# olive oil



## stemag (Jun 1, 2014)

hi all quick question just going to seal the roof on my tbh can i mix olive oil with beewax insted of linceed oil if so what ratio should i use 
the only reason i ask is because it will take me a hour to get linceed oil and i have olive oil in my kitchen 
also do i put them both in a pot in a pan of water and heat thanks


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## Colleen O. (Jun 5, 2012)

stemag said:


> hi all quick question just going to seal the roof on my tbh can i mix olive oil with beewax insted of linceed oil if so what ratio should i use
> the only reason i ask is because it will take message a hour to get linceed oil and i have olive oil in my kitchen
> also do i put them both in a pot in a pan of water and heat thanks


I can't exactly answer your question because I haven't tried it but in oil painting generally you can use nut and seed oils in your paints but I haven't ever heard of olive oil being used. It may just be due to color, I know it was once used as lamp oil. Walnut oil and poppyseed oil are the most common substitutes I have heard of being used instead of linseed oil with poppyseed oil being the preferred oil due to color and aging properties. There is a specific type of oil painting medium that uses beeswax mixed with the oil but the recipe I had also calls for a dryer element such as lead or cobalt ... you have to understand this is a very old-world recipe. Anyway, hope this was somewhat helpful.


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## Mbalboa (Apr 21, 2014)

Vegetable oils, if I understand correctly, should not be used as wood finishes because they never dry. As such, they tend to be eventually washed away. Additionally, there is a tendency for vegetable oils to eventually become rancid. Naturally, there is a bad smell associated with that condition. I'm a new beekeeper, but I've been woodworking for years, and olive oil finished have always gone rancid for me. Since bees use their smell so much, I do not know how they would react to the smell of rancid olive oil. 

I don't know if mixing beeswax with the olive oil changes these properties substantially. Perhaps someone out there has tried this; this is just my two cents.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I can't imagine olive oil being a terribly durable finish alternative for something outside 24/7. I'd consider buying a known good oil and waiting for it to be delivered or going to pick it up.


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## stemag (Jun 1, 2014)

thanks for the answers people think i will go get some linseed oil


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## onesojourner (Jan 9, 2014)

Tung oil is a great oil to mix with beeswax. I get the stuff sold on Amazon in the can with the green label.


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## F6Hawk (Mar 31, 2014)

Food grade mineral oil is used to season cutting boards. Should work well in this application, too. NOT baby oil....


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## fruitveggirl (Mar 8, 2013)

LOL! I want a video demonstration of honey harvesting!


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## mrobinson (Jan 20, 2012)

Huh. I guess it just wouldn't "do" for me to say that I used a light coat of Thompson's Water Seal, on the outside only, and never looked back?


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## coffeedad (Apr 10, 2012)

Make sure you burn or put outside anything that comes in contact with the linseed oil. my daughter spilled some and didn't clean it up i came along with a paper towel tossed it in trash and almost burned my house down. It started a fire within several hours in my basement the flames were licking the ceiling when i got down there. linseed oil is very dangerous.
dave


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## fruitveggirl (Mar 8, 2013)

fruitveggirl said:


> LOL! I want a video demonstration of honey harvesting!


Whoops! Sorry this got posted in the wrong thread!  I wasn't trying to be rude or weird. I was trying to respond to a link to this article: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/06/13/indoor-kitchen-bee-hive-is-sticky-accident-waiting-to-happen/


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## stemag (Jun 1, 2014)

thanks for that coffeedad it haddent crossed my mind that it would be that flammable


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## BeeGora (Oct 22, 2013)

I put tung oil on the outside of my hives before I got the bees. I'm wondering if it's ok to put a second coat on later this summer? Would the smell bother the bees?


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## F6Hawk (Mar 31, 2014)

I doubt it would bother them. I know folks who paint theirs with the bees in them...



BeeGora said:


> I put tung oil on the outside of my hives before I got the bees. I'm wondering if it's ok to put a second coat on later this summer? Would the smell bother the bees?


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