Walnut Oil Finish?

[Greg Bolton22]

For those that use walnut oil as a finish on salad bowls, do you do anything besides allow the oil to dry. I was thinking about buffing and waxing the exterior of the bowl and just hand buffing the interior with no wax. This is the first salad bowl to be given as a wedding gift and I want it to be attractive but functional all at the same time. Any tips are appreciated.

PS. The bowl is already oiled, please don't tell me about all the other wonderful finishes I should have used!

Thanks,

Greg

[Dennis Ford]

Your plan will work fine. I use bee's wax on the inside but not sure how much protection that adds.

[David E Keller]

I think you're fine with just the oil. The wax won't hurt anything, but I don't think it's necessary. The old adage about oiling utility pieces seems to be, "Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, then once a month forever."

[Reed Gray]

David,
That won't quite work with the Walnut oil. Problem is that the outside layers will cure, and the inside ones won't, at least not for a year or more, because they are sealed off. They need oxygen to cure. Let the first coat totally dry, a week to 10 days, then apply another coat, allow to dry, etc. For me, I just put one really heavy coat on, then allow it to dry, and never put anything else on it.

robo hippy

[Steve Kubien]

You are good to go with just the walnut oil though on close-grained woods like maple and cherry, I also buff. The wax will help it feel nice but offer no lasting protection.

[Ted Calver]

I apply a mixture of bees wax and Mahoney's Utility Finish to the entire bowl after the initial coats of Mahoney's oil have had a few days to dry. It hand buffs to a soft luster and smells great. Use four parts of Mahoney's Oil to one part of beeswax. I have pyrex dish with the increments marked on it. I warm the oil and add shavings of the wax, allowing them to melt in, until the liquid hits the mark. A small jar of the paste mixture goes with each bowl. We wash our salad bowls after use in warm soapy water and then towel dry immediately. When they start to look a little dry just apply a little of the wax/oil paste. Makes 'em look like new again.

[Greg Bolton22]

Thanks for all of the tips! It is really great to have a place with so much information and friendly folks. I'll try to get a picture before I wrap it up in wedding paper.

Greg

[Tim Thiebaut]

I just used walnut oil for the first time last week, I ordered some in to use on the coffee scoops I made, it covered very well and dried fast, overnight and it was set. I am happy with the way it came out and will use it again for these types of things.

[Greg Bolton22]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I have several coats of walnut oil on the bowl and will be giving some away with the bowl for touch-ups in the future. I decided to buff the outside with tripoly and carnuba wax just to give it a little luster. The wood is black gum that was cut down right across from where I work. I got a pile because it was free but I did not expect it to look as nice as it does.

Now I need to learn some photography skills.

Greg
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[Karl Card]

I am also a first time user of walnut oil. My experience was that the first coat dried very fast, 24 hours, I then coated item again and waiting for it to dry and then I am going to try buffing just a little.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Reed. I don't use anything or buff after putting on walnut oil. I use Mike Mahoney's walnut oil and have never had a problem. I talked with Mike several times and he says just a coat or two of his oil is fine. They don't need to be buffed or waxed. Also Mike said with his walnut oil he says UV light will help it cure.