Written in collaboration with Clapham’s Beeswax Products Ltd
Looking for a natural wood finish for your turning projects, while keeping your spending power in Canada?
Clapham’s Beeswax Products are produced sustainably from Farm-to-Tub in British Columbia, offering a natural way to finish and preserve your wood turning projects with local and certified organic ingredients.
Whether you’re a serial DIYer who loves working with wood, or it’s your first foray into finishing a wood surface, there might be a few things you can learn about oils for wood. Find out the best finish to bring out wood grain and how to create food-safe surfaces for a chemical-free household.
Clapham’s Salad bowl finish on a planned walnut charcuterie board
The Best Finish to Bring Out Wood Grain
When it comes to oiling wood, one of the top concerns is usually how to treat natural wood in a way that brings out the wood grain. In this case, it’s best to choose a finish that is neutral in terms of colour and odour so that there’s no darkening or lightening effect on the wood.
It’s important not to use any cooking oils (like olive, sunflower or coconut oil) since they can become rancid. Mineral oil is the best finish for bringing out wood grain since it is very stable and emphasizes the natural patterns in the wood.
If you’re looking to enhance your finished wood project without altering its appearance, mineral oil and hemp oil will work double time by eliminating moisture and protecting from bacteria that can breed on unsealed, porous surfaces.
Clapham’s products source the best quality certified organic ingredients for the best cost, without sacrificing quality. So which product is best for your turning project?
Hemp Wood Wax
This food-safe wood finish uses hemp oil instead of mineral oil, resulting in a petroleum-free wood finishing product that brings out beautiful colours and unique features of the wood it’s applied to. On wood, hemp oil will give a natural look rather than a glossy shine, making it suitable for all things wood in the kitchen!
How to Use Hemp Wood Wax:
- Apply thinly with your hand, cloth or paper towel. It may take some time to dry, depending on the temperature and humidity of your home or workshop, but the piece can be used immediately
- When dry, buff to a light shine and ENJOY!
- Re-apply when the piece looks dry
Regular application conditions and protects surfaces leaving them with a nourished sheen.
Hemp oil is a drying oil, meaning it seeps into the wood and hardens to form a protective finish. This makes it ideal for protecting cutting boards, countertops and tabletops from water damage, scratches, stains and fading. Food-safe and made in a dedicated nut free facility, it’s also the perfect finish for children’s wooden toys and cribs too.
Salad Bowl Finish
Now that you know the best oils for wood finishing, let’s look at a couple of wood finishes which combine the advantages of wax and oil. Waxes usually sit on the surface of wood, while oils can penetrate deep under the surface and into the wood fibres. Clapham’s wood wax finishes give you the best of both worlds for the ultimate wood finish.
This food-grade Salad Bowl Finish is made with organic carnauba wax, pure beeswax from the Peace River Valley and natural mineral oil. This makes for a finish suitable for all things wood, from kitchenware to children’s toys and furniture.
How to Use Salad Bowl Finish
- Apply thinly with your hand, cloth or paper towel. It may take some time to dry, depending on the temperature and humidity of your home or workshop, but the piece can be used immediately
- When dry, buff to a light shine and ENJOY!
- Re-apply when the piece looks dry
More of a visual learner? Check out our video on how to apply Salad Bowl Finish to a charcuterie board here.
Beeswax Polish
Made with Canadian beeswax, organic carnauba wax and deodourized mineral spirits, this finish creates a hardened shine on wood, stone, marble and even concrete. The polish can be applied directly to bare wood, and is the signature product first developed by the Clapham’s back in 1986.
How to Use Beeswax Polish
- Apply a small amount with a lint-free cotton cloth- use sparingly!
- Wait 5 minutes
- Buff lightly with a fresh cotton cloth or sheet
- If the wood is still dry, apply a second or third application if needed
- Re-condition over time to keep your project looking its best
Clapham’s values and mission are rooted deeply in history, with founders Roger and Anne Clapham continuing to source the best ingredients and never compromising on quality. But it’s not just ingredients; what matters the most is working with good people and partnering with good companies to always deliver the best service and products.
As a proud-to-be-Canadian brand, we’re excited to partner with local companies that share the same family values as us. For this reason, we encourage our customers to put their trust in high quality brands like Claphams. We’re so confident in the products, that we’ll be giving away a line-up of full size Clapham’s wood-wax finishes in the coming weeks in collaboration with Clapham’s, so keep your eyes peeled on our newsletter, and fingers ready to enter our social media giveaway!
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