Clear Cutting Board Mineral Oil instead of Tung or Linseed?

ithacaartist · 12-14-2011, 12:28 PM

Flo,
Here's the scoop on finishes.

Anything that "wets" and penetrates the top layer of wood will make it look darker and richer. Water, of course, evaporates completely and you're right back looking at raw wood, with the addition of raised grain wherever the water has swelled it. This is why we finish wood, to stabilize and protect its structure.

An oil "finish" would result from using something like linseed oil, Danish oil, Brazilian rose oil, etc., which over time lose their volatiles to evaporation, leaving a cohesive substance behind. Like any other finish, the solids that remain behind dictate its characteristics, which can range from hard to downright gummy.

If you don't want to darken your grips any more than the minimum, then use as clear finish as you can find, but don't forget finished wood looks "wet" and darker than raw.

If in doubt, try your proposed finish first on a scrap of similar raw color. I'd recommend a light coat of something rather than let then go raw, which leaves them open to degradation by water and oxygen.

David Parker

12-14-2011, 12:28 PM	#2
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,374 Thanks: 7,447 Thanked 2,613 Times in 1,380 Posts	Flo, Here's the scoop on finishes. Anything that "wets" and penetrates the top layer of wood will make it look darker and richer. Water, of course, evaporates completely and you're right back looking at raw wood, with the addition of raised grain wherever the water has swelled it. This is why we finish wood, to stabilize and protect its structure. An oil "finish" would result from using something like linseed oil, Danish oil, Brazilian rose oil, etc., which over time lose their volatiles to evaporation, leaving a cohesive substance behind. Like any other finish, the solids that remain behind dictate its characteristics, which can range from hard to downright gummy. If you don't want to darken your grips any more than the minimum, then use as clear finish as you can find, but don't forget finished wood looks "wet" and darker than raw. If in doubt, try your proposed finish first on a scrap of similar raw color. I'd recommend a light coat of something rather than let then go raw, which leaves them open to degradation by water and oxygen. David Parker