I'm a wood turner making primarily salad bowls. I read your Q&A: "Wood Conditioner for Cutting Boards and Bowls." I've been using Clapham's Beeswax and Salad Bowl Finish, a blend of beeswax and mineral oil. A friend recently told me about the origins of mineral oil--I had no idea it was petroleum based ! So now I'm looking at other options.

You suggest walnut oil and I've also seen that on some woodturners' websites. There's a combo of products from Mike Mahoney at www.bowlmakerinc.com. One is a first coat of a heat treated walnut oil utility finish and over that you can apply his beeswax/carnauba wax product oil wax finish. It sounds good, but I'm concerned about food allergies to the use of walnut oil. I'm wondering whether potential allergies to my bowls is something I should even be concerned with. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Clarissa

I'm finding it pretty impossible to find a product that doesn't contain mineral oil except for the product I told you about before made by Mike Mahoney. It's a great product though I'm still concerned about nut allergies.

I've got a couple gallons of almond oil and some beeswax, so I've been searching for a recipe. Many of the older recipes for wood floor finishing use turpentine. I found this recipe on the website for the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia. Thought you might find it interesting.

Wood Floor Wax
1 cup olive, almond or walnut oil
1/2 cup vodka
30 - 40 grams grated beeswax
40 - 55 grams carnauba wax depends on hardness desired.
Put oil and the waxes into a wide-mouth glass jar or tin can and set in pot of simmering water. Stir gently until waxes are dissolved. Remove from heat and add vodka, mixing well. Allow to harden. Use a rag to rub into the wood. If the rag "drags" too much, dip it into a tiny bit of oil.

Clarissa

I got this response (below) from the woodturner who sells the walnut oil/beeswax finish. I am really not sure his statistics are accurate as I know two people with walnut allergies--one fairly severe. I get sores in my mouth from eating walnuts--though not enough to keep me from eating a chocolate chip cookie if it's got walnuts in it. It's just that I substitute pecans when I can. I've also heard of a wood worker who gets blisters on his skin from working with walnut. I can't imagine I'd know that many people if the problem was so scarse.

There are only three oils that dry: walnut, tung, and linseed. Mike claims that his walnut oil dries faster than that you would buy at the grocery as it's been boiled I think that's why. I've never compared the two. I use his walnut oil first and then use his beeswax/oil combo as a finishing coat as it adds some water protection. The results are striking--rich grain and minimal gloss. It really does make the grain "pop".

Clarissa

From Mike Mahoney:

Clarissa,

I have done a lot of research on this problem. I haven't found anything conclusive on the subject. I did find some interesting things about walnut oil and allergies. I in 2.5 million people have nut allergies. Walnut oil has been used in many food products for decades without even being listed, not to mention industrial products paints, cosmetics.

Similar oil products claims that once they dry they become inert. Also typical oil finishes Boiled lindseed oil, Tung oil, Watco, Danish oils all have toxic dryers in them Benzyne, Toulune, Turpentine etc.... I believe these to be way more allergic to people than nut oils.

I wish I had something more conclusive for you.

Thanks for using the product. I believe it is a great wood finish since it is a natural wood oil.

Good Luck, Mike

hi debra

i came across your website looking for ideas to treat my new butchers block and found this blog entry in which you make the claim that walnut oil won't go rancid.

However, as walnut contains upwards of 50% n6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), like any oil rich in polyunsaturates, it will tend to go rancid without proper storage (which is why good quality walnut oil is stored in air-tight, dark colored bottles).

Generally speaking, the higher the PUFA content, the more unstable the oil.

For a chart that lists these oils, see:
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/fattyacids1.html

if you look at the chart, the vegetable oils with the lowest polyunsaturated content are palm kernel oil and coconut oil. Olive oil is also quite low in PUFAs, and is probably a better choice than walnut oil, at least in terms of stability, however, all vegetable oils will go rancid eventually.

The most stable oils are completely saturated fats like clarified butter, which in India is often used as aged product, sometimes 10 years or older (in some temples, 100 years old!!)

if you want to know why i know all this, i am a herbalist, and apart from using oils therapeutically, also use them in various medications, such as salves, of which the base is oil and beeswax.

Speaking of which, many of the herbs used in salves have an antioxidant properties and contribute to shelf-life and stability. Probably you could "medicate" an oil with an herb, and then add the beeswax. Some plants could also add colors, such as st johns wort, which is very red, or turmeric for an orange-yellow color...

best... todd

Todd Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)
Ayurvedic practitioner, Clinical Herbalist

COMMENT FROM DEBRA: Your ideas sound very interesting to me. I would love it if you would continue to work on this and come up with a good formula, as this would be something a lot of people would want to use on butcher blocks, wood bowls, and cutting boards.

If anyone is looking for pure tung oil, without the toxic additives, Lee Valley sells it on their website - 100% Pure Tung Oil at www.leevalley.com (if this link doesn't come up, look for it under Woodworking/Finishes/100% Pure Tung Oil)

I have already put olive oil on my butcher block island..... after further research I have found out that it can turn rancid, what do I do now to make sure that this doesnt happen?

Re the use of carnauba oil in any form or combination with other products on chopping blocks, bowls, floors... at http://www.zymol.com/carnauba.htm I learned that "The leaves (of the tree that produces this oil) are soaked in kerosene or turpentine to soften the wax resulting in a thick liquid that is then poured into molds and allowed to solidify." Scary. It is more than a full-time job, it seems sometimes, trying to not exacerbate conditions which already leave us with little energy. Thanks, Debbie, for your assistance.
Katherina

I wanted to let you know about a company called Golden's Antique Supply (www.antiquesupply.com) that sells pure Tung Oil and a natural citrus solvent that it can be thinned with. I also bought Howard Naturals wood cleaner and polish from them.

Hi Debra!
I am allergic to walnuts, so walnut oil is a no no for me. For all my wood conditioning, I use ORGANIC coconut oil. It has an incredible shelf life even with being open to air. When I use my cutting boards for raw meats, I wash them in all natural dish detergent with a couple drops of Grapefruit seed extract, which kills just about everything, then leave to airdry in the bright sunlight. Here are two very good websites:

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org
http://www.nutriteam.com

Christine

To the person who put olive oil on his or her cutting board and are worried about it going rancid: I can't remember the source but remember reading that this is not a problem if you are using and washing the board often. That way the oil won't have a chance to go rancid. So if you use the board often you are probably OK but should look for an alternative if you don't use it often.

I use coconut oil a lot for cooking, and one day I let some get too hot in the frying pan. I didn't want to just through it away, because it's not cheap, so I put it on an old scratched up bench. It filled in the scratches beautifully. Looks almost like new.

Block Brothers Block Oil lists as ingredients: Refined Seed Oil, Lemon Oil, Vitamin E, Carotene. See for this and other safe household products.

I have a 1 cow dairy and a rather large supply of ghee. Just wondering if anyone knows of a recipe for making an oil using beeswax and ghee?

I have read a lot of questions about the best finish for cutting boards and salad bowls. I have been using a great product for several years. "Preserve Woodenware Oil" is totaly natural and non-toxic. It says it is made of natural nut oils that dry. I like it much better than mineral oil which is a petroleum oil and never dries. The "Preserve" oil smells great and soothes my hands too. Check it out on www.mastersblendfinish.com.

After purchasing two new bamboo cutting boards, I needed to find a way to maintain them. I found a pure tung oil at The Real Milk Paint Co. - www.realmilkpaint.com. They state that it has no additives, like most tung oils on the market and is FDA approved for food contact. They also carry Citrus Natural Solvent, an all natural solvent to replace mineral spirits and paint thinner. They state it can be used safely with the pure tung oil. Citrus Natural Solvent is not the same as Citrus Solve or CitriSolve or the other cleaning products on the market. Check out their website for more information.

Hello everyone:)

I just emailed one of you directly, but I still wanted to ask the same questions of all of you here.

My husband just bought a new wooden cutting board, and we are trying to figure out what to use on the board for an oil. Our previous cutting board has died, probably due to us not using any kind of oil.

My daughter has severe nut (and peanut- which isn't a nut- it's in the pea and bean family, which are lengumes) allergies, so we can't use walnut or any other nut oils. However, in the thread so far, some different people mentioned that olive oil, palm kernal oil, and coconut oil are all fairly stable (coconut is also a nut, but many nut-allergic people- including my daughter- are not allergic to coconut).

Would any of you still agree- years later- that those three oils are good for cutting boards? Also, what beeswax products would any of you recommend? I would prefer anything organic, and free of other allergens, myself.

Also, one of you mentioned that you have walnut allergies, and use an organic coconut oil, and a safe dishwashing liquid (?).... I would like to know what coconut oil that you use, and what dishwashing liquid that you use.

Also, what is linseed (?) oil? Is it a nut? Is there any that is recommended, in this group?


Thank you!

Hi, I am wondering about using organic jojoba oil on butcher block ....has anyone ever heard of this? I use it in my massage practice because it is heat tolerant without going rancid. It's actually a wax and not an oil. I haven't found anything online about using it on wood.

This post is so timely! My cutting board of 12 years finally broke. It came unglued. I knew I was supposed to rub some oil on it, but never figured out where to get the food grade mineral oil. I'm so glad I've read this, so I can be more informed. Now I have a few choices. My new bamboo cutting board is ordered and I plan on taking good care of it. Thank you to all who contributed to this topic.

Here is one Butcher Block Oil Answer.

Years ago, I too had a butcher block and several cutting boards. I wanted to seal/treat them with something natural. I then learned mineral oil and most every other wood sealing oil contained some toxic ingredients. So, I wondered what people did 50 years back.

That's when I learned using boiled Linseed Oil is a viable alternative. This is also known as Flaxseed Oil, boiled to stabilize it. Most Hardware-type stores carry it, along with some Paint stores. It is all natural and does not go rancid according to my research.

Apply it with a cloth or pour it on and spread around with your hand. Apply thin layer first, and see how much soaks in to the wood. Let dry overnight and apply a second thin coat if needed. Wiping off any excess after an hour or so is a good idea. If too much is applied, you might find it hardens overnight and difficult to remove thereafter. Not a big problem, but the smooth wood surface is not so smooth now.

This Oil lasts for months under normal everyday use, and will preserve the wood....years beyond any commercial product available. In addition, the wood will look fantastic for years.

Caution: If you use a rag to apply the Linseed Oil, you must let it air dry in a relatively cool, open air place. If disposed of in a trash can, or other closed container, the rag will likely ignite, thus catching/creating a fire. It is volatile when not disposed of properly. Burning it in a wood stove is a great alternative. You may also consider using a paper towel instead, and burn it in the wood stove when finished. Please take this seriously, Boiled Linseed Oil will self ignite if an oil soaked rag is disposed of improperly!! This does not mean the Oil is toxic. Any oil will burn under the right conditions. It so happens the "flash Point" of Linseed Oil is very low, thus use caution when disposing of your rags. Otherwise, enjoy the results.

John

We bought Tried & True Danish oil for our unfinished oak flooring. We haven't applied it yet, so I'll have to let you know how it turns out later. Their linseed oil is food grade and non-toxic. It can be used for cutting boards, bowls, cabinets, etc.

Tried & True Wood Finishes

www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com

All Tried & True Wood Finishes comply with the inner most circle of product safety established by the FDA: "safe for food contact surfaces" (FDA 21,Sec 175.300). Beeswax and natural varnish resin are FDA approved as non-toxic and non-allergic. Non-hazardous. Our products, and or any of their ingredients, are not regulated under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (Title 40) or the EPA Resource and Recovery Act(Title 49). Our oils are non-toxic and non-flammable (Although common sense and our label should be consulted for disposal of wiping cloths). The use of these finishes in commercial applications is not regulated by OSHA. No heavy metal driers. These metallic salts of cobalt and manganese are a health risk to those who manufacture them. In use they are considered a health risk only in long term exposure. Fume Free - Zero VOC. No solvents or petroleum distillates are present in Tried & True Wood Finishes. Therefore, there is no compromise in environmental impact, worker health and safety, or indoor air quality.

From wikipedia: "Today most products labeled as "boiled linseed oil" are a combination of raw linseed oil, petroleum-based solvent and metallic dryers. The use of metallic dryers makes boiled linseed oil inedible. There are some products available that contain only heat-treated linseed oil, without exposure to oxygen. Heat treated linseed oil is thicker and dries very slowly. This grade of linseed oil is usually labeled as "polymerized" or "stand" oil, though some types may still be labeled as "boiled."

From Fine Woodworking: "Raw linseed oil. Pressed from flax seeds. Not to be confused with boiled linseed, which contains metallic driers. Listed as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Very long curing time, good looks, low water-resistance, frequent reapplication."

Also, while flax seed oil is extracted from cold-pressing and is therefore food-grade, linseed oil is extracted using solvents. The solvent used may or may not be something you want near your food. Flax seed oil goes rancid too easily so it isn't a suitable substitute.

I was interested in using pure tung oil... but after reading about the chemicals used to obtain carnauba wax, I am now questioning how the 'hardware store' type oils like linseed, tung, etc. are obtained. If toxic chemicals are used to extract the oil, I don't want to use it on anything that touches my food. I wish I could trust what the FDA says is food-safe! And the information about chemicals used in extraction/processing should be more readily available so I could make an informed decision!

Great resource you have compiled here. I plan on linking to it on my website, MatthewWernerFurniture.com.

Years ago I made up a batch of walnut oil/beeswax finish for use on our maple butcher block. I stored it in a cupboard and it went rancid fairly quickly. Perhaps it would store better in the fridge.

These days I use, and recommend, mineral oil for replenishing finishes on all wood surfaces. Its easy to use, and since I buy the food-grade stuff that is sold as a laxative, it seems to me that it is safe to use on counter tops, cutting boards, wood bowls, and the like.

Matthew Werner
Santa Cruz, CA

I commented above about how frustrating it is for the average (and very unscientifically inclined) person to get reliable info about chemicals and processing. For instance, I would like to be able to find out if/what chemical solvents are used to extract various seed/nut oils & waxes. As a step in the right direction, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) currently has a petition to reform the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Some scary things from the petition:

"..the law that is supposed to protect Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals is so outdated that China is allowed to export toxic materials into the United States that are not only banned in Japan and Europe, but can't even be used domestically in China. Every American alive today, including newborn babies, has hundreds of chemicals flowing through our blood. Many of these chemicals are linked to prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, heart disease, lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other diseases and disorders. Yet, of the 82,000 chemicals available for use in the U.S., only about 200 have been required to be tested for safety. And the EPA has succeeded in banning only one group of chemicals, PCBs, from the marketplace."

If this concerns you, go to www.edf.org and search on TSCA action. The petition is the 2nd item (Take Action). If the petition drive has ended, contact your members of Congress and let them know that the TSCA needs to be brought up to date for our health and safety.