Mineral oil on cutting board...does it ever stop seeping out?

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
Hey All,
Just like the title says, does the mineral oil ever stop seeping out everytime I touch the cutting board? I made six cutting boards using a mixture of kiln dried cherry and hard maple, finished them with one coat of mineral oil. Still a week later every time I touch them where my hand was there is oil on the surface. Does this stop or is it normal? I'm going to try and sell them but don't like what's happening. Thanks.

Red
 

nn4jw

New User
Jim
I believe it depends on the type of wood. On most of my bowls and boards mineral oil soaks in just fine. A large salad bowl I bought recently took a half dozen coats a day between coats before it quit soaking in. Then I just wiped the excess off. Others, especially cutting boards in daily use, I oil a few times a year as needed and usually just wipe off a single coat a couple of hours after application. So far I've never seen the oil continue to appear after wiping off. It either soaks in or stays on the surface in my experience. But strange things happen.
 

marinosr

Richard
Corporate Member
Since it's a non-drying oil, it won't stop seeping out. If the oil is washed off of the surface, capillary forces will just draw more up to the surface. It's kind of an advantage IMO with using mineral oil on kitchen things, that when you clean something the finish will refresh itself, to an extent.

If you want to reduce the greasy feel, use a 1:1 mixture of mineral oil and paraffin, or mineral oil and beeswax. That finish lasts longer than straight mineral oil because the beeswax slows the wicking out of the finish and makes it harder to scrub off. I use 1:1 mineral oil and beeswax on all our wooden cooking spoons and cutting boards, works like a charm.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Cherry is somewhat porous while the hard maple is less porous so the mineral oil (viscous) doesn't soak in very well but that's what you want. I didn't make our household cutting boards (4 of them) and I think that they're made from hard maple which I oiled with mineral oil and wiped it off several times. Warming the boards under an infrared lamp or in a very low kitchen stove oven also works to help penetration.

Bob Flexner says the best finish on a cutting board is no finish!

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/cutting-boards-the-best-finish/
 
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MarkE

Mark
Corporate Member
I have made dozens (+) cutting boards and have never had a problem with mineral oil seeping out. Could be that I don't really understand what you mean by seeping.
Boards that have been treated with mineral oil will have an oily feel, and will leave finger marks on the surface where touched. That will go away after the board has been used and washed a few times.

If you want to try an oil/wax treatment with out having to make your own, try Howard Butcher Block Conditioner.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ESTA30/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

Newboy

George
User
Flaxseed and linseed have a common source. However, only flaxseed oil is safe for human consumption.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Flaxseed oil usually refers to cold pressed oil. Sold in health food stores as a diatary suppliment. It is a drying oil, seals wood like a varnish, can even build up to a luster on the surface. I use it on all my kitchen ware.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Linseed oil is also safe for human consumption (a food safe finish). Even on a cutting board or other wooden food utensils it's safe and you're not consuming teaspoons or tablespoons of it. It's similar to the terror and hype perpetrated about walnut oil and nut allergies!

Read on...

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/boiled-linseed-oil-toxic/




Flaxseed and linseed have a common source. However, only flaxseed oil is safe for human consumption.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
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Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
Since it's a non-drying oil, it won't stop seeping out. If the oil is washed off of the surface, capillary forces will just draw more up to the surface. It's kind of an advantage IMO with using mineral oil on kitchen things, that when you clean something the finish will refresh itself, to an extent.

If you want to reduce the greasy feel, use a 1:1 mixture of mineral oil and paraffin, or mineral oil and beeswax. That finish lasts longer than straight mineral oil because the beeswax slows the wicking out of the finish and makes it harder to scrub off. I use 1:1 mineral oil and beeswax on all our wooden cooking spoons and cutting boards, works like a charm.

This^. I use the bee's wax mix and haven't had the seep-out problem.

If seep out is a problem, you could try wiping it with ethyl alcohol (ever-clear, etc) which might remove enough to get a dry surface while being food safe. I have not tried this, though, so I would try it on a test board first.
 
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red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
Thanks for the quick responses and all the info. Not sure what my next move is. Kinda hoping it just stops seeping (bleeding) out where I touch it. Thanks again.

Red
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Mineral oil is soluble in mineral spirits, not ethanol. You could try wiping down the boards a few times with rags moistened with mineral oil. Change to a fresh rag and repeat until you're satisfied.

Thanks for the quick responses and all the info. Not sure what my next move is. Kinda hoping it just stops seeping (bleeding) out where I touch it. Thanks again.

Red
 

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
Mineral oil is soluble in mineral spirits, not ethanol. You could try wiping down the boards a few times with rags moistened with mineral oil. Change to a fresh rag and repeat until you're satisfied.

Jeff l think you meant to say wipe it with mineral spirits. I t confuses me. To many minerals.
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
Got it! I'm just more concerned if a customer questions it. In use it will probably fade fairly quickly.

Red
 

stave

New User
stave
Heat the board with a hair dryer and as the oil seeps out wipe it off. Cause of the seeping is the board was to heavily oiled and the oil is pooled in the pores of the wood just below the surface, body heat brings it to the surface.

Stave
 

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