What oil do you use to finish your wood?

[sasha.p]

I got asked a question today but as I dont really know that much about woodwork so thought I would ask on here as it is somthing I would like to get into doing my friends husband has started making cheese boards and wanted to know what oil is safe to finish the boards with ?also whilst im asking I am looking at making a stock pile of cup coasters etc so by next christmas I can do a craft stall for the parents association at my sons school can anyone advise what the best finish would be to use on these also thanks

[Alycidon]

Cheesboards, I did buy some of these a couple of years ago, the guy said oil them occasionally with Olive oil applied with a brush, wipe off the excess before it dries.

 

I have found them very slow sellers so I would not make a huge pile, I was selling from £6 upward for spalted beech ones.

 

A

Edited November 8, 2012 by Alycidon

[Woodworks]

For food safe things I would use tung oil and for things like coasters I use Liberon finishing oil quite thick almost like a thin varnish, this has proved to be hot coffee cup proof but not entirely resistant to all alcohole.

[Deciduous Dan]

I use cheep cooking oil for chopping boards food safe (it is food!) cheep and works very well.

[sasha.p]

Thanks everyone thats very usefull information I have not heard of the one you use on coasters liberon where is the best place to purchase this from?is it easy to find?I told my friend this morning they could possibly try worktop oil for the boards I use it on our kitchen but its pretty expensive to buy but will pass on the info about the olive oil and cooking oil

[Chris Sheppard]

We got hold of some good stuff when we fitted our worktops in the kitchen. It's food safe and meant to be about the best stuff available for it's water resistance, stain resistance and durability. Think it was called Top Oil, by Osmo. They do also do a base coat you can put on first to make it even more resilient - aimed at use for damp enviromnents like kitchens or bathrooms.

 

I can't compare it to much else but it was a doddle to apply, dried well and seems to be holding up well so far.

[Woodworks]

Thanks everyone thats very usefull information I have not heard of the one you use on coasters liberon where is the best place to purchase this from?is it easy to find?I told my friend this morning they could possibly try worktop oil for the boards I use it on our kitchen but its pretty expensive to buy but will pass on the info about the olive oil and cooking oil

 

I buy my Liberon finishing oil from Toolstation but they are not as cheap as they used to be. I am cabinet maker by trade and this oil has proved to be very versatile, hard wearing and embarrassingly easy to apply. I have also finished our kitchen worktops with it with great success and only needs a light oiling every six months for maintenance.

[Scottie]

On the same idea I carved a ring out of yew for the wife last week and wanted it to have more of a shiny glossy look. I have used danish oil so far but what will give it a shine?

[Woodworks]

On the same idea I carved a ring out of yew for the wife last week and wanted it to have more of a shiny glossy look. I have used danish oil so far but what will give it a shine?

More coats or a suitable wax over the top of the oil but this does stop you adding further coats of oil in the future. When I have used Danish oil it was the Rustins brand and the key to getting it glossy was to wipe off as late as you dare ie just before it can't be wiped off. With the Rustins this could vary a lot depending on the weather and the wood but somewhere between 10mins and an hour but other brands may behave differently.

[John Barleycorn]

Vegetable oils are suitable for many surfaces.

Cheap cooking oils (when applied thinly) will harden (oxidise) in air to form a natural varnish.

Olive oil has natural anti-oxidants & will therefoe give you a more matt finish.

Boiled Linseed oil is a traditional finish applied with a pad of cloth & rubbed in. As the old cabinetmakers saying goes "apply once a day for a week & then once a week for a year".

French polishing was introduced as a cheap quick alternative to oil polishing as the shellac is dissolved in meths & dries fast, still need many coats. One downside is dust specs show up compared to oil. A modern fast method of french polish is when the shellac is disolved in some kind of petroleum based solvent. I used it on a victorian mahogany handrail that I could not leave sticky for hours & did not want the hassle of traditional french polishing. Applied with a brush it gave a fantastic finish in seconds.