3D Analyzer Software Manufacturing Tip: Natural oils- why they continue to be popular with woodworkers

With the drive towards using eco friendly material many woodworkers are attracted to natural oils. Besides, woodworkers also seem to be attracted to the natural qualities of wood itself, such as the matt look and smooth feel that results from using vegetable oils. Vegetable oils have been used to preserve wood for centuries and are also economical to use.

The most commonly used natural oils that woodworkers use are tung and linseed oil. Other oils such as walnut, grape, sunflower, olive and peanut oil can also be used, but have not been found to be as effective for protection. These are more suited to items in the kitchen such as wooden chopping boards and utensils.

Woodworkers can use a rag or brush to apply oils, with the excess oil being wiped off after about half an hour depending on the object. More oil may come to the surface a few hours after application and may also need to be wiped off or it will dry on the surface.

Woodworkers have also tried using a mixture of natural oils and man made additives like resins and driers. While lacquers. Polyurethanes and other synthetic finishes give better protection; natural oils are still favored by many furniture makers, woodworkers and woodcarvers. These are now even being used for projects that are more demanding such as flooring and decking.

Most natural oils are pleasant smelling and safe to use. Woodworkers find the pungent smell of oils like linseed and tung pleasant as they work them into the wood. There are disadvantages, a significant amount of elbow grease is needed to get a really good oiled finish.

To get a tough oil finish on furniture woodworkers needn’t go past tung oil, which provides greater protection than boiled linseed oil. The slower drying qualities of raw linseed oil appeal to woodworkers who require deep soaking oil. The orange oils add a bit of shine and are a good substitute for wax when maintaining wood that has been treated with shellac.

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For more information on how 3D Analyzer Software can help improve your company please have a look at our website www.3danalyzersoftware.com

3D Analyzer Software was created by woodworkers with a lifetime of experience in the woodworking industry.

Close to the top of every woodworkers wish list is the seamless transition from solid model to CNC program.  3D Analyzer has made this goal a reality. With the ability to import solid models from CAD programs such as AutoCAD, 3D Pytha and Solidworks, 3D Analyzer is ideally suited to help any woodworker.

3D Analyzer Software is a customized woodworking software program that has been evolving since 2000, to enable woodworkers to produce and deliver individual pieces with dramatic time savings and near perfect accuracy. The Idea for the software program began as the owners sought practical solutions for their own woodworking manufacturing problems, needing software that would translate 3D images into specific manufacturing data.

We are proud to say that our software is now being used across the woodworking industry by:

- Architectural joinery companies
- Custom furniture manufactures
- Office fit-out suppliers
- Store fixture companies
- Exhibition companies
- Suppliers of display cabinets and
- High-end kitchen cabinet manufactures

Our Company is based in Sydney, Australia and has customers in Australia, and around the world in New Zealand, Europe / UK and the USA.