Finishes for Walnut Bowls

[Randall J Cox]

OK, although a finishing Q, it says "All things spinny" under the forum title, so here goes. Friend gave me a bunch of freshly cut walnut this last winter. I cut into bowl blanks and did the initial turning, then dried all 18 bowls in a microwave. Finished the first 13 (second turning) with 3-4 coasts of polyurethane, my "go to" finish as I have never used anything else (hence my questions). I was thinking about using an oil finish on at least one to get to know how that works. Any recommendations from you experienced bowl turners? I would like to have a little sheen on it if possible and be food safe of course. Also, do you consider poly food safe (bowl of uncut fruit for instance)? Thanks. Randy

[Richard Coers]

If you can't smell the finish off-gassing, it's food safe. Also, a film finish would have less chance of wicking into fruit over time. If I want a duller, more natural looking finish, I use fine abrasive to knock off almost all the sheen.

[Tim Elett]

I was told bees wax by a turner that had some beautiful work his was finished with, I use a butcher block oil.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

+1 for butcher block oil. Watco brand is in most home stores & the one I keep on hand. You can build a nice shine with it, especially on the lathe. The shine diminishes quickly with washing.

[Bill Howatt]

Any cured finish is food safe and that is cured - not just dried. Of course, some reach the food safe stage earlier than others and some are food safe as soon as applied. Personally, I never get concerned because the amount of finish transferred from a dry finish would be extremely small, if any. However, if you are selling you won't convince a lot of people of that.

If you think Butcher Block Oil sounds like a benign food product have a look at: https://www.rustoleum.com/MSDS/ENGLISH/332152.pdf
And that doesn't cover the unknown hazards of 32% of it.

Anyway, just about anything can be used on walnut depending on how fussy you are because it is a dark wood. Light color woods like maple, birch, poplar etc. are the challenge for finishing, IMO, because most oil finishes, especially those with linseed oil, impart a yellow color to the piece and using clear water-based finishes don't pop the grain nearly as well.

Poly finishes are often criticized by looking plastic if they are built up a lot - this is a bigger problem with turners trying to get a gloss finish.

One of my favorite finishes is Lee Valley Polymerized Tung Oil. It is hard-wearing, dries quickly, thin coats will build up to a gloss or anything in-between by diluting it with mineral spirits. Unlike, pure, unpolymerized tung-oil the curing process is much faster and it can also be re-coated without sanding like a typical oil.

[Tim Elett]

I use a walrus oil product, labeled butcher block oil, it is interesting to see the msds on that product versus the other.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I suspect the reason Moms, inherited from Great Grand Ma, Walnut piggy cutting board is so beautifully black is that it is throughly impregnated with 100 years worth of lard and tallow. Don't tell the vegan kiddos.

[Dave Fritz]

My finish for walnut salad bowls is Mahony's walnut oil. I'll wet sand 220 and 400 grits, then finish with walnut oil. The wet sanding helps close up the open grain on walnut and provides a smooth finish. I give people a little walnut oil to refresh their bowls as needed.

[PJ Seiber]

What do you use to wet sand?

[Reed Gray]

I won't use anything on my bowls that I can't eat straight out of a can. Taste is not the issue.... The solvents are supposedly 'food safe' after they are totally cured out, but that can take a month or more. I ran into some one at a show who was sensitive to the drying agents and she said they never totally go away. I use walnut oil from the Doctor's Woodshop. He is a chemist, and from Oregon. I don't know if there is any technical difference between his and Mike Mahoney's oils. The butcher block finishes are mineral oil and some times bees wax. The mineral oil makes it look wet for a bit, but it never cures and hardens. Bees wax is very soft. The walnut oil from Mike Merideth (the doctor) and Mike Mahoney both have variations with carnauba wax in them. The Doctor's has been 'microagregated' which translates to some thing like it doesn't need heat to spread and cover evenly.

robo hippy

[Ted Calver]

I use either Mahoney's Utility Finish, or Doctor's Woodshop Walnut oil. Last time I ordered what for me is probably a lifetime supply from Doctor's Woodshop and really like it. I think they are both polymerized walnut oil, a process that is supposed to neutralize? the enzymes that cause nut allergies. Both of these products will harden and are top notch in my book.

[Randall J Cox]

Lots of good info. Tx for taking the time to reply!! Randy

[Dave Fritz]

What do you use to wet sand?

I use the walnut oil right from the bottle.