Generally, I don't recommend any finish for feeders or
bird houses. In most cases, finishes are an asthetic need
rather than a practical need. If you're looking to waterproof
surfaces, use linseed oil, heated boot grease (usually consists
of pine tar and beeswax) or any of the many natural finishing
waxes.

Never put finishes or paint on the inside of a bird house.
That should be untreated wood.

If you have to have color you might want to experiment with
natural water based dyes (like those used for dying cloth)
followed by a coat of linseed oil.

---- original message ----
Subject: Safe wood finishes and paints for feeders?
From: "martha burdick" <marthaburdick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 2004 00:33:19 -0700

I'm looking for advice on wood finishes and paints (if any) that would
be
safe to use on bird feeders I'm making.

I'd like to finish surfaces to make them easier to clean effectively.
I'd be
putting seed on the finished platforms and would also sometimes rest
suet
blocks (in the standard wire holders) against a finished wood surface.

I'm using cedar and pine for the feeders.


Would a water-based varnish be ok? Here is the link to the MSDS for one
such product:


http://www.targetcoatings.com/products/coatings/MSDS/7000HybridVarnishSeriesMSDS.pdf


VOCs in this product are 185 grams/liter

If I read the MSDS correctly, there is one problematic ingredient
(N-methyl
pyrrolidone)


Re: paint--I'm thinking of painting part of the feeding area surface of
one
large platform. Would any of these paints be safe for this application
(and
is one safer than the others):
--Acrylics?
--Casein-based paints?
--Milk paints?
--Earth pigment finishes?


I'm assuming the main issue re: toxicity would be ingestion.


Thanks--

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

Half-a-bee, philosophically must ipso-facto half not-be.
But half the bee, has got to bee Vis-a-vis its entity...
d'you see?
But can a bee be said to be or not to be an entire bee
When half the bee is not a bee due to some ancient injury?
-Monty Python

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html