Children's Therapy Puzzles!

[Zoobits]

Hey guys, I am working on puzzles for kids with Autism, Special needs & Disabilities.

The project has already been successfully funded through kickstarter, and you can check out the details here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/codyrauh/zoobits

I do have a question for you guys though, who use the carvewright on regular basis, and maybe one of you do some sort of toy making with it. But what wood do you recommend for this project.
It needs to be able to hold as much detail as possible without chipping, flaking, splitting. Needs to be durable, children as young as 6 will be handling this item. Any suggestions, comments, feedback
would be greatly appreciated, I have done a lot of research and planning, and I am soon to buy a carvewright, but since I don't have it I can't yet answer these questions myself.

cheers,

Cody

[mtylerfl]

Hi Cody,

Great project(s) you've got planned!

I think Maple would be a good choice...non-toxic, carves well, durable. For a protective clearcoat, a Shellac finish is non-toxic (it's on Skittles, MM's and other candy and fruit items...totally edible)

[lawrence]

I wholeheartedly agree with Michael on the maple (and the shellac though you may also want to consider a simple bees-wax or mineral oil finish if you have concerns)

Congrats on meeting your $$ goal and good luck,

Lawrence

[mathman]

...simple bees-wax...

Just a stray thought, would bees-wax cause problems to someone that was allergic to bees?