Problem with walnut oil

[Pete Copeland]

Hello all,

I'm seeking some comments on my most recent experience with walnut oil. I turned a bowl from highly figured flame box elder (about 13 across, 4 inches high, with 0.25 inch think sides):

268110

I chose this orientation to get the effect of the figure of the wood but that meant keeping the pith. I was worried about it cracking and it did a bit but the cracks were filled with CA as they developed. Another thing I did was to flood the surface several times with walnut oil as it was drying out. I was thinking that keeping things moist would help. I used walnut oil (same bottle) on a previous project with good results, so I figured it would be fine.

The previous piece was ash and dried to a nice finish in less than one day. This box elder has been drying for five or six weeks now (not sure exactly) and it is still not entirely dry. It is fine where the wood is more yellow (denser and finer-grained) but the brown (and to a lesser extent red) parts are still just a bit sticky. The blue arrows on the photo show the problem spots. During these few weeks the bowl has mostly been on my dining room table but on a couple of occasions, I set it in the back of my truck in direct sunlight for a few hours. But yet these parts are still not what one would like.

I'm not really needing walnut oil for the finish; I'd go with anything now. I used it because of the good result I had on the ash and my concerns about cracking (btw, the bowl seems quite stable now). What should I do? Just keep waiting? Is there some other finish I could place on top of this mostly cured walnut oil that would give the piece a uniform feel and appearance? I thought about sanding it but not sure I'd get all the walnut oil without effecting the piece in ways that would not be helpful.

Thanks, Pete

[charlie knighton]

not sure what to do now

direct sunlight will make the red turn brown or disapear

in the past i have used water based poly after bleaching the wood, not sure what to do now that oil has been applied

[John Keeton]

My guess is that you have a compounded problem - you applied oil on end grain, and it probably sucked it up like a sponge - keeping the oil from being exposed somewhat to the air as it might have been with face grain application. On top of that, you soaked a wet piece of wood with oil, trapping the inside moisture. That moisture will be a long time leaving that wood.

Quite the dilemma!! I suspect time, and a lot of it, is the only real cure.

[Dale Miner]

John's comments have hit the mark. Excess oil soaked in away from oxygen and some trapped water are causing the lack of drying.

Keep placing it in the sun, and wipe any oil off that bleeds to the surface. You might also try 15 to 30 second shots in the microwave to help bring the excess oil to the surface to be removed. The microwave method might have less effect on turning the red brown, but could cause cracking.

[Pete Copeland]

Thanks to all. Unfortunately I think it is too big for the microwave.

Oh well, no big deal. Maybe give it as a Christmas present. Probably be dry by then.

[Reed Gray]

I have put walnut oil on wet wood. As it dried, the side grain looked white. More oil on it bought it back to the color the rest of the bowl was. It does slow down the drying process, but not a lot. With end grain, I would expect it to be dry in 2 weeks max.

robo hippy

[Prashun Patel]

I wouldn't keep it in the direct light; that'll cause premature fading of the figure. Can you jam-chuck it on the lathe? If you can safely turn it at a high speed (and leave it on for a little while), some of the oil will be drawn to the surface by centrifugal force.

If it's really bothering you, something else you can do is soak the bowl in heated mineral spirits; you'll have to weigh it down. This will help solubilize and displace some of the oil in the bowl. Once it emerges, the MS should dry reasonably quickly.

Personally I wouldn't do anything that uses excessive heat to try and dry it. Your wood is already crack prone, and doing that might facilitate warping and cracking.

[robert baccus]

I think Keeton hit it on the head--a compound problem. Walnut oil is a poor finish in my biased book and is naturally reluctant to harden. I've had good luck with FBE poping the grain with one quick coat of fresh natural Watco oil and a high quality clear lacquer(like Mohawk precat.) Ended up with very little yellow at all. Finishing wet wood does complicate things however. I like shortcuts also but they are not always short.

[Pat Scott]

Walnut oil not drying after several weeks or several months is exactly the reason why I don't like using it. I've had pieces that have taken MONTHS to dry. If it were me I'd set it aside and let time do the rest. I would not put it in direct sunlight as my experience with doing that on a Walnut bowl was the hot sun dried out the oil so much that now the bowl looked dry and unfinished in spots - to the point of being discolored and ugly. Adding more oil didn't help. I put it back on the lathe and sanded the whole piece again (which clogs up your sandpaper quickly), then I used Danish Oil and the bowl is now fine.

You can try setting the bowl outside on your patio or someplace that is shaded but has a breeze. Airflow seems to help with drying.

[Pete Copeland]

Well it turned out the piece was just small enough to fit in the microwave with about 1/4 on each side. I've been giving it 25 second blasts and then letting it cool off. It warms the wood but just a bit. In the past couple of days I've probably zapped it a dozen times or so. This seems to be doing what I want. I'm thinking by Sunday I may be able to move on to the next step, whatever that turns out to be (probably WOP).

[robert baccus]

Checked the books and walnut is listed as a nondrying oil, if this helps.

[Reed Gray]

I know there is a difference between the walnut oils that are made for wood finishes, and the salad type walnut oil. Wood finish oils will cure and harden, the salad types won't. I guess there is some variation there as well. I have been using the Doctor's Woodshop oil for a while, and it seems to dry better than Mahoney's oil. This could be in part because of the 'microagregated' carnuba wax in it, which requires a lot less heat for it to 'melt' into the wood. I have taken a 40 watt incandescent light bulb and put it under bowls to help the oil cure.

robo hippy