Actually, walnut oil can go rancid. I used to think that the vegetable
oils would also, then I ran into a guy who had been making bowls for a
long time, and all he used for a finish was olive oil. The oils do go
sour if they don't get to dry properly (incomplete oxidation). You
don't want to leave it on the surface. Wipe off any excess. Any build
up should be removed. Don't let salad oil sit in your bowl for days at
a time. Rinse it out well after each use. Also bowls need to breathe.
They need to be out in open air, not in a plastic bag, or a closed box
or drawer for long periods of time.

On May 22, 11:10*am, "Bjarte Runderheim"
wrote:
"John" skrev i ...

I have read that Walnut oil can be used as a finish, but what do people
here think of it as a finish?

Hi,

I have been using walnut oil on bowls and platters for years, especially if
I want
a light, matte sheen, and when I intend it for food.
I use the oil as it comes from the shelf in the supermarket.

This oil has two advantages over olive oil and other food oils:
It darkens the wood only very little. It does not turn rancid.

Most food oils turn rancid after a while, and can ruin a good meal.

But be careful to let it cure properly: Walnut oil needs temperatures above
23 degrees centigrade. Below this temperature it does not cure at all.
When cured, it will last a long time. But it also needs long time to cure,
more than a week; even in warm and dry conditions.

If you only let it cure partly, it is easily washed out of the wood.

I use it on my gunstocks, and it penetrates beautifully, and gives a
lasting sheen.

BjarteR