anyone is focusing so much on the particular diameter of the pin , talk to any number of cooks and I imagine you will get as many opinions on the right size of pin akin to asking woodworkers on sharpening techniques /dovetail pins or tails etc etc , use what you have and enjoy the food that comes from your efforts!
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Hyezmar is giving his collection of woodworking plans on his website. If I'm not mistaken there’s an excellent alternative for this project!
Mineral oil does not say it is food safe, b ut used as a laxative. Walnut oil is food safe, but many folks have nut allergies. So, your comments about food safe, are not necessary.
Is it unnecessary? Do you know why a walnut oil can be food safe, but another, not be food safe? Did you also know that food grade mineral oil is also used as a lubricant in food processing machines as well as a wood finish? And, yes I did know that mineral oil can make you poop like a horse, but that doesn't stop it from having alternative uses.
I was viewing different RUclips video on turning a rolling pin. I found your video was pleasure to watch and understand.
Great! Your rolling pain is just what I had in mind.
I agree with your recommendation about using food safe finishing oils, with the exception if you're making one for your mother in law, then a heavily used motor oil is recommended.
Genius
lol
lmao
Just found your site today. It is June 23rd 2023. Great videos: thanks.
Hello! I realize that this video was produced 6 years ago, but as a new turner (68 years old and 3 months on a lathe), I appreciate the details of your video. I got started with a 50 year old lathe that I found at a yard sale (I don't believe that it translates to "Boot Sale," but it is close), that I purchased for $50. There are no clubs or professional shops within a couple hundred miles of where I live, so 99.99% of my training is videos like yours and un-supervised playing on the lathe. Thank you again for the detailed video!!
Thank you. As a elderly beginner very useful. Chris
Nice easy to follow instructions.
I'm just starting to learn the tool skills and operations before I start on items
Have you thought of making a play list of these beginner videos? I'm trying to get my sister hooked on woodturning and a play list might help catch her interest more easily.
New follower. Well done and I mostly use mineral oil because it is 100% food as it’s sold in the US as a laxative. Tung and linseed oils are also 100% food safe when completely dried. Boiled linseed oil is not.
Thank you, i am 13 and i would like to try this. your video was simple to follow. Cant wait to try it
Thank you Martin for this video I am looking forward to having a go at making rollingpin as it will be a great present for a friend of my wife who loves cooking. I am very pleased to see you are lefty like myself so your videos will be easier for me to learn from. Paul
Cheers again, Paul. As lefties, we need to learn to turn right handed straight from very first time on the lathe, and the rest kinda comes naturally, I find. Righties I think have a more difficult time of it.
1946 is my birth year. I am retired and was looking for a hobby. Thank you so much!
Nice piece Martin. I agree with you on the continued arguments on what people use as food safe finishes. I am sure that this will be discussed long after we are gone. There are some projects that you can use various types of finishes but they are usually furniture or counter tops,etc. These situations are where there is no direct contact consumable goods. The way I was taught was that if you won't use it to prepare what you eat then don't use it. I've done it that way and my kids, nor I, have ever been sick. Keep it up man. Love the lessons.
Going to make this on Friday. Thanks
Fantastic!
I would be lying if I would say that I never turn those "beginner" projects for fun and practice, and even by need (the last I turned was a stick on a stick to help me create the most delicious of creps for me and the family) every once in awhile :) nothing wrong with a little back to basics ;) You just keep educating the "young"!!
Yuval.
i only got a lathe last week and was thinking of doing some of your beginner projects, this seems like a good one to start with
+Martin Saban-Smith whoops i already am turning a 400mmx90mm plywood piece to test with, slow and steady wins the race seems to be my logic with it, so far so good.
A great project again, thanks Martin! and also excellent for those who don't have a chuck yet.
Love the close-up section at 5:18 of you using the parting tool, I find that really helpful.
I enjoyed the video and just might make that my FIRST project. I have just bought a chuck for an old lathe I have and I am going to try to learn how to turn in the next couple of weeks. You are a great teacher and thank you for sharing your talent.
God Bless my friend.
Really enjoyed this project Martin. Each step well explained & filmed. I'm enjoying this series due to being out of the shop for the past year (health issues) & am seriously rusty !! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
Regards ...... Geof Harris
Great video Martin, very well explained and filmed, and the rolling pin looks a treat mate. I personally wholeheartedly agree with you regarding the food safe topic, if in doubt use a finish that clearly states "Food safe", then there is no comeback or possible nasty reaction.
Cheers
Mike
Great tutorial! Im just getting started in turning. Ive been watching a lot of videos to get the feel of it. I have some Arkansas black walnut from my uncles farm and I hope to turn several rolling pins for my children as they make great heirlooms. Thanks again.
Hi Kent. Thanks for watching. I'm sure your pins will be handed down for years to come. I hope you fall complete in love with turning and pass on your knowledge to others.
Very nice thank you great video what wood material would be best for rolling pins
Gorgeous item for the kitchen. The wife will be pleased. Like!
Great video! I will be using this as an intro to my Middle School and High School Wood Shop classes. We will attempt to make our own rolling pins. I agree with your opinion on food grade oil.
Great to see. Just bought a lathe
Another great video for beginners. Clear and precise descriptions on all points. Well done...as usual. The only thing I might have added is to mention not to move the tool rest while the lathe is running. Not a big problem for the experienced turner but beginners should at least know of the potential danger.
hi Martin, great video mate, I like your comment on food safe finishes, take care, Brian.
Great project Martin! I recently made a bowl and my wife wanted it to be food safe. I happened to have some mineral oil that worked out quite well, producing a nice satin finish on the maple bowl. After all, you can drink mineral oil, so I figured it would be safe to put on the bowl! Rich
just started turning, your videos have been extremely helpful! thx Todd
Why not use olive oil? Good video, straightforward and helpful. 👍🏽
I like to use a product called Butcher Block it's food safe and I usually only need 1 coat.
Very cool! I just got a load of maple spindles that are perfect for this project!
Thanks for the videos. As a new turner they help a lot!
Thanks, Billy. You're very welcome. I'm pleased you are enjoying them
Thanks for the video that is one more project to add to the list, still have not done the dibber this weekend I hope to catch up.
Thank you your insight on food safe is on target if it is made by someone else they have to be able to prove its food safe. One of my favorite food safe stains is expresso coffee without sugar, I guess you could use tea for a lighter shade. At home we use vegetable oil for cutting boards and knife handles but this needs to be cleaned off once in a while as it can spoil.
Excellent video! Nicely presented.
Thanks for sharing
Very Nice Martin, Just ordered a Nova 1624-44 can,t wait to get it.Peace and Happy New Year
really nice rolling pin. as predicted, lots of comments about the finish issue. I agree foodsafe finishes are important; i think sometimes the argument does get out of hand...
I used to use predominately a butcherblock finish on my bowls, topped with a layer of carnuba wax to give them a bit of shine. (carnauba is used in many food-finishes, like on candies like M&Ms, gumballs and such) But in looking more closely, i discovered my butcher-block finish contained mineral oil (it's a name-brand product...) while "safe", I just didn't like that idea, as mineral oil doesn't really harden and requires periodic "refreshing".
After I looked at various other finishes, and came across Walnut oil. I still top it over with carnauba just to give it a bit more shine to it. It's been holding up quite well. While it does darken pale woods slightly, i find it brings out the grain nicely as well.....
I like your video mostly because you talked during the video and explained what you were doing and why you were doing it. One question when you say food safe oil What product did you use?
Beautiful video, Martin.
Smile, then it may indeed go "jaw, jaw, cake, ......." (Children's song in Germany)
Or for a "Mafia cake" (Pizza)
The rolling pin looks great.
Would you recommend a different kind of wood to use for a rolling pin. Maybe Elm, Mulberry, Cherry. maybe.
Thanks, David. The only other wood I'd suggest would be beech. Both sycamore and beech are very safe for this type of application. Their grain is very tight. Cherry is temperamental and can be prone to splitting. Never turned maple and elm has open(ish) grain.
Thank you
Thanks, this is very useful for this beginner. I'll go along with your food safe advice!
I agree with the oil choice. You need to be careful with sycamore. it is irritating to many people. I love the grain, but the dust is killer!
Hi Martin! Great project my friend! Nice looking rolling pin, now you have to bake something! And do the video! Cheers! Daniel
If you keep on turning culinary objects, eventually you will end up having to use them :) So keep at it, now you need a big wooden spoon, some wooden coasters, a honey dipper, and a few other things :)
Thank you Martin,
I think this will help.
Regards,
Herms
Thank you, is great to see how is done ‼️
Intueresting little project, thank you
can i put a on coloring be for the foodsafe oil
Hi, love your videos, they are very informative and you are, obviously, a very good turner.
Just a question, I have heard that yew is poisonous, some say very and others say not. I have a branch of yew and would like your opinion as to whether it can be used to make kitchen utensils, please?
Hi. Thanks for watching and your kind comments.
In my opinion, Yew is best left for decorative pieces. There is a turner in hospital at the moment (he posted on Facebook) with Yew poisoning.
All the Yew tree is poisonous, and effects people in different ways it appears.
You should always work it wearing appropriate PPE (Face and dust mask etc) to look after yourself!
Thanks! Keep up the good work
I think that you are exactly right. Food safe should be on the label.
Another great project Martin. Do you simply use the purple meths or do you source the white?
Great project Martin. Got to say that a 3" rolling pin is rather big. You covered some of the questions I was thinking of before you even started. My first question was going to be what wood is non toxic to use for food projects. After a little searching I came up with this if anyone is interested. www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/ The next question was about what safe finishes can be used. Well as you said it can be a big debate so looking for food safe on the packaging would certainly be a must for me to.It would have been nice to see the parting off etc. just to finish the video, something ideal for us beginners.
Great video Martin. I live in Canada and have a question about methylated spirits or denatured alcohol. I have asked for denatured alcohol in both our local hardware stores and the big box stores and come up with zero. I tried to Google the definition of denatured alcohol and get anything from lighter fluid to acetone.
What is the proper English name for this product? Should also apply in Canada.
Regards,
Herms
Great video, and a cool guy.
Beautiful
Hi Bert. Thank you. I still have this somewhere in the kitchen. All the best for Christmas.
What would you recommend for a brand for food safe oil? Thanks
Thanks for asking, Mike. Hampshire Sheen has a food safe Danish Oil here in the UK (only), but most people will use a mineral oil, or almost anything else, so I've seen. However, my advice would be to only use a certified food safe finish for items that will come into contact with non-wrapped food.
Hope that helps,
Martin
Do you ever use plain ol olive oil for a finishing oil?
Hi John. Nope. Never use olive oil. It has been known to go rancid after a while. You're better off using a mineral oil for a long lasting foodsafe finish - and make sure it says Foodsafe on the bottle!
Hi Martin , can I use tung oil to finish for food safe items also what about oak to make a rolling pin , great video many Thanks Gary
+Gary Harris Oak and other open pore woods aren't the best for a purpose like this as it's too easy to get flour and such stuck in the pores and have it go rancid. You usually want a real closed grain wood for this type of application.
+Gary Harris Also, on the tung oil. Be sure to read the ingredients as most things labeled as that don't actually have any tung oil in them and have petroleum distillates as the majority of the contents.
nice job martin thank's john.
Martin, great video...a project I will have to try. What food safe oil did you use? I really liked the finish that it gave.....it didn't change the color of the wood.
Great work. Thanks
Would you use Pine or fir?
Not very often, but I would if there was nothing else available. Both are softwoods and not that good for turning generally. Cedar is nice - smells awesome. Monkey Puzzle is a pain but lovely when done.
The "food safe" debate rages here in the U.S. also. Behlen's Butcher Block Oil is surely safe, as is straight mineral oil from the apothecary. I personally use Walnut oil from the grocers. Nut oils tend not to go rancid as salad oils and other vegetable oils do.
That was really fun thank-you.
I noticed that you repeatedly say "set the tool bar perpendicular to the bed" when what you're actually doing is setting it parallel. Is this just a British custom of language or are you perhaps misspeaking? I can understand the use of "square up" to be correct because it intrinsically includes mutually perpendicular directions but when you explicitly say perpendicular when parallel seems more correct it raises the question. Great videos for getting through the days of "pandemic lockdown".
Good project another one is a honey dipper
Great video Martin. I have a question about food safe oils ... what do you personally use? I recently made a coffee tamper that I finished with an oil that my friend uses when he makes end grain cutting boards and butchers blocks for sale, but he didn't say what it was. All I know is that it smells like oranges! Also, would I be right in assuming that your Hampshire Sheen is not foodsafe?
Thanks again for sharing :-)
why don't people use olive oil food safe and looks good
It has been known to go rancid after a while. You're better off using a mineral oil for a long lasting foodsafe finish - and make sure it says Foodsafe on the bottle!
M. Saban Smith Woodturning Cheers makes sense about the olive oil. ...I could see that. ...☺
i like your video thanks your really cool...
Not sure why anyone is focusing so much on the particular diameter of the pin , talk to any number of cooks and I imagine you will get as many opinions on the right size of pin akin to asking woodworkers on sharpening techniques /dovetail pins or tails etc etc , use what you have and enjoy the food that comes from your efforts!
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Hyezmar is giving his collection of woodworking plans on his website. If I'm not mistaken there’s an excellent alternative for this project!
Mineral oil does not say it is food safe, b ut used as a laxative. Walnut oil is food safe, but many folks have nut allergies. So, your comments about food safe, are not necessary.
Is it unnecessary? Do you know why a walnut oil can be food safe, but another, not be food safe? Did you also know that food grade mineral oil is also used as a lubricant in food processing machines as well as a wood finish?
And, yes I did know that mineral oil can make you poop like a horse, but that doesn't stop it from having alternative uses.