Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Price tags revisited
Sue McLam, Orange, VT
>A while ago there were a couple of threads on price tags and I just reread them with great interest. I'm making some plates that are going to be sold in a store and have an additional question about the care instructions...Is microwaving ok, or not recommended?
Thanks.
Sue
Re: Price tags revisited
John Lucas
>Sue
I would not microwave platters. To warm up food you need to leave in there about a minute. The platter will get quite warm if left that long. I would be more concerned that the expansion and contraction would hurt the finish than the heat hurting the platter. When I get home at lunch I'll put a platter in the micrwave and give it the acid test. I have one that I don't particularly like and hey a little fire might be fun at lunch.
Re: Price tags revisited
John Lucas
>Sue
The good news is I didn't burn down the house. The platter held up fairly well after 2 minutes on my low power microwave but this one had a shellac finish. Not to good there. The finish in the center of the platter melted. Of course that's where you get the most heat.
Re: Price tags revisited
Sue McLam, Orange, VT
>John,
Thanks and I'm glad you didn't burn your house down :)
I guess it's best to put something on the tag saying not to use in the microwave just to cover myself. I could have sworn that I read something here or somewhere else a few months back about someone setting a rough turned bowl on fire in their microwave during the drying process (but maybe I dreamed it) so that's why I asked. I hadn't thought about the finish being affected...excellent point.
Sue
Re: Price tags revisited
John Lucas
>Sue
I didn't set one on fire but I was drying a bowl once and there must have been a sap pocket on the inside. I pulled the bowl out after the second cycle and there was a 1/4" dark spot spewing steam through a hole in the side. Ruined that bowl.
Re: I had two close calls, Sue.
Al Crandall
>A totally hidden pitch pocket in a cherry roughout spewed huge amounts of smoke before it was doused in the kitchen sink, and a maple box scorched and turned brown to a depth which could not be cleaned up when it was finished. Both of these instances involved green wood, not dryed wood, but I am still wary of wood in microwave ovens unless a "low power, multiple exposure, short duration, constantly monitored" cycle is being used.
Re: Price tags revisited
Mike Schwing from Md.
>I had a little fire going in the microwave a long time ago drying a mushroom made from black cherry. Smelled great! Last time I tried that.
Re: Price tags revisited
Bill Hale
>You can tell folks as I do when they ask if the bowls are dishwasher safe.
Just once !
Good turning and be safe
Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.
