Review: Mahoney’s Walnut Oil
Mahoney’s Walnut Oil
I have seen this at my local Woodcraft countless times and have always been intrigued by it. Thinking “wow, for that price, I wonder if it is worth it” since I am used to buying cheap linseed oil and finishing is not necessarily my strong point. However, when a bottle was given to me to try out, I couldn’t resist.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tWVEzI
Woodcraft: www.woodcraft.com
Application
To apply, I generally just use my cheap blue shop towels (Towels I use (Amazon)). I will squeeze out a small amount of oil from the bottle onto the work surface and then wipe with the shop towel. It’s about the easiest finish to apply that I can think of. One trick I like is to use sandpaper (220 grit) and wet sand with the oil. It helps work it in and makes for a nice smooth finish. The sandpaper approach is optional of course, it depends on personal preference. I would say, try it once at least on a scrap piece and see how you like it.
If you plan on putting a varnish or shellac (or some other hard finish) on in combination, I would make sure to apply the walnut oil first before you seal it. Note that it will harden up over a period of 24 hours, so it might be good to wait that day before applying something on top if you do go that route.
It is always good to test whatever finish process you want to do on a piece of scrap wood first to see how it comes out and if there are any issues – especially if combining with other finishes. The worst is messing up a finish on the project itself with an issue that could have been seen in a simple test.
Appearance
I use mainly on walnut, which is my preferred wood to work with. It darkens up the walnut but not too much.
Walnut box with a single coat of Mahoney’s walnut oil.
Final Thoughts
Despite the upfront cost, it really reinforces the idea of you get what you pay for. With it being an oil as opposed to varnish or shellac that I would have to do a coat and wait, then sand, etc, it should be a nice quick finish to apply and move on. I look forward to using it more projects in the future. With this product being a food-safe finish, it gives me more options with future cutting boards as well.
Links
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tWVEzI
Woodcraft: www.woodcraft.com
Shop Towels: https://amzn.to/2JpQsfX