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Butcher Block - Salad Oil as finish/sealant

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Stephen Volner

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I have a couple of very old butcher block cutting boards that I've just sanded down to clear wood. I was going to use Mineral Oil to finish them, when a friend asked me why I didn't use salad oil instead. I had no good answer for him, but it sounds like a possibly good idea.

Any reason not to go this route? Any negative results from using Salad Oil?

Your advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Steve
 
Stephen, the biggest downside to using salad (vegetable) oil is that it can go rancid over time, and stink to high heavens.

There are some folks that swear up and down that veggie oils on their boards doesn't go bad, but I have smelled the funk of rancid oiled boards personally, so I know for fact it can happen. Whether it does happen depends on a number of variables like temperature, humidity, how the board is washed, etc.

Personally, I only use mineral oil. It's cheap, food-safe, odorless and taste-free. :thumb:
 
Vaughn McMillan said:
Stephen, the biggest downside to using salad (vegetable) oil is that it can go rancid over time, and stink to high heavens.

Personally, I only use mineral oil. It's cheap, food-safe, odorless and taste-free. :thumb:
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Potential rancidity had not occurred to me. That is a definite deal breaker.

Thanks for that feedback.

Regarding MIneral Oil, I was going to use Baby Oil, which I have on hand, but in addition to Mineral Oil, it has "fragrance" listed as an incgredient. Wondering now if that too has some drawback?

Thanks again
Steve
 
Don't use the baby oil, Steve. You can get pharmaceutical (unscented) mineral oil in the laxative section of your local supermarket or drug store. It's less expensive than the baby oil, too.

Back when I was making a lot of cutting boards, I used to get strange looks in the checkout line with half a dozen bottles of mineral oil in my basket. I'm guessing people would look at me and think "that poor guy...he must be plugged up something fierce". :p
 
Vaughn McMillan said:
Stephen, the biggest downside to using salad (vegetable) oil is that it can go rancid over time, and stink to high heavens.

There are some folks that swear up and down that veggie oils on their boards doesn't go bad, but I have smelled the funk of rancid oiled boards personally, so I know for fact it can happen. Whether it does happen depends on a number of variables like temperature, humidity, how the board is washed, etc.

Personally, I only use mineral oil. It's cheap, food-safe, odorless and taste-free. :thumb:
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Vaughn is spot on. I had this same thing happen and heard the rumors that Salad Oil Finish works as well. It didn't for me and went rancid.
 
I too would go with the Mineral oil, but I'd also add that I've heard a number of guys, swear by Walnut Oil :dunno:

I think our very own Frank Fusco has used it with success.

Good luck! :wave:
 
Mike Heidrick said:
Where is a good place to buy mineral oil? I don't think I am looking in the right places to find it.
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Mineral oil is sold as a laxative. Any drugstore or pharmacy will have it, and large supermarkets as well.

And I want to say thanks to everyone.

I have been oiling and buffing, and now have a couple of very nicely restored cutting boards.

Thanks
Steve
 
Stuart Ablett said:
I too would go with the Mineral oil, but I'd also add that I've heard a number of guys, swear by Walnut Oil :dunno:

I think our very own Frank Fusco has used it with success.

Good luck! :wave:
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Actually, Frank is a proponent of olive oil, as I recall. He's not had a problem with rancidity, but I know plenty of other folks who have.

People with severe nut allergies can be sensitive to walnut oil. I'm good friends with someone who is.

Glad to see you got your boards fixed up, Steve. :thumb:
 
About every season this pops up and the contention is basically Mineral Oil and/or a formula based on Mineral oil. do some research and you will find where Universities did research and found that the best finish was no finish as wood has natural Bacteria killing substances and Bacteria dies quicker on raw wood than finished wood, second would be Mineral oil, No saving graces with hardening finishes as the cuts make harboring spaces for food bacteria. Salad oil is next to lethal in bacteria growth. My formula is to soak Paraffin and disolve in Mineral Oil about 50/50 or abouts. Soak the surface repeatedly and then buff with a terry cloth Warmed oil works best.

Went to the GURU of Cyber Smarts: Wikipedia, and found it says, "Wood has some advantages over plastic in that it is somewhat self healing; shallow cuts in the wood will close up on their own. Wood also has natural anti-septic properties,[1] and because bacteria bind to wood and are not readily released.[2]

Hardwoods with tightly grained wood and small pores are best for wooden cutting boards. Good hardness and tight grain helps reduce scoring of the cutting surface and absorption of liquid and dirt into the surface. Red oak for example, even though a hardwood, has large pores so it retains dirt, even after washing, making it a poor choice for cutting board material.

Care must be taken when selecting wood, especially tropical hardwood, for use as a cutting board as some species contain toxins or allergens.

Although technically a grass, laminated strips of bamboo also make an attractive and durable cutting board material.
 
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Bill Simpson said:
...as wood has natural Bacteria killing substances and Bacteria dies quicker on raw wood than finished wood
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I did not know that. Interesting.

Not to argue, but I wonder if that conclusion takes into account the various liquids from cutting vegetables and fruits, to say nothing of the juices from slicing raw meats. It would seem to me that that untreated wood absorbs these, and that is a very good breeding ground for bacteria.

If you can cite one of those University studies, I would be very interested to read that. Wikipedia is not what I would call definitive in any area.

Interesting information nonetheless.

Steve
 
Stuart Ablett said:
I too would go with the Mineral oil, but I'd also add that I've heard a number of guys, swear by Walnut Oil :dunno:

I think our very own Frank Fusco has used it with success.

Good luck! :wave:
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Noppers. Another ethnic group uses walnut oil, I dunno which. I like Olive Oil. Never had a rancid problem. But agree mineral is the stand-by, safest, most reliable and probably least expensive.
 
Stephen Volner said:
I did not know that. Interesting.

Not to argue, but I wonder if that conclusion takes into account the various liquids from cutting vegetables and fruits, to say nothing of the juices from slicing raw meats. It would seem to me that that untreated wood absorbs these, and that is a very good breeding ground for bacteria.

If you can cite one of those University studies, I would be very interested to read that. Wikipedia is not what I would call definitive in any area.

Interesting information nonetheless.

Steve
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This issue comes up on almost every forum a couple times a year. Searches will find information that confirms what Bill said. Bare wood is very safe and is a natural buggies killer. Some folks, nevertheless, have a fear of the wood and no amount of discussion can change their feelings.
I do agree with the statements about Wikipedia. Anybody can change anything on it. Most unreliable source of (I use the word loosely) information possible.
 
Stephen Volner said:
I did not know that. Interesting.

Not to argue, but I wonder if that conclusion takes into account the various liquids from cutting vegetables and fruits, to say nothing of the juices from slicing raw meats. It would seem to me that that untreated wood absorbs these, and that is a very good breeding ground for bacteria.

If you can cite one of those University studies, I would be very interested to read that. Wikipedia is not what I would call definitive in any area.

Interesting information nonetheless.

Steve
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Here is one such study... University of Wisconsin-Madison


Microbiology of Butcher Block Cutting Boards For Food Safety
Food Research Inst., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Food safety publications often recommend that plastic rather than Wood Butcher Block cutting boards be used, for greater safety in homes, restaurants, butcher shops, and food processing. The concern is that disease-causing bacteria from meat or poultry will soak into the wood board and later contaminate other foods that are cut on the same surface. We have found no earlier research that supports this concern. In fact we have found that bacteria recoveries from wooden blocks were generally less than those from plastic blocks. Follow the link below for the whole report.

http://www.thebutcherblocktop.com/woodvsplastic.html
 
Thank you for the link. Extremely interesting.

Will certainly affect any project involving food contact I may do in the future.

Steve
 
I'm guessing people would look at me and think "that poor guy...he must be plugged up something fierce".

I'm guessing most, except maybe some of the older folks, probably didn't have a clue what its medicinal use was. I use it in the shop to wipe onto my hand tools to keep them from rusting, and as a lube for handplane soles and hand saw blades when I've misplaced my bar of canning wax. Use it for French Polishing, also. I like it better for that than BLO.
 
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