Finish for table mats?
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Folks,
I’m thinking of making some table mats…
We usually have our plates in the oven for a little while, to warm up before serving….
the thing is, sometimes we forget to take them out early enough and they are very very hot when we come to put them on the table…I was thinking of using shellac as a finish… I know it won’t cope with alcohol spills well, but how well does it cope with heat?
If shellac is no good in this situation, what is?
Thanks in advance,
MattIf it was me, I would not finish them at all, then the heat will bring out the smell of the wood. If the wood is fairly plain, I would go for a dilute cut to bring out the grain, and leave it at that. Would probably be worth doing a prototype first, just to see how they will react though. Also worth understanding if these are going to be a single holiday season use sort of thing, or if they are expected to last for years under regular abuse. If they are single holiday, then I wouldn’t worry too much, and just get the chips flying, enjoy dinner, then use the mats as firewood.
Colin, Czech Rep.
Thanks.
Food for thought!
MattOne of my teachers I think is quite expert regarding various types of shellac. She commented (when making general comments about shellac) that appropriate shellac applied appropriately would resist moisture (if not left too long), e.g., you could put a cold, sweating glass on a shellac coating for a reasonable time to consume the glass if you wiped the surface afterwards; however, she went on to comment that heat destroys any finish.
I would perhaps consider walnut oil with the notion that it brings out the grain and, although it perishes easily and quickly, it is just a wipe away from being restored. This doesn’t mean the oil will protect the wood from heat damage, though, and it isn’t something I’ve tried. If the user has walnut / nut allergies, you’d need a different oil. I don’t put linseed oil on anything, ever, so I cannot suggest that as an alternative. Not trying to kick up the linseed oil wars…sorry, but it was in context.
A three Kg grill pan heated in the oven to 250 °C charred the surface of a cork table mat. A baking sheet heated to the same temperature left no impact at all. A dinner plate would probably not be heated to that temperature, and while it weighs in between the grill pan and the baking sheet, it should not have an effect on wood.
Wood has a flash point of 300 °C, so if there are to be candles together with plates at that temperature set on the table, then perhaps dishes for flambéing should be considered. Many oils have lower flash points.
Back in the 70s filet steak on an oak board and cooked in the oven was quite en vouge in Sweden. Over time the wood developed a nice dark patina …
In summary: I believe that table mats without finish will do fine.
Sven-Olof Jansson
London, UK; Boston, MA
Thanks for your input folks!
I’m minded to go “finishless” now!
MattSlightly unrelated, but I made a coaster for use with coffee and tea, from a rather resiny and knotty offcut from a different project. Every time I put a hot brew down on it, a lovely smell of ‘workshop’ wafted through the room 🙂 That was also without any finish.
Colin, Czech Rep.
Back in the 70s filet steak on an oak board and cooked in the oven was quite en vouge in Sweden. Over time the wood developed a nice dark patina …
Reminds me of a joke recipe for carp: Clean carp and place on board. Season. Place in oven at 350F for 2 weeks. Remove from oven, discard fish, and eat the board.
Carp is actually the animal of choice for a Czech traditional Christmas dinner. The traditional way of doing things is to buy the carp live a week or two before Christmas, take it home, put it in the bath, and then kill and chop it up the night before. I think it is an attempt to clean the fish a bit, but I am not sure.
Outside pretty much every supermarket at the moment are pools of live carp. They can stay alive for up to 40 minutes in a Tesco carrier bag, which is more than enough time to get them home and in to their new clean water. It’s an acquired taste. One that I haven’t acquired yet, even after 20 years.Colin, Czech Rep.
Gefilte fish I think is another carp classic. Of course, gefilte fish is really just an excuse to eat horseradish with beets.
Stockfish is a Christmas tradition in Sweden. It too is – I firmly believe – served only to allow the enjoyment of mashing potatoes in the horseradish sauce.
Also, thanks Colin: now I have a better understanding to a Czech film from the 1998 Gothenburg Film Festival. In it, carps played a short but poignant role.
Sven-Olof Jansson
London, UK; Boston, MA
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