New Guy

[edma194]

Now I'm wondering if Walnut oil from the grocery store would work just as well.

Probably very good. Like most light high temperature culinary oils walnut oil is highly refined.

[RFGuy]

Now I'm wondering if Walnut oil from the grocery store would work just as well. I just checked at Kroger.com, and a 16.9 oz. bottle of 100% "slowly roasted, expeller pressed, and lightly filtered" walnut oil sells for $11.49 at my local store. The label recommends the stuff for "salad dressings, baked goods, and as a light drizzle on all your dishes."

There's no word, unfortunately, on whether their definition of "dishes" includes wooden ones.

Best answer I could find was from Sawmillcreek forum, so I am quoting it below. My understanding from this and other sites is that heat treating greatly lessens the chance of the oil going rancid, but also gives you a wood finish that will cure quickly (desirable). Also, from an allergy standpoint (important to me), the heat treating helps to break down the proteins in the oil that can cause allergies.

Excerpts from Sawmillcreek forum:
"I attended a seminar by Mike Mahoney who sells his own brand of walnut oil and was told that he (essentially) boils it which changes it to make it polymerize (harden) quicker. I think that if you are looking for a finish that will eventually cure, you want wood turning walnut oil. But if you are just oiling a butcher block, that it doesn't much matter.

I suspect that the heat-treated W.O. would not go rancid. But I am uncertain of culinary W.O. - - it seems like if it didn't cure that oxygen could have an affect on the protein in the oil as it does with other culinary oils. "

"I tried finishing some of my early bowls with culinary walnut oil and found that they started to smell after 6 months or so. I had given one to a friend and she returned it, asking if I could put a different finish on it, so I re-turned it to get the outer layer off and finished it with Mahoney's utility finish, which dried nicely. Ended up having to do the same thing for our daily use bowls. Since then, Mahoney's and another similar product from Doctor's Woodshop have been my go to for food safe surfaces. "

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php ... Walnut-oil

P.S. Heat treating is what removes the solvent used to expeller press oils like walnut oil. I don't know if ALL culinary walnut oil brands do heat treating or not. I assume they have to. I would advise against purchasing any that don't specifically state that they have been heat treated...otherwise you are getting whatever solvent is left behind from the press processing in addition to the walnut oil.

[BuckeyeDennis]

Thanks, RFGuy. It sounds as if "shelling out" a little more for the Mahoney's oil would be a prudent investment for a wood finish.

But I do think I'll get a bottle of the culinary stuff too -- I'm itching to try it on grilled veggies and such, in lieu of olive oil.

[MrDanB]

Project #2 cedar round bowl with drop-in lid (no tenon). Made this for Mrs.B. Still needs some sanding work and stain. It's amazing how 6 hours in the shop can whiz by!

[RFGuy]

Thanks, RFGuy. It sounds as if "shelling out" a little more for the Mahoney's oil would be a prudent investment for a wood finish.

But I do think I'll get a bottle of the culinary stuff too -- I'm itching to try it on grilled veggies and such, in lieu of olive oil.

Well, you know what they say, "penny wise, pound foolish". I have had other oils and flours go rancid in my kitchen before. Never a good smell when it happens. With wood, the pores will soak up whatever finish you apply, so IF it goes bad it will NEVER come out. Not going to sand that out IMHO. I would hate for someone, anyone who works hard on a woodturning to have to throw it out because they went cheap on a wood finish. I know there are always different methods & techniques each of us can employ in our wood shops, but to me, this is one of those areas where following best practices seems like wise advice. When I started out in woodturning (still consider myself a newbie), I purposely sought out advice from across the internet on what to use, e.g. I use a different finish on pens than I do on bowls. Again not trying to tell anyone what to do, but I think that incessant desire to save money may be a deterrent in this particular case. JMO. Besides, IF you wanted to save money, you wouldn't have bought Shopsmith (unless you purchased it used).

[edflorence]

Very nice ! That material looks like what we in the PNW would call "Tennessee Cedar" or "Aromatic Cedar", to distinguish from Western Red Cedar. Will look great when you oil it..

[MrDanB]

Very nice ! That material looks like what we in the PNW would call "Tennessee Cedar" or "Aromatic Cedar", to distinguish from Western Red Cedar. Will look great when you oil it..

PNW? What part?

I just stained it. Boy, what a difference.

[edflorence]

[/quote]

PNW? What part?

I just stained it. Boy, what a difference.
[/quote]

It does look really good; you did a nice job turning it.

I am in Bonner County, North Idaho.

[MrDanB]

PNW? What part?

It does look really good; you did a nice job turning it.

I am in Bonner County, North Idaho.
[/quote]


I'm familiar with the area. I retired in Western WA 2.5 years ago and moved to central Texas.
Thanks for the kudos. I have to go slow, since I'm a green horn.lol

[MrDanB]

Latest project: Tabletop Hat Rest (cowboy hats, fedora, wigs etc)
Made from a trunk of mesquite tree on my land. Sanded out to 600 and stained with natural colored high gloss sealer...