# Save me from a foolish mistake with Canola Oil



## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

Due to a really stupid move on my part I spilled Canola oil on a nearly finished side table project made with Red Oak. Had it in the kitchen to show it off to some friends and was trying to cook with it sitting there.

I wiped off the bulk of the oil with paper towels, but of course some soaked into the surface.

What is this going to do to me when it comes time to finish? I am planning on using a golden oak watco oil for this project.

Will this ruin my finish? will it go rancid down the road? do I need to remove the affected pieces and start over? Really don't want to have to do that.


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Lacking in knowledge on the matter, I would probably coat the entire piece with canola oil, wipe off, let dry, and then continue with your original plan for finishing.


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

acetone might help, albeit very explosive but it will dissipate the oil with multiple applications

Years ago I did the same thing, and the marks are still there today but I didnt use acetone/alcohol/naptha

You might be best to remove affected parts


----------



## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Rape seed oil, (Canola), will go rancid over time, but if you wiped it up quickly and inundate the surface with mineral oil, then use your Watco finish it should be OK.

What will happen is that the mineral oil should mix with the Canola and dilute it to the point that it's a non issue.

If not, you can use the old acetone trick to draw the oil out, but with red oak it will probably go on through to the bottom.


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

What these folks are saying is that these solvents will dilute the canola oil, NOT remove it. That said, I would STILL recommend cover ALL, wiping it off, THEN try using the solvents. This way ALL of the project will at least be treated equally and you just MIGHT end up without streaks. NO guarantee, but what is there to lose at this point.


----------



## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions guys

I am inclined to go the route of covering at least the top where the majority of the hit with canola is as HorizontalMike suggests then wipe off and then try the acetone

I guess if it goes bad then I can replace the parts, it is the top and some dripping on a side, I am thinking that the side won't be too noticeable.


----------



## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

You could seal it with dewaxed shellac, but I don't know how that would affect your finishing plans.


----------



## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I also agree with covering the entire top with canola oil and blend in the stained part.
Canola oil is great for making a roux but never used it for a wood finish before.


----------



## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

You might try "whiting" along with the acetone. It's sold by gunsmith suppliers, buti t's nothing but chalk dust. You mix it with the acetone to make a paste and slather it on. The acetone dissolves the oil and the absorbent quality of the chalk helps draw it out.


----------



## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

I will say any vegetable oil is oil. Just do NOT use engine or transmission oil!


----------



## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

The previous comments have no basis in chemistry or experience. All you need to do is scrub it well with a strong solution of dishwasher detergent and hot water, followed by a hot water rinse. Repeat. After it dries, proceed with your usual finishing schedule.


----------



## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

Well, no experience other than that I've used whiting & acetone to draw old cosmoline out of wooden rifle stocks, that is.


----------



## Deycart (Mar 21, 2012)

After following everyone's advise I would try to use some japan dryer on it to get the residual oil that you cant get out to harden. Just use a generous amount of it and do it outside!


----------



## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

JJohnston--You're wasting money on the acetone when mineral spirits or naptha will work better.

Deycart--Japan drier will have no effect on an oil that does not polymerize.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I agree with H-Mike when he says the solvents will dilute the oil and allow it to go further into the wood. Anyone here ever remove an oil spot off wallpaper? Use talc and let it draw the oil out. I think I would try to dilute it with a solvent and then place the table (oily side down) onto some corn starch that is spread evenely on some newspaper. Let it sit for a day or two then vacuum the corn starch out of the pores of the wood.


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

Certainly no chemist here but I did own an old antique boat where I had to paint the bottom of the hull that was saturated in engine oil. A local boat builder recommended I use acetone (outside ) and I did. I poured acetone on the inside and much to my surprise the oil started dripping from the underside of the hull and pooled on the top so I could remove the oil.

Having said that, …………. it sounds like an easy solution is to start over : ((


----------



## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

Except I can't stand the smell of mineral spirits (even the "odorless") and I think I may actually be developing a sensitivity to it - I seem to feel sick for a day or so after I use it.


----------



## Danpaddles (Jan 26, 2012)

Clint had it right- this ain't complicated. Soap and water.


----------



## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

cover the full piece in the oil (as Mike suggested

let it dry and wash with turpentine the carry on.

jamie


----------



## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

I ended up covering everything on the top with the oil, wiping off, then acetone. Don't really know how to tell for sure it got the oil out as it doesn't really look that much different, I guess it had sort of a 'wet' look to it that it doesn't really have anymore so the surface is cleaner for sure.

I let it dry overnight then sanded and finished… Looks ok so far, I guess time will tell if it is going to become rancid.


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I don't think you will have any rancid issues. I just hope that the entire piece blends away any distracting blotches. Keep us posted.


----------



## Brewmaster (Aug 27, 2015)

I know this is resurrecting an old post but I thought it deserved an experienced reply. I use Canola oil regularly to finish antique furniture with only positive results. Rubbed into furniture with a rag or microfibre cloth it finishes beautifully with no residue, stickiness or rancidity. I'm not sure where the rancidity issue came from in the first place. Canola is a semi-drying oil not unlike linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil has dryers added to it to make it a drying oil but it's still a vegetable oil. As is Tung oil. On furniture it looks and acts very similar to both and never smells. I have some furniture that I finished over 3 years ago that looks awesome.

Take it for what it's worth.

Kelvin


----------



## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

Ok, this is going to sound weird but as a bowler I use this technique to get the lane oil out of my bowling balls (they are porous). I put them into a bucket with kitty litter, clean litter of course, then I put them in my car in the sun in the summer. This causes the oil to be squeezed out of the balls and it gets absorbed by the kitty litter.

So you could try heating the wood and having kitty litter around it to absorb the oil.


----------



## Finisherman (May 3, 2013)

You might try using a solution consisting of roughly a cup of household ammonia in a quart of water. This will emulsify the oil. Next, rinse the chair with plain water, perhaps with a little bit of vinegar added. Let the wood dry, sand off the raised grain and proceed with finishing. Since you used oak for your project, the only caveat concerns the fact that the ammonia might case the oak to darken, though in that dilute a solution, I rather doubt it. Alternatively, you can try washing the wood with a dish detergent like Dawn in a pail of water. I've used the ammonia solution to remove petroleum oil stain from a maple chair, with great success. BTW, the ammonia solution can be helpful to prevent fisheyes if you suspect, or have found out the hard way, that your wood is contaminated with silicone oil.


----------



## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

Wipe scrub with dawn,or if the oil has dried place white newspaper(not the colored inserts)over the oil stain and iron the newspaper at med setting, the newspaper will soak up the oil,the iron warms up the oil.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

This thread is 3 years old. How did it turn out Murdock?


----------



## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

It turned out just fine.

There is a small spot on one of the legs that I believe got splashed with the oil that is 'slightly' different color than the rest, but I may be just being picky.

The top where most of the issue was you can't even tell the difference, as I noted originally I coated the rest of the top with oil and cleaned it all off again to try to keep it even. As I recall the finish didn't soak in as easily as it would normally but no appreciable difference in color in the end.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

thanks for the update. Good to know.


----------

