I'm so blessed that I found your outstanding channel... I do slot of restorations and whatever you use on the wood- make sure it isn't "new"! Lol. One tip I think you might like is after you sand or bead blast hardware that will "show", run it on the wire-wheel at 1750 rpm (slow) that will shine it up nicely! Then wipe it down with shellac! Nothing beats shellac! (100 year old tip) Thanks again!
Hi Cody, my family has a cottage in rural Michigan, which is famous for its apples. We too have a yearly cider making tradition, and our wooden press is treated with nothing but vegetable oil. It is enough to preserve the wood, and prevent the cider from impregnating the wood enough to stay in the fibers long enough to turn rancid. Make sure to clean and dry the unit well after use, but you will have some time as the natural acidity of the apples prevent it from turning rancid too quickly.
What a great job you've done with this apple press! I like your reasoning about the top part (the hopper?) - it's not a part that will be exposed to much pressure, so restoring the original pieces would be very nice. I understand the "barrels" and the press itself were remade, they do, afterall, have to sustain a lot of pressure. I just can't wait to see the whole thing when it's done, it's gonna be fantastic! You are just awesome, thank you very much for these videos! :)
Hello Cody, As a 'woodsman' I recommend you to oil the wood. Use a natural oil. It 'greases' the wood (btw, i think it's white oak: if you make it wet red oak will take a reddish glow, white oak a yellow/green glow). If you let the oak unfinished, it will take the sap and sugars in it, and so make many unwanted bacterias;-) LOL: You called it your 'winterproject', but winter has to come and your project is nearly done;-) Nice project! Much greetings from the Netherlands! Mark
I do keep the Sabbath. God said to rest on the 7th day. We go to church on Saturday. Check you calender. Sunday is the 1st day of the week Saturday is the 7th
Cutting board oil is food grade and soaks in nice with an even look. I bet once you rebuild the whole thing you'll want to do the top part as well. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Cody, You might want to give some consideration to the crank wheel before welding. If it's cast iron, you may end up wrecking it. Brazing would be safer if you don't have the special high nickel rods.
I would recommend howard butcher block conditioner, it consists of mineral oil and natural waxes. I use it on cutting boards and it seems to hold up well
This is turning out very nice. Just a thought would be to measure out and draw the pieces that make up the top part for later down the road if you have to rebuild it one day. Keep up the good work and God Bless
use a piece of clear acetate to trace the name lettering and cut out a stencil from it if you need to repaint. if the wood on the upper needs replaceing it looks in good enough shape to make a template to trace on a new piece of wood. a little buffing compond may bring the paint back but i would do it by hand because it may eat through the paint and lettering if done with a machine can get it at auto supply stores also hand glazing compound. project is looking awesome.
I use regular vegetable oil on my oak cutting board...Not sure if it will give you the look that you want. The cutting board has lasted since 1993 when I made it in high school woodshop. I suppose bees wax would work as well
For food grade you can use shellac or mineral spirits. Mineral spirits are used to condition cutting blocks in kitchens. A little late though (only a couple of years, lol ).
Not too late for me though! I am at the final stage of restoring an old (80 years) cider press brought to Canada from Germany. I wasn't sure about treating the wood but now I know. Thanks!
for the finish, ive heard you can use plain old pine tar, you can even make it yourself pretty easy, i dont know if thats really the look you want though
mineral oil and wax would definitely be the best finish for it. It's the same finish they use for cutting boards and salad bowls and the like. Also, it's very easy to refresh it, as opposed to a film finish.
After talking to a few woodworkers at a local Woodcraft store, they seemed to be of the school that a good quality wood doesn't need a finish as long as it is well taken care of, and kept clean. Any hard finish will flake off with use and any oil that you apply will not provide a very durable finish. That being said, mineral oil is a good non-toxic finish used for cutting boards and salad bowls. I wouldn't use boiled lineed oil on a food contact product because of the chemical driers added.
People need to have some common sense. When he said " it just need to be cleaned up and painted" he was talking about the metal (cast iron) not the wood. Keep up the great work Cody.
One other thing, if you plan to store the cider long term, make sure to pasteurize it. Otherwise over time it will naturally ferment and turn into hard apple cider. Or, if this is your goal, then set aside the portion that you wish to ferment, and store it in 2 liter pop bottles or some other container that will hold the pressure of the off-gassing of the cider, and let it sit at room temp for a few weeks. It will naturally carbonate and make its own alcohol.
I've seen a lot of people on here recommending butcher block oil and other "food grade" finishes, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say don't treat the barrels or the cider tray with anything. If the barrels are made out of oak, they will absorb some amount of cider but once saturated the cider will stop infiltrating the wood. The key will be to allow the barrels, the press and the tray to dry thoroughly in a well lit, preferably natural light, area to prevent mold from forming.
It's refreshing to see something other than all the political stuff that's dominating the inter webs. Thanks for bringing us along on this journey. Brings back so many good memories.
this is a good idea. we know Cody has some boiled linseed around. but be careful, most boiled linseed oil has toxic metal driers in it, these days. i'd use raw linseed or raw walnut oil with about 1/5 beeswax per volume melted in. thinking of using this on my new axe handle as well...
The only thing I would use on anything that touches the apple is use a food grade butcherblock oil. That way you don't have to worry bout flecks of paint or stain contaminating your cider or juices from other fruits.
as far as finish i have made several cutting boards and butcher block oil is a food grade finish that just rubs in and lasts pretty well not sure how it would hold up on the press.
I do alot of wood working and wood turning and when I make things like bowls or other kitchenware I use Salad Bowl finish by the General Finishes company. I just follow the directions on the can for a beautiful finish.A down fall to it is the price. Just look it up online. You may want to test different finishes first.
I would go with the beeswax and mineral oil or even plain beeswax finish all natural and durable you can also buy pure beeswax paste for finishing food and non-food grade finishes, it's used alot in Europe.
Parafin wax. Also, you are going to want to use a food grade paint for that cutting wheel (or maybe go with wax there too). Other users have said this, but I will repeat--I would avoid using any kind of plant based oil. All vegetable oils can encourage bacterial growth. I don't know if this true for mineral oil.
I think he meant the comment you made about the apple pullverizer thingy at 4:45 in the video about painting it. ( i assume you meant paint the fly wheel of it... )
Just in time for the apple festival in Portland! If you go send me a PM so I can shake your and and say thanks for all your tine you put in your videos!
There are a few oils you could use, drying types and non-drying types, or just wax it. Wood does not harbor bacteria in most cases. Myself, I would go raw. This is just my experience of 32 years as a painter and furniture/cabinet finisher.
Very nice. It really would be great to maintain as much of the part with the name on it so that it would be more like a restoration instead of a complete rebuild.
please use a food grade mineral oil apply often on the hole press apply until it wont soak any more and that's allot every day until the wood changes darker it mite take a week or so then rub carnuba wax like its going out of stile
I simply use mineral oil for anything that comes into contact with food, but something of that size will take gallons of it. But here's the rule of thumb for application: Once a day for a week, Once a week for a month, Once a month for a year, Then after that, when the wood starts to look dry.
Straight mineral oil nothing else for the wood, with oak being porous as it is you want to keep soaking the end grain of the wood. The maple press plate keep applying mineral oil till it stops absorbing it.
Go to the grocery store & get food grade mineral oil. Heat the mineral oil on low and add bees wax, the ratio is 3 (mineral oil) to 1 (bees wax). Apply liberally until the wood well not absorb anymore. Wait 15 to 20 mins & wipe the extra finish off & let it stand for 24 hrs. You need to reapply the finish the same way until the finish has developed a solid finish and won't absorb anymore finish. You shouldn't have to reapply for a long while but when you do just repeat the process.
the best food grade sealer is a mix of mineral oil and beeswax. just melt the wax and add mineral oil. as far as ratios thats prolly personal preference
That hand crank handle look cast iron, If it is cast, you can’t weld it like normal steel. Actually you can weld it with mig welder at all. You will need a stick welder with special cast iron welding rods. Good luck, its looking good!
QuenticoChris does a lot of food grade woodworking and I believe he uses lemon oil. Check out his channel for some ideas on what to do. He has some other great projects toobthat you might like.
Wooden barrels have been used for centuries to store food and drink without being treated with a finish. It may not hurt to contact a cooper/barrel maker and find out what they recommend for your press. It's way too nice a project you have, to make a mistake now. I wish you good luck.
I think a finish of any kind is completely unnecessary. You obviously take great care of your possessions. I think if you rinse the press thoroughly after each use, keep it in a dry well ventilated place while not in use, and keep the the newly painted cast iron hardware maintained. It will last you a very long time.
Wanted to add that you would use raw linseed oil not boiled. Mineral oil has about the same water resistance prop. & reapplication sched. Both would work great for this type of project.
Hate to burst your bubble but that press is not 100 years old, it's only about 30 yrs old. the company that makes them is still around and only started making them in 1984. They are Happy Valley Ranch. New ones of your model sell for $950. Good job on the restoration, keep up the good work!
![IBM Computing Cheese Cutter [Restoration]](/img/n.gif)
I'm so blessed that I found your outstanding channel... I do slot of restorations and whatever you use on the wood- make sure it isn't "new"! Lol. One tip I think you might like is after you sand or bead blast hardware that will "show", run it on the wire-wheel at 1750 rpm (slow) that will shine it up nicely! Then wipe it down with shellac! Nothing beats shellac! (100 year old tip) Thanks again!
I tend to agree with you and have been thinking the very same thing.
I like to look at it.
Hi Cody, my family has a cottage in rural Michigan, which is famous for its apples. We too have a yearly cider making tradition, and our wooden press is treated with nothing but vegetable oil. It is enough to preserve the wood, and prevent the cider from impregnating the wood enough to stay in the fibers long enough to turn rancid. Make sure to clean and dry the unit well after use, but you will have some time as the natural acidity of the apples prevent it from turning rancid too quickly.
Ahh been looking forward to watching this video all day brother!
I use Howard butcher block conditioner on my homemade hack-berry cutting boards. It is a mix of mineral oil and wax. I found it at home depot.
Linseed oil is always a good choice & usually most folks already have it in the shop. looking great Cody!
What a great job you've done with this apple press!
I like your reasoning about the top part (the hopper?) - it's not a part that will be exposed to much pressure, so restoring the original pieces would be very nice. I understand the "barrels" and the press itself were remade, they do, afterall, have to sustain a lot of pressure.
I just can't wait to see the whole thing when it's done, it's gonna be fantastic!
You are just awesome, thank you very much for these videos! :)
Hello Cody,
As a 'woodsman' I recommend you to oil the wood.
Use a natural oil. It 'greases' the wood (btw, i think it's white oak: if you make it wet red oak will take a reddish glow, white oak a yellow/green glow). If you let the oak unfinished, it will take the sap and sugars in it, and so make many unwanted bacterias;-)
LOL: You called it your 'winterproject', but winter has to come and your project is nearly done;-)
Nice project!
Much greetings from the Netherlands!
Mark
I do keep the Sabbath. God said to rest on the 7th day. We go to church on Saturday. Check you calender. Sunday is the 1st day of the week Saturday is the 7th
Cutting board oil is food grade and soaks in nice with an even look. I bet once you rebuild the whole thing you'll want to do the top part as well. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, it's looking fantastic! I cant wait for the finish restoration.
Wow,the barrel filters and press look like their brand new!
Hey Cody,
You might want to give some consideration to the crank wheel before welding. If it's cast iron, you may end up wrecking it. Brazing would be safer if you don't have the special high nickel rods.
I would recommend howard butcher block conditioner, it consists of mineral oil and natural waxes. I use it on cutting boards and it seems to hold up well
This is turning out very nice. Just a thought would be to measure out and draw the pieces that make up the top part for later down the road if you have to rebuild it one day. Keep up the good work and God Bless
Looks great so far.
use a piece of clear acetate to trace the name lettering and cut out a stencil from it if you need to repaint. if the wood on the upper needs replaceing it looks in good enough shape to make a template to trace on a new piece of wood. a little buffing compond may bring the paint back but i would do it by hand because it may eat through the paint and lettering if done with a machine can get it at auto supply stores also hand glazing compound. project is looking awesome.
Beautiful brother keep going cant wait to see the finish press and making cider!!
also, for a good reference, the wood whisperer has a good video on finishing a cutting board that would be ideal for your application
I use regular vegetable oil on my oak cutting board...Not sure if it will give you the look that you want. The cutting board has lasted since 1993 when I made it in high school woodshop. I suppose bees wax would work as well
For food grade you can use shellac or mineral spirits. Mineral spirits are used to condition cutting blocks in kitchens. A little late though (only a couple of years, lol ).
Not too late for me though! I am at the final stage of restoring an old (80 years) cider press brought to Canada from Germany. I wasn't sure about treating the wood but now I know. Thanks!
This is looking very nice!
Can't wait to build my own. Thank you for the great videos.
for the finish, ive heard you can use plain old pine tar, you can even make it yourself pretty easy, i dont know if thats really the look you want though
mineral oil and wax would definitely be the best finish for it. It's the same finish they use for cutting boards and salad bowls and the like. Also, it's very easy to refresh it, as opposed to a film finish.
I didn't paint the press plate.
After talking to a few woodworkers at a local Woodcraft store, they seemed to be of the school that a good quality wood doesn't need a finish as long as it is well taken care of, and kept clean. Any hard finish will flake off with use and any oil that you apply will not provide a very durable finish. That being said, mineral oil is a good non-toxic finish used for cutting boards and salad bowls. I wouldn't use boiled lineed oil on a food contact product because of the chemical driers added.
People need to have some common sense. When he said " it just need to be cleaned up and painted" he was talking about the metal (cast iron) not the wood. Keep up the great work Cody.
One other thing, if you plan to store the cider long term, make sure to pasteurize it. Otherwise over time it will naturally ferment and turn into hard apple cider. Or, if this is your goal, then set aside the portion that you wish to ferment, and store it in 2 liter pop bottles or some other container that will hold the pressure of the off-gassing of the cider, and let it sit at room temp for a few weeks. It will naturally carbonate and make its own alcohol.
STAINING - What about using vegetable oil? If it must be stained at all. Looking forward to the finished product.
I've seen a lot of people on here recommending butcher block oil and other "food grade" finishes, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say don't treat the barrels or the cider tray with anything. If the barrels are made out of oak, they will absorb some amount of cider but once saturated the cider will stop infiltrating the wood. The key will be to allow the barrels, the press and the tray to dry thoroughly in a well lit, preferably natural light, area to prevent mold from forming.
Mineral oil is the go-to wood finish for food-grade applications. It's what everybody uses for cutting boards, wooden spoons, et cetera.
It's refreshing to see something other than all the political stuff that's dominating the inter webs.
Thanks for bringing us along on this journey. Brings back so many good memories.
what kind of welder is that I see in the back ground of the last shot?
nice man ! is looking good !
this is a good idea. we know Cody has some boiled linseed around. but be careful, most boiled linseed oil has toxic metal driers in it, these days. i'd use raw linseed or raw walnut oil with about 1/5 beeswax per volume melted in. thinking of using this on my new axe handle as well...
you could use mineral oil to seal the wood. my dad and i use it in cutting boards we make.
The only thing I would use on anything that touches the apple is use a food grade butcherblock oil. That way you don't have to worry bout flecks of paint or stain contaminating your cider or juices from other fruits.
You might want to use butcher block oil, mineral oil, salad bowl finish, or food grade lemon oil for a nice scent.
hope you guys show the press in work
as far as finish i have made several cutting boards and butcher block oil is a food grade finish that just rubs in and lasts pretty well not sure how it would hold up on the press.
I do alot of wood working and wood turning and when I make things like bowls or other kitchenware I use Salad Bowl finish by the General Finishes company. I just follow the directions on the can for a beautiful finish.A down fall to it is the price. Just look it up online. You may want to test different finishes first.
Are you growing apple trees to go along with the press?
I would go with the beeswax and mineral oil or even plain beeswax finish all natural and durable you can also buy pure beeswax paste for finishing food and non-food grade finishes, it's used alot in Europe.
Mineral Oil is preferred when food comes in contact with wood.
For the finsh i dont know what its called but its the same stuff they use for butcher block counter tops it's a food grade item.
Parafin wax. Also, you are going to want to use a food grade paint for that cutting wheel (or maybe go with wax there too). Other users have said this, but I will repeat--I would avoid using any kind of plant based oil. All vegetable oils can encourage bacterial growth. I don't know if this true for mineral oil.
I think he meant the comment you made about the apple pullverizer thingy at 4:45 in the video about painting it. ( i assume you meant paint the fly wheel of it... )
Just in time for the apple festival in Portland! If you go send me a PM so I can shake your and and say thanks for all your tine you put in your videos!
neat project
yea Mineral oil is the best for anything touching food i use it for cutting boards ,spatulas and ladles that i make.
There are a few oils you could use, drying types and non-drying types, or just wax it. Wood does not harbor bacteria in most cases. Myself, I would go raw. This is just my experience of 32 years as a painter and furniture/cabinet finisher.
I have heard that mineral oil is food safe and I've used it on our butcher block cutting boards at home.
Cody, have you considered using butcher block oil for a finish? This would obviously be food grade finish.
Very nice. It really would be great to maintain as much of the part with the name on it so that it would be more like a restoration instead of a complete rebuild.
please use a food grade mineral oil apply often on the hole press apply until it wont soak any more and that's allot every day until the wood changes darker it mite take a week or so then rub carnuba wax like its going out of stile
I simply use mineral oil for anything that comes into contact with food, but something of that size will take gallons of it. But here's the rule of thumb for application:
Once a day for a week,
Once a week for a month,
Once a month for a year,
Then after that, when the wood starts to look dry.
Mineral oil? We use to use it for cutting boards.
There is a finished used on cutting boards / butcher blocks. I'm sure Woodcrafters would be able to tell you the name.
Straight mineral oil nothing else for the wood, with oak being porous as it is you want to keep soaking the end grain of the wood. The maple press plate keep applying mineral oil till it stops absorbing it.
Go to the grocery store & get food grade mineral oil. Heat the mineral oil on low and add bees wax, the ratio is 3 (mineral oil) to 1 (bees wax). Apply liberally until the wood well not absorb anymore. Wait 15 to 20 mins & wipe the extra finish off & let it stand for 24 hrs. You need to reapply the finish the same way until the finish has developed a solid finish and won't absorb anymore finish. You shouldn't have to reapply for a long while but when you do just repeat the process.
For protecting wood you could use linseed oil.
the best food grade sealer is a mix of mineral oil and beeswax. just melt the wax and add mineral oil. as far as ratios thats prolly personal preference
I use mineral oil on wood that comes in contact with food.
Vegetable oil will go rancid at some point.
Thanks for the video!
Wait, was that a Family Guy reference in the Rustic Garden Bench preview at the end of the video?
What where! Or are you talking about the song
That hand crank handle look cast iron, If it is cast, you can’t weld it like normal steel. Actually you can weld it with mig welder at all. You will need a stick welder with special cast iron welding rods. Good luck, its looking good!
To seal the wood, use butcher block oil.
my suggestion would be a natural oil like unboiled linseed oil, walnut oil, peanut oil or some such as that.
Why the fire with the door open lol. ambiance or is there actually a reason
As for a food grade finish, you can Google 'Happy Valley Ranch,' they sell food grade, in addition to other accessories
mineral oil or salad bowl finish is what i use on my turned wooden bowls i make..
If that hand wheel is cast iron then you may want to braze it rather than trying to weld it unless you're experienced at welding cast iron.
linseed oil not double boiled,walnut oil,tung maybe ?
why do you ask?
Same here. . .
i beleive this would be a bad idea, wont vegetable oil go rancid at some point?
QuenticoChris does a lot of food grade woodworking and I believe he uses lemon oil. Check out his channel for some ideas on what to do. He has some other great projects toobthat you might like.
You should make a pulley for it so you can use the hit or miss engine
you can use 100% pure Tung oil, or Raw linseed oil but i beleive you would have to reapply the Raw linseed oil more often!
Wooden barrels have been used for centuries to store food and drink without being treated with a finish. It may not hurt to contact a cooper/barrel maker and find out what they recommend for your press. It's way too nice a project you have, to make a mistake now. I wish you good luck.
cooking oil is a good seal
I think a finish of any kind is completely unnecessary. You obviously take great care of your possessions. I think if you rinse the press thoroughly after each use, keep it in a dry well ventilated place while not in use, and keep the the newly painted cast iron hardware maintained. It will last you a very long time.
Look up The Fuel Project-Know your enemy.
i meant the garage door?
Cutting block oil...Can't think of why it wouldn't work.
Wanted to add that you would use raw linseed oil not boiled. Mineral oil has about the same water resistance prop. & reapplication sched. Both would work great for this type of project.
look at this DarlingtonFarm
Hate to burst your bubble but that press is not 100 years old, it's only about 30 yrs old. the company that makes them is still around and only started making them in 1984. They are Happy Valley Ranch. New ones of your model sell for $950. Good job on the restoration, keep up the good work!
No need to finish it. I would not put a finish on any of the wood. Just be sure to rinse it off with water after using, and let it dry naturally.
#1
A lot of people get confused about which day is the seventh.
Use mineral oil It's food grade
Toung oil!
Just a cautionary statement but some people can have an allergy to linseed oil
I wouldn't finish it at all.. Rinse it off when done, let it dry, and store in a dry place. Oak is plenty durable..
Use mineral oil.
Ask "Matthias Wandell" on youtube.
we didnt treat our apple press at all, just rinse it down before and after you use it!
Wow everyone is so judgmental.Nice project