Grape seed oil

[Art Deboo]

Looking for as much information from the experts regarding a product called grape seed oil.
From what I understand it is not a product that is recommended for use over wood bowls due to the products possibily of going rancid.
One of our members sells his wares with this product applied and feels it is a great product for over wood bowls and such.
I appreciate your feed back.

 

[robo hippy]

I am not sure about grape seed oil in particular, but from my experiences, most 'soft' (vegetable and nut) oils will work fine. The main thing is you don't want to leave excess on the surface. If it starts to build up, then it can go sour. When I first started turning, everywhere I read, people said not to use olive oil because it would go rancid. Then I met a bowl turner, and that was all he used. I asked about it on the old Google woodturning forums, and Michael Mouse responded with 'incomplete oxidation' as a cause for going sour. Making observations since then, I tell people to rinse the bowl out after use, most of the time using a plastic scrubby pad, and dry. If the wood looks dry, you can apply some oil, but most foods already have oils in them, especially salads, and the bowls need little maintenance. If it starts to feel gummy on the inside, then it is time to use some soap and water, or table salt and a wedge of lemon or lime. Bowls need to be out where they can breathe. We all know what happens to a bowl that is put away in a plastic bag and sealed.

robo hippy

 

[Gil Jones]

This web site may answer your question (or at least partially)...
http://www.navaching.com/shaku/oil.html
It deals with oiling wooden instruments, but they provide plenty of info on various oils.

 

[fgvanatta]

Very interesting web site - and great info on oils that answers lots of the questions I keep seeing asked on these forums.

Thank you for posting the link, Gil.

 

[Richard Baker]

Interesting article. In the last paragraph he says "The modulus of elasticity will drop considerably and the material will become even more rigid". It has been a long time but IIRC, stiffer, more rigid materials have higher moduli of elasticity, not lower. Useful info about the oils.

 

[MichaelMouse]

I use grapeseed oil as a rubbing oil when French polishing. It's slick and low viscosity, making it ideal for the process as I do it. It also never cures. At least in a few years of drips on the bottle. It is open to the air, and does not smell rancid. Given the expense and the tendency, as with any non-curing oil, to pick up dust and hold dirt from greasy fingers, I would not recommend it save in the most sparing of applications to give a bit of color to the wood.

It spirts off of a rubbed shellac surface easily.

 

[Vaughn]

Interesting article. In the last paragraph he says "The modulus of elasticity will drop considerably and the material will become even more rigid". It has been a long time but IIRC, stiffer, more rigid materials have higher moduli of elasticity, not lower. Useful info about the oils.

You're right. The author should have said "The elasticity will drop...".

 

[Sean Troy]

I don't understand why there is always so much question if a particular oil is compatible with our turnings. Why not just use one that is known to work well and move on to your next project not having to worry about the oil? Mahoney's Walnut Oil works great, is inexpensive and lasts a long time. Why try and re-invent the wheel. Time better spent turning.

 

[MichaelMouse]

I don't understand why there is always so much question if a particular oil is compatible with our turnings. Why not just use one that is known to work well and move on to your next project not having to worry about the oil? Mahoney's Walnut Oil works great, is inexpensive and lasts a long time. Why try and re-invent the wheel. Time better spent turning.

Bit of optimist in all of us, I guess. Maybe this attempt really will be something "better." Mahoney's is a long way from rubbing tallow on a stick, after all.

 

[robo hippy]

Why try to reinvent the wheel? Are you familiar with the engineer's motto?

If it aint broke, take it apart and fix it anyway.

robo hippy

 

[MichaelMouse]

Did you ever notice how many different designs there are out there for the basic concept? Difference between science and engineering, after all. The engineer makes the ideas work.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Modulus of elasticity?

I did not read the article since I am stuck with an iPhone, but what would modulus of elasticity have to do with non-homogegeous materials. Isn't it normally applicable to amorphous or crystalline solid materials. In something like a wooden bowl, where the relationship between grain orientation is different at every point, not even generalizations about wood characteristics seem very relevant.

 

[Richard Baker]

Probably irrelevant as well as incorrect reference by the author. Better to have simply said "it gets stiffer".