Walnut oil.

[Roy Scudamore]

Hi to all,
Hope this msg finds everybody safe and healthy.
I ordered some walnut oil to make my own finishing wax and it smells like some kind of exotic flower. My wonderful wife said I was not allowed to bring it into the house and anything finished with it should become firewood.
Question is what type of aroma should it smell like? I make a wax using (hopefully sometime) walnut oil with beeswax and caranuba wax.
Is there another type of oil that dries like it is said that walnut oil does?
Please help so I can finish here sugar maple bowl and get back into her good graces.
Thanks to all and above all stay safe!!!!!!!!!

Scuddy

[Chris A Lawrence]

Tung oil does the same thing it has a mild nut smell until it completely cures. I never used it in a wax though just soak the wood with it and let it cure for a week or so then buff it with my beals buffs.

[Roy Scudamore]

Thank you for the quick answer Chris, is the tung oil food safe?

[Robert D Evans]

I don't know what you ordered. There may have been some fragrance added to the walnut oil. I occasionally use some Mahoney's Walnut oil and I haven't noticed any fragrance to it.

[Chris A Lawrence]

Yes it is food safe as long as you get the 100% pure tung oil not tung oil finish that does not even have tung oil in it. I have had good results from Hope's and milk paints oils.

Thank you for the quick answer Chris, is the tung oil food safe?

[Kyle Iwamoto]

On a side issue, it seems like you're planning to use it for food service since you're concerned about food safe. There are people with severe nut allergies, that may be affected by the walnut oil, if you buy just any walnut oil. Mahoneys oils supposed to have had the allergen removed and also will not go rancid. Regular walnut oils may go rancid. In the event that you are using just any walnut oil, these are things that you may consider.
As Robert above says, Mahoneys finish doesn't have a "fragrance" to it but it does have a nice smell. Use that.

Thank you for the good wishes. I also hope that we are all safe and healthy during these trying times.......
Be safe. Don't socialize. Spend time at the lathe.

[Jon McElwain]

I don't know what you ordered. There may have been some fragrance added to the walnut oil. I occasionally use some Mahoney's Walnut oil and I haven't noticed any fragrance to it.

I use Mahoney's as well - never had any odor/fragrance issues at all.

Jon

[Randy Heinemann]

A mixture of beeswax and mineral oil works well but I don't know what you want to accomplish with your finish. None of my bowls are designed for use with food even though the beeswax/mineral oil is completely safe. As far as I know, almost all finishes are food safe as long as they are completely cured. In the past I've used tung oil on other projects and it took a longer time to cure than poly or the beeswax/mineral oil finish. Other than that, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. There are many other finishes out there, many designed for bowls, many that are meant for all wood projects. Those should all work. I like the beeswax/mineral oil finish because it's easy to put on that gives a rich satin finish which is just what I want. If you want shiny then there are others which should work just as well.

[Stan Calow]

When people talk about food-safe finishes, I am never sure if the concern is something (like metals, solvents) leaching from the finish into the food, or physical wear from utensils scratching up particles that get ingested.

I use walnut oil, and think it has a nutty smell that dissipates quickly. I've seen it referred to as a "semi-drying oil" because it dries very very slowly. I did a side-by-side test with a smear of BLO on a glass plate and the WO was still gummy after a month.