Oil Help

[Arran Turner]

I want to make placemats out of some of the logs i have, what oil/ solution do you guys use to seal the wood, and whats the process?

 

Sand down then oil?

 

Not really sure thats why im here

 

thank you very much

 

arran

[WorcsWuss]

Danish oil is quite good, I slap that on everything, indoors and out, mix it with a bit of Rustins wood dye if I want to change the colour.

You'll need to let the wood dry out before you seal and or try to sand it...

[wisewood]

For indoor stuff and especially stuff in contact with foods the best and cheapest product is mineral oil. It goes by the name of paraffin oil and can be bought for next to nothing at most pharmacies. It's used as a laxative I think:blushing: but it's classed as a food safe oil for chopping boards and worktops etc.

I bought 130ml for £1.03 from the local chemist and if you bought the same stuff marketed as a board oil you'd pay about £7.00 !!

[Arran Turner]

Thank you folks

 

ill pop out and get some parrafin oil this week, at least it wont dent my pocket

 

Arran

[paygan]

if its for placemats wouldn't tung oil be better ??

[EddieJ]

For food/hygiene use, Tung oil gets my vote.

 

Be aware though, that it can affect anyone who has a nut allergy.

[fergusonforestry]

have heard conflicting advice about tung quite a few people say no for food use, i use butchers block oil meself

[EddieJ]

fergusonforestry has prompted me to take a look at this a bit further.

 

I use Tung oil on items that I don't want a colour change in, and the can states for food use. But looking into the risks of using Tung oil for food prep areas, I am going to agree with fergusonforestry.

 

After a quick look at the Axminster Catalogue, I'd now be tempted to go for either Chestnut food safe oil or Rustins Chopping board oil.

[morten]

For indoor stuff and especially stuff in contact with foods the best and cheapest product is mineral oil. It goes by the name of paraffin oil and can be bought for next to nothing at most pharmacies.

 

I feel I have to comment on this one.

 

"Mineral Oil" is a classification of any type of oil that is derived from petroleum (fossils).

 

Paraffin oil would be safe to use, but as it is not a hardening oil (it doesn't harden when exposed to oxygen), it does not provide a protective surface, and will continue to stain surfaces that it is placed on.

 

I suggest using a hardening non-mineral oil such as linseed oil or tung oil (both commonlu called "danish oil"). Linseed oil is also used for medicinal purposes and is thus safe to use, although some retail variants may contain additives (fungicides etc) which are unsafe. When applying hardening oils to wood, make sure you remove any oils that remain on the surface after an hour or so, as it may otherwise form a sticky substance, which makes sanding difficult. In any case leave to dry (harden) for several days before sanding.

 

For further info on linseed oil, see Linseed oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia