For turned bowls that will be used in food service, toxicity is always a concern. So it was with some hope that I invited eight members of a recent bowl-turning class to help me test Mahoney’s Utility Finish Oil, a boiled walnut oil sold by professional turner Mike Mahoney (www.bowlmakerinc.com).

Unlike some vegetable oils, walnut oil eventually will polymerize to a hardened finish, and it contains no potentially harmful metallic driers.

To test the drying time of this “boiled” oil, we applied some to a cloth on a Monday morning and placed it on a concrete floor. On Friday the cloth was still supple and the oil viscous—no sign of hardening. Likewise, the oil applied to a wooden bowl seemed to have no more tendency to harden than walnut oil from the grocery store.

One bright spot was the price: At $10.99 for a 16-oz. bottle, it is cheaper than walnut oil from the grocery store. Also, the plastic squeeze bottle is handy. Mahoney also offers a custom blend of food-safe waxes mixed with walnut oil.

Ernie Conoverteaches woodworking at his school in Parkman, Ohio. Ask him a question in Ask The Experts.

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