Mahoney’s walnut oil question

[Thomas Wilson80]

I just posted a separate thread showing three bowls turned from cottonwood. Mahoney’s website and Craft Supplies mention letting it sit for 24-48 hours before applying Mahoney’s finishing paste to let it cure, but mine is still really oily to the touch after 8-9 days since the oil was applied. It also has a smell that is somewhat displeasing to me. I don’t think it is supposed to go rancid since it is supposedly heat treated, but I’m curious what others’ experiences and thoughts are on Mahoney’s walnut oil. This is a new bottle recently purchased from CS.

I am gifting this to a neighbor who mentioned that he had a popcorn bowl growing up and wanted to find one for his family, but don’t want to give it to him until it is at least dry to the touch. I typically use Watco Danish oil on my bowls but wanted to do something more natural/food safe and have heard a lot of people like Mahoney’s or other walnut oils. Any information/experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

[Ted Calver]

Curious to know if you wiped off the excess oil after applying it? I've used the Mahoney's Utility Finish on bowls for many years. I usually give it a nice heavy application, rubbed in with the warmth if my hands, let it sit for an hour, then wipe off the excess really well. After a couple of days I apply a paste made of one part beeswax disolved in five parts of utility finish. Let it dry and hand buff. I make the paste in a pyrex bowl in the microwave, using 30 second bursts and watching carefully until the wax starts to melt. Give the recipient a small container of the paste for when the bowl gets dry after repeated washings. Seems to work.

[Thomas Wilson80]

I saturated the bowl pretty heavily after sanding and then after 15-30 minutes added oil to the endgrain where it had sucked it all in (I was following the craft supplies youtube video instructions). Then I let it sit for an hour or so and wiped it down again. Then I brought it into the house where it is warmer and left it on a newspaper, wiping it down several times a day. It has now been 10 days of this and if I rub my fingers over the endgrain, my fingers get really oily and there is visible oil marks on the bowl where my fingers touched.

Not sure if this is normal or maybe has to do with the wood, though Mahoney himself turns a lot of cottonwood so I wouldn't think so. But I'm about ready to try washing with dish soap as I don't want to give this away with this much oil.

Tom

[paul vechart]

Tom I have had the same issue over the years with walnut oil from Mahoney and Doctor`s Woodshop. It seems after the oil gets old it would not dry. I even did a test with both oils this fall. I put a drop of each oil on clear plastic and checked to see how long it would take to dry. After 30 days they were both still running and not the least bit dried. I'm pretty sure these bottles were over 2 years old. I have started using polymerized tung oil and like it.

[Bill Howatt]

A bit of searching indicates that some think this is the greatest thing and others just the opposite but overall more positive than negative regarding drying. What may be an issue is the wicking up of a lot more oil in end-grain and then it doesn't cure for a much longer time. Some suggestions of heating and also putting it back on lathe and spinning it while wiping the bowl with a paper towel which will absorb and also will heat the wood.
Old oil being a problem, as said above, was mentioned.
This won't appeal to you if the requirement is to keep the finish 100% natural, you could try adding a small amount of Japan drier to some oil and apply. The idea is the drier will get into the still liquid oil and dry/cure it.

[Brian Brown]

I have had this problem with oily woods, where the oil (any oil finish) won't dry, but have had good results with non oily wood. I don't think cotton wood is "oily", But I am wondering what the moisture content of the wood was when you turned it. The cotton wood (little leaf) around me is somewhat bullet proof when it comes to cracking. I just checked a bowl blank about an hour ago, and it was very light weight, so I thought it might be dry. The moisture meter said about 16% mc. I assume that this was on the surface, and not interior. The reason I mention this is that if the MC was a little high on your bowls, it may have something to do with your problem. This is a total guess, so take it for what it is worth. Maybe someone else will have some thoughts about how MC will affect the cure on oil finishes.

[Mel Fulks]

Brian, I’m not turner. Recently I bought some wax : Damallren Wood Polish Wax : which contains beeswax ,vegetable oil .
vegetable essential oil, resin. Used it once and liked it. Using it again today , they say let it dry for 4 hours , haven’t tried the 4 hour
wait test yet ,and that might not ever happen! Gives a good look ,and protection.

[Thomas Wilson80]

Thanks for all the responses. I had bought 2 bottles using an expiring gift card and I tried the other bottle on another cottonwood bowl from the same tree. Within 2 days it is now completely dry to the touch. The first bottle must be a bad batch or an expired bottle. Either way I will never buy Mahoney’s oil again.

Tom

[Dave Bunge]

I've had the same experience where Mahoney's walnut oil that's several years cures slowly. Keep reading for a suggestion on how to extend the shelf life so it stays active longer.

Walnut oil, like many of the finishes we use, cures by reacting with oxygen from the air. The polyethylene (plastic) bottles that Mahoney's comes in are poor barriers to oxygen; oxygen can permeate the wall and get to the finish causing it to start to cure in the bottle. Not enough to turn it solid, but enough to use up some of the reactive sites that are supposed to make it cure solid when spread in a thin film on your wood.

My suggestion, if you want to keep using walnut oil, is to get a fresh bottle. Then transfer it to a StopLoss bag (google it). They are very effective at keeping oxygen away from the finish and extending shelf life. For example, Waterlox is notorious for having short shelf life, curing up in the can, or welding the lid onto the container. I've got some that's been in a StopLoss bag for more than 3 years that still cures fine.

[Bill Howatt]

I wasted a lot of various finishes until I bought some StopLoss bags!

[Thomas Wilson80]

I've had the same experience where Mahoney's walnut oil that's several years cures slowly. Keep reading for a suggestion on how to extend the shelf life so it stays active longer.

Walnut oil, like many of the finishes we use, cures by reacting with oxygen from the air. The polyethylene (plastic) bottles that Mahoney's comes in are poor barriers to oxygen; oxygen can permeate the wall and get to the finish causing it to start to cure in the bottle. Not enough to turn it solid, but enough to use up some of the reactive sites that are supposed to make it cure solid when spread in a thin film on your wood.

My suggestion, if you want to keep using walnut oil, is to get a fresh bottle. Then transfer it to a StopLoss bag (google it). They are very effective at keeping oxygen away from the finish and extending shelf life. For example, Waterlox is notorious for having short shelf life, curing up in the can, or welding the lid onto the container. I've got some that's been in a StopLoss bag for more than 3 years that still cures fine.

Thanks, I’ll have to look into this. My main frustration is that this is a brand new bottle. If I’d had it on the shelf for 2+ years I’d be more forgiving.
Tom

[Bill Howatt]

While you may be concerned about using it in the "food safe" context, you could try adding some Japan drier (it takes very little) to it and use it for other finishing purposes.

[Russell Neyman]

I use Mahoney's Walnut Oil on nearly everything, both as a simple standalone finish and as a grain enhancer. Never had a single problem over the span of six years. I do, however, saturate the wood, increase my lathe speed, and burnish it with wood shavings or a paper towel. This generates heat that speeds up the curing process. Occasionally, I'll polish the wood with a Beal compound system, as well.