Bowl Maintenance | Hiding Place Woodworks

In Lake City Town Park Every Saturday in July and August from 10am-2 pm.

Bowl Maintainance

Bowl Rules:

*If you don't want your bowl to look like the above picture, don't buy it at a big box store. Buy from a reputable, local craftsman!

*Don't ever, under any circumstances, put a wood bowl in the dishwasher.

*Do not soak your bowel in water for long periods of time.

*Occasionally dry and oil your wood bowl.

General bowl maintenance can vary depending on the type of finish, if the bowl has undergone a stabilizing process, and if the bowl is a daily use bowl or a decorative bowl.

Generally speaking a normal wood bowl that is regularly used and has a normal oil finish, like a mixing bowl or salad bowl, should have regular maintenance. The good news is the tools needed and the process is quite simple. Odds are you already own what you need, and it will only take 5 minuets.

My top recommendation is always a good quality walnut oil. They make special walnut oil for daily use, food safe bowls that many wood turners use. However walnut oil from the grocery store will work just fine.

(I sell heat treated filtered walnut oil in the store. It is always a good idea to get some with your new bowl purchase)

If your bowl had a standard oil finish, it does not matter what oil was previously used, you will be just fine putting Walnut oil on it.

The primary reason I use walnut oil is that is will not go rancid or mold on the bowl. Some oils will, especially if you live it a wet humid place. The other benefit is that over time walnut oil will harden and seal the bowl. Because of that you will need to do less and less maintenance over the life of your bowl.

The process is simple

1st- Assess your bowl. Does it look dry, splotchy or just tired? If yes, it may be time for a little TLC.

2nd- Make sure your bowl is dry. If you washed it recently or live in a humid place, let it sit out in the air for a day or two.

3rd- Apply a liberal coat of walnut oil to the bowl, inside and out. Let it sit for a few hours and then wipe off any oil that has not be absorbed.

That is all there is to it!

That was so simple you still have time to finish folding the laundry.

Stabilized aspen maintainance and information

always more to learn

Stabilized Aspen or any stabilized wood is a different creature than normal wood. Generally speaking it will require less maintenance than normal wood. The reason for that is because during the stabilizing process the wood is essentially infused with a resin. The resin permeates any microscopic voids in the wood and fills in and around all the cell structures. Once the infused wood goes through the hardening process it will make the wood about twice as hard as it started (dependent on wood species). Due to the flexibility and strength that the resin has a stabilized soft wood like aspen is wildly improved in strength, durability, resistance to liquid damage, impact resistance and flexibility. Its a game changer for soft woods. (Technically speaking aspen is a 'hard wood', but that is a conversation for another day.)

That all sound great, but one detail is important; it does not mean that stabilized wood is free of all maintenance!! Largely the resin surrounds and protects all the cell structure and fills in any microscopic voids, if the stabilizing process is sound. But in the turning and sanding process of making a bowl you are cutting through all the tiny cells and fibers of the wood. Think of an apple as a cell and the skin is the resin. When you cut the apple, you cut through the protective skin and expose the unprotected interior. It is similar with the wood. So to keep stabilized bowls looking good we do need to pay attention to the outside of the bowl that has been cut and sanded exposing the interior of the woods cell structure. And we do that the same way as we do with any normal bowl, by putting a finish on it. But since the wood is half resin at this point, the finish will not soak into the wood it will only sit on the surface and affect the cut cells.

So the short answer to stabilized wood maintenance is this; oil your bowls, but do it less often then you would a normal wood bowl and there is no reason to let the oil sit on the surface for more than a few minuets.

I have experimented with super long soaking and vacuum times when stabilizing aspen. It does seem that I get a more resilient bowel when I let it soak for long periods of time. I believe the resin is permeating the cells much better and not just covering them. Still lots to learn.

Hiding Place Woodworks

Bowl Maintainance

Stabilized aspen maintainance and information

always more to learn

This website uses cookies.