finishing Products used on Elbin Art Products

---

 Items made prior to April 2022, will have had different type of finishes as well as manufacturers than the ones listed below depending on the product.  Products used prior to April 2022 may have been one or more of the following:   Tried and True Polymerized Linseed Oil Varnish Java Stain, Tried and True Traditionnel Polymerized Linseed Oil/Beewax, Tried and True Danish Oil Polymerized Linseed Oil, Tried and/or True Polymerized Linseed Oil/natural pine resin.  Products such as barrel staves may also have had ZINSSER Bulls Eye Shellac Spray and/or Polyurethene in addition to the Tried and True Java stain.  If you have an Elbin Art product made and/or purchased prior to April 2022 and have a question regarding the finish it may have, contact Elbin@ElbinArt.com.   Some products manufactured prior to April 2022 may have been stained, or not stained or with a different final coat type of product dependent on the product or when it was made.   If your product was made prior to April 2022 and it needs to be refinished, please do not try to refinish it yourself or fix the finish yourself.  Contact Elbin@ElbinArt.com regarding Elbin Art refinishing service(s) on Elbin Art products.   If you are not sure when the product was manufactured and want to know what kind of finish your Elbin Art Product has, please contact Elbin@ElbinArt.com.  

The majority of products manufactured after April 2022 will have an Elbin Art Finish code engraved on the back.  Refer to the Elbin Art Finish Code decoder table at bottom to determine finishes used.  

CLEANER TO PREP THE WOOD SURFACES PRIOR TO APPLYING FINISH(ES)

After sanding, Elbin Art uses Odie's Safer Solvent to clean wood prior to gluing (if applicable) or applying any finish.  Odies Safer Solvent is an all Natural Food Grade Citrus Solvent.  To learn more about Odie's Safer Solvent, click Here

INDOOR PIECE FINISHES

All Elbin Art products are for indoor use only unless otherwise noted or for specific custom pieces and/or when an outdoor requirement by a customer is requested.  Effective April 2022, Elbin has standardized for the most part on the Howard products listed below for finishes on the indoor pieces he makes.   Using the Howard products listed, shortens the manufacturing time and lead time.  It also allows for a customer to find the Howard conditioners either on the Elbin Art website or at many local home improvement stores enabling them to maintain the wood previously conditioned with these products during the manufacturing process.   NO ELBIN ART PRODUCT IS DISHWASHER SAFE.  Do not put any Elbin Art Product in the dishwasher.

• Howard Cutting Board Oil.  Unless otherwise noted, the majority of indoor Elbin Art Products manufactured after April 2022 will have the wood first "oiled / seasoned" with Howard Cutting Board Oil.  This product is not to be used on Elbin Art products manufactured prior to April 2022.  Contact Elbin Art for finishing repair/recommendations on products manufactured prior to April 2022.  Howard Cutting Board Oil is made with clear, odorless, pure food-grade mineral oil. The penetrating quality of food-grade mineral oil brings out the depth of grain in wood and helps prevent drying and cracking. Cutting Board Oil is perfect for the initial “oiling” or “seasoning” of the Elbin Art products.  The mineral oil exceeds U.S. FDA requirements for food contact surfaces and is safe for all food preparation surfaces. The mineral oil used in Cutting Board Oil is from virgin mineral oils and has no contact with nuts, gluten or other potentially allergenic materials either in production, storage, or transport. To learn more about Howard Cutting Board Oil, click Here.
• Howard Butcher Block Conditioner.  All Elbin Art Glass Caddies, Bottle/Glass Caddies, all Olive Wood products (with the exception of Olive Wood Key/Coat Racks) manufactured after April 2022 will be conditioned with the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner as a final finishing step.   This product is not to be used on Elbin Art products manufactured prior to April 2022.  Contact Elbin Art for finishing repair/recommendations on products manufactured prior to April 2022.The penetrating quality of food-grade mineral oil along with the water-resistant traits of beeswax and carnauba wax helps to rejuvenate the wood and prevent drying.  Safe for all wood surfaces that come in contact with food, including: butcher block countertops, cutting boards, wooden bowls, and utensils. Contains food-grade mineral oil stabilized with Vitamin E.  To learn more about Howard Butcher Block Conditioner, click Here.
• Howard Feed-n-Wax.  For Elbin Art products like Key/Coat Racks manufactured after April 2022 will be conditioned with the Howard Feed-N-Wax as a final finishing step.   This product is not to be used on Elbin Art products manufactured prior to April 2022.  Contact Elbin Art for finishing repair and recommendations on products manufactured prior to April 2022.  This product is not to be used on Elbin Art products like bottle/glass caddies, glass caddies, cheese boards, cheese slicers, cheese knifes, etc as it is not intended for food-prep surfaces.  Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish & Conditioner is ideal for enhancing the natural depth of grain while providing added protection and luster to the key/coat racks. Feed-N-Wax helps introduce conditioning oils that “feed” the wood while providing a protective coating of beeswax and carnauba wax. This unique blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, orange oil, and other beneficial ingredients help preserve and keep the wood from drying out, fading, or even cracking.  Feed-N-Wax should be used whenever the wood of the key/coat rack starts to look faded or dry, usually every month or so.   Contains no silicone or linseed oils. Not intended for food-prep surfaces.   Typically Elbin Art only uses it on coat/key racks, candle holders and flower vase holders.  To learn more about Feed-n-Wax, click Here.

OUTDOOR PIECE FINISH (BY SPECIAL REQUEST ONLY)

 Elbin Art does on occasion use different products based on custom products and customer requirements.  All products are made for indoor use however if a customer is purchasing a custom piece that is going outside, Elbin Art will use The Real Milk Paint Company's Outdoor Defense Oil instead of Howard products.   Outdoor Defense Oil is a great Non-Toxic and high-quality finish for Elbin Art products being placed outdoors. It’s made with 100% Pure Tung Oil, Pine Oil, and Zinc. The zinc helps to prevent mold and mildew while also offering UV protection. The Outdoor Defense Oil does not build up on the surface but absorbs deep into the wood pores. This food contact-safe oil leaves a natural texture on the wood surface. Will provide a matte finish.  Finishing a product for outdoor use will increase the lead-time of the product a minimum of 36 days to allow for proper curing of the Outdoor Defense Oil.  To learn more about The Real Milk Paint Company's Outdoor Defense Oil, click Here

PIECES THAT REQUIRE PAINT 

Elbin Art typically does not paint wood as it will cover up the beautiful and unique grain patterns of the piece of wood.  There may be times however where paint is required or requested.  If a product requires painting, whether for part of the piece, all of the piece or a custom piece, Elbin Art will use paint from The Real Milk Paint Company.  Real Milk Paint comes in 56 unique colors! From traditional, old-world colors to modern, bright hues there is a non-toxic paint option for everyone. The Real Milk Paint Company's exclusive milk paint formula is made with 100% organic ingredients, non-toxic, food contact safe, VOC free, and even biodegradable/compostable.   Kid-safe and pet-friendly paint that won’t fill your home with nauseating fumes. To learn more about The Real Milk Paint Company's Outdoor Defense Oil, click Here

PIECES THAT REQUIRE EPOXY RESIN

Elbin Art typically does not use Epoxy Resin on pieces however on occasion Epoxy Resin may be used to fill voids or cracks and may also be used in conjunction with a piece of wood to enhance the look of the product being made.  Elbin Art uses ArtResin's Epoxy Resin when Epoxy Resin is used. It is UV and HALS stabilized for yellowing protection.  It is Non-toxic, has no VOCs, no BPA, no fumes and is non-flammable. Certified food safe.  Click Here to learn more about ArtResin's Epoxy Resin.   

PIECES THAT REQUIRE COLOR EPOXY RESIN

If the Epoxy Resin requires color, Elbin Art uses ArtResin's Epoxy Resin Colorants.   Click Here to learn more about ArtResin's Epoxy Resin Colorant.   Elbin Art does not use Epoxy Resin on top of Cheese Slicer or Cheese serving boards.  

PIECES THAT REQUIRE GLUE/ADHESIVE

For some of the pieces that Elbin Art makes, glue may be required.  For the most part, the Titebond III Ultimate Wood glue shown below is the most common glue Elbin Art uses when required.  The second most used glue would be the FDA-Bond 2 Epoxy Adhesive.  Refer to the Elbin Art Finish Code on the back of the product to determine if any or what type of glue/adhesive has been used on a product.  Code does not include the cork adhesive or 3M Tissue tape adhesive as those are a "peel" stick type of product where the adhesive is part of the component.  

• For pieces that require gluing wood pieces together (products with combined wood, wood rods to wood, etc), Elbin Art uses Titebond III Ultimate Wood glue, which is non-toxic and also FDA approved for indirect food contact.  To learn more about Titebond III Ultimate Wood glue, click Here.
• For pieces that require gluing of wood and metal (caddies with Stainless Support posts), Elbin Art uses FDA-Bond 2 Epoxy Adhesive.  To learn more about the FDA-Bond 2 Epoxy Adhesive, click Here.  
• There may be times where a very small crack or void needs to be filled and CA glue (whether colored or clear) and may be a better solution to fill the crack or void than using Epoxy Resin, depending on the product and where the crack/void is located.  Elbin Art may use on occasion Starbond's Black Medium-Thick premium cyanoacrylate glue.  To learn more about this glue, click Here.  Elbin Art does not use this glue on top of Cheese Slicer or Cheese serving boards.  
• For products that have cork, the cork Elbin Art uses comes with adhesive on the back (bottom) side of the cork.
• For products that hold coins (coins sold separately), a round 3M 9448A Double Coated Tissue Tape is provided that has adhesive on the front and back side of the tape.  

SHELLAC FOR CERTAIN PRODUCTS

For some products, like Reclaimed Wine and Whiskey Barrel Staves, the product may have Shellac applied.  Elbin Art uses the Zinsser Bulls Eye Spray Shellac.  To learn more about the Zinsser Bulls Eye Spray Shellac, click Here.

ELBIN ART FINISH CODE TABLE

To view the Elbin Art Finish Code Table, download the table below.  It is important to note that this table changes periodically so if you don't see the finish code from your product on the table, elbin@elbinart.com.  If your product does NOT have a finish code or was purchased/made prior to April 2022, contact Elbin@Elbinart.com  Do not try to refinish or condition the product yourself without FIRST contacting Elbin Art.