There is a difference in walnut oils. The stuff from Mike is made by
pressing the husks of the nuts, and the leaves. The stuff in the
grocery store is from the nut meats. This is pasteurized. The heating
is supposed to break down the proteins that cause the nut allergies. I
have used Mikes finish for a couple of years. I consider it to be
great for first treatment. With regular use, most foods have enough
oils in them to keep your bowls in great condition. If the bowls are
used a lot, then you really don't need any more treatment. You don't
have to use soap every time you wash your bowl. Rinse and scour it out
with a scotch brite pad, or one of the plastic 'Tuffy' pads. If the
bowl starts to feel gunky on the inside, then it is time for some
soap. This gunk is more from not cleaning it properly. If you don't
want to use soap, then some table salt, and a wedge of lemon or lime
(I suppose orange or grapefruit) will do the same thing. Any salad oil
will work. Apply, let stand for a while, then wipe off all excess.
robo hippy

On May 20, 9:42*am, Ted wrote:
I use walnut oil on many of my bowls. *I like it for finishing some of
my turnings. *It is easy to apply, is food safe, and can be used and
handled right after application. *I especially like it on some of the
darker woods. *MIke Mahoney makes a good product. *He has both pure
walnut oil and he also has a cream that is made of walnut oil and some
waxes. *A couple of problems I find with walnut oil are that it can
take quite a while to fully cure and it can turn some light colored
woods too dark.

Ted