Oh, another word on walnut oil and rags. I, being some one who has to experiment, tried to get my walnut oil soaked rags to spontaneously combust. It never worked, until one day in mid summer, I had left some out to dry on a black plastic garbage bag that was full of shavings. It was also on the south side of the shop so it got excellent sun exposure. It did start to smolder. So I would say that as long as rags are spread out flat, on concrete or gravel, it is pretty much impossible for the walnut oil soaked rags to combust. This is because of the very slow oxidation/curing rate of the walnut oil. It takes a week or so for the oil to cure, and sunlight and heat help speed up the process.
I’ve tried Odies, mineral oil, walrus oil, tung oil, and linseed oil on my boards. They all have positives and negatives. I’ve notice that the grain pops on walnut after a few days with mineral oil and walrus oil. I like odies dark, linseed oil, and tung oil on maple. The really penetrating oils can mask some of the character on dark walnut. I prefer something with a oil/wax combo for walnut. Just in case any cares!
How long does it take Tung oil to dry? Does it require repeat application or is this only for new boards? I’m asking because I just bought a massive teak cutting board. I can’t get clear answers. I read somewhere that tung oil is good for new boards after which you just use a mineral oil/beeswax paste.
@@AereForst I realize I might be too late but tung oil is best (IMO) for cutting boards due to it's nontoxic + waterproofing qualities. Yes, it will need upkeep, but any of them will. Work the oil in with a brush or rag and wipe off excess. Wait for the first coat to dry and sand with a fine grit sandpaper. Careful not to sand off your coat, 400-600 grit. Worth the wait: In dry & warm conditions it can dry in a few days. In more humid & cool conditions it can take up to two weeks. Reapply to 3-5 coats. WADDED OIL SOAKED RAGS CAN SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST. Lay them out and allow them to dry. I throw mine in a tub of water.
@@squigglyline2813 thank you. I’ve come to the same conclusion after research. Been busy, so I haven’t yet tackled the project. So far this is my plan: 1. Sand with 220-320 grit 2. Light coat Tung oil (TO) then buff off excess immediately 3. Wait at least 48 hrs 4. Repeat for a total of 3-4 coats 5. Leave for a month to fully cure 6. Apply mineral oil/beeswax/carnauba wax to surface I will incorporate the high grit sanding in between coats as you suggested
FYI anyone who wants to use mineral oil, go to a pharmacy or drug section of a store and you can get it sold as a laxative for cheap. It’s about the the same price per mL as a getting a bulk gallon, but they sell it in small containers so you don’t need to buy a decades worth at a time
I started with Mineral Oil, then moved to Howards an now use Mahoney's Walnut oil because my buddy recommended it and love it. Thank you for making this video.
hi there, awesome video with great info. What about serving board finish, as opposed to a cutting board a serving board would be to put food, ie cheeses cured meats, veggies etc. I am struggling with finding a finish, these foods have oil that leave marks on the types of finish you have on your video. Would this be a time to use polyurethanes since you would never use a knife on the board anyways. I would be interested in your view. Appreciate your time, thanks.
If you're just serving then I'd be fine using a film finish like a polyurethane, just make sure it's had time to fully cure (not just dry) before using it for food contact.
Bought Odie's oil and liked the ease but was taken back by the fact that it takes 3 weeks to cure otherwise water spots appear. great video, thank you.
Mineral oil won’t spontaneously combust. That’s only for drying/polymerizing oils like linseed and tung. Walnut oil probably can as well since it’s a drying oil.
I watch a lot of wood working and related videos but very rarely leave a comment. I like your video very much because it is direct, to the point and informative without a bunch of BS. Great video thank you very much. KJ
How long does it take to dry? Does it require repeat application or is this only for new boards? I’m asking because I just bought a massive teak cutting board. I can’t get clear answers. I read somewhere that tung oil is good for new boards after which you just use a mineral oil/beeswax paste.
To know youre using real Tung oil it will say 100%tung oil on the container. Most people probably might consider that common sense but those marketing folks are quite crafty and deceptive (aka they straight up lie to you) so it can be difficult sometimes to decern so If it says 100% tung oil you know you are good to go. It could potentially still be sourced from endangered french kissers, but it should, bar any illegality, be pure tung oil.
@@f.kieranfinney457 Apparently “fractionated” refers to the process of removing fats, which can turn rancid, from coconut, leaving only the oil. Nothing is mixed in, and the resulting product is edible. Seems safe, but I wonder about cure time and durability.
Thanks, Caleb. I'm currently doing a mineral oil bath, then applying Howards, and finishing off with a homebrew board butter of beeswax and mineral oil. Odie's has scared me off due to price. After this video, I need to reconsider. Thanks.
Derek, I’ve used alll of these and I really like Odies oil the best and then I give my projects a coat of Odies Wood Butter. I think you’ll be very happy with their products, hope this helps you.
Great presentation, thank you. Question. I like the idea of the Odie’s Oil, but the boards I have do have some cracks (through, top to bottom on edges), and I wouldn’t be able to get the paste down into the cracks. Suggestions? Thanks!
Hmm, great question. That's where mineral oil is handy because you can completely soak it in a bath. I'd probably handle it by using walnut oil. It's quite runny so it'd probably seep in there quite well.
@@YouCanMakeThisToo Could I then use the Odie’s Oil over the top of the Walnut oil? I really like the idea of it sealing well and being more permanent.
I use Flax oil. It is food safe. I use it all the time on my Blackstone griddles. It polymerizes, so it is a good drying finish. I can get a nice sized bottle from Walmart for about $9 and change. Since it is basically a linseed oil it will provide a good water resistant finish to wood. The only downside to any linseed oil finish is to burn the rags you use to put them on because they can spontaneous combust. I burn my rags that I use to put in seed oil on my axe handles and gun stocks after use. I don’t know the exact chemical difference between flax oil and linseed oil but I treat them the same, since they are made from the same thing - flax.
@@ronboudreau5357 yep, flax oil, cooking grade, from Walmart. After every use, I clean it with water while it is still hot, and then squirt flax oil on it and wipe it down with a light coat. I use a combination of Canola oil and olive oil to cook with. Frying bacon on it will really help the seasoning process. Some nice mornings, I throw some bacon on my little 17 inch and cook it golden brown, break a couple of eggs on it an cook them over easy and then throw a couple of pieces of bread on it and brown them. I can fix breakfast faster than my wife and it tastes like a breakfast cooked over a campfire. I can then clean and protect the griddle before my breakfast has cooled, maybe even eating it while I am cleaning the griddle. My 17 inch is on a 20# cylinder.
It IS essentially the same thing. But flaxseed oil is processed in food-safe conditions and linseed oil is generally not. Especially not if it is aimed toward painting use.
Great video. One question I have is if the Howard’s conditioner that you used in the video is a standalone product or if that is added after the mineral oil.
Very informative video..well done. I was considering making a cutting board and will get to it just as soon as I recover from the heart attack I had seeing the price of the Odie oil...LOL Must be made from virgin unicorns on top of a really high mountain and I'm gonna have to leave any unused Odie in my will.
It's pricey... but for how far it goes I'm not sure it really costs much more per application since you use so much less material. Just a bigger initial investment. That said, there's tons of cheaper products to get ya started!
At 6:16 he advocates warming up the finish but there is no mention of warming up the cutting board. When the warm liquid contacts the cutting board the temperature goes down very fast. Why not warm up the cutting board as well as the finish? Please explain.
It’s what the directions say, and it still makes a big difference just warming the product. But if you wanna go extra you can put your boards in a giant ziplock and weigh them down in a sink of warm water, put them in a low temp oven, or use a hair dryer to warm them up.
Excellent Explanation Just built a project and experimented with Odies, and their stain and oil & butter, etc… what a learning curve. Expensive one both in time AND materials. And too I believe that the kicker was the color aspect. The cure time for the “ stain” with 1 way of making the “ stain” requires like 24 hr dry time - I learned a lot and the customer support is pretty good! One aspect that was different for me was if the “color “ “ mix “ [stain] is NOT cured, the Oils will actually pull pigment from the wood! Thank you for your review of the oils/ waxes- I NOW plan to USE the Odies for its durability & ease of application! I’ve also used a brand called walrus food safe oil and believe the clients remain happy , BUT it’s Probably NOT getting blasted with cleanin much! Thoughts on Rubio? Keep on going --BTW noticed your magnet racks for chisels etc “ same” same - with a small shop, with limited time to make racks & constant cleaning up in order to actually get some work done I’ve added many more magnet strips and removed space taker racks ! “ ya know .., great minds right…” haha- Any excellent tips / designs for: 1]Mitre saw station & vacuum setup- my setup is lame 2] Should have NOT bought the contractor Sawstop as my dust collection is awful! Love the saw though Any good tips in case you’ve addressed this weak aspect of this type of saw dust collection? 3] simple router / handheld jigs for straight edge ie templates/ and or in a router table easy setting location of said bit - Feel free to email - hewittcory@gmail.com Thanks man Cory
Strange you didn't test the best oil there is for cutting boards - Pure Tung Oil. It soaks deep into the grain and cures (hardens) nicely plus it is completely food safe and food grade being a natural product made from crushing the nuts of Tung trees (painless process I promise). Takes a good three days to cure although you can quicken that by adding some Orange solvent, again made from a food source - Orange Peels. Wax is crap and you will get nothing but disappointment from clients who complain about how scratchy the board looks over time.
so if you have put mineral oil or mineral oil butcher block conditioner into your board do you need to sand the board back to bare wood to add a different finish?
Excellent video, very informative. I use mineral oil from the pharmacy on my cutting board. The bottle says to take a tablespoon to be used as a laxative. I am considering adding some bees wax to get a durable finish. Is bees wax food grade or food safe?
For all intents and purposes, the parts of the finishes that are not good for you are the solvents. This means that once the finish has fully dried, its food safe. If you can still smell it in the wood its not fully cured yet. Yes they are toxic if you drink them but once dry they are pretty much all safe. You have to ask the questions.
I have been using walnut oil on my bowls for 20 or more years, can't remember. The walnut oil does cure and harden which mineral oil and vegetable oils do not do. Vegetable oils will polymerize if it is heated, like seasoning a cast iron pan. I did use Mike Mahoney's oil for a number of years, and switched to 'the Doctor's Woodshop' walnut oil. Especially for end grain cutting boards, final coat is applied with a heat gun which makes the oil penetrate better. His carnauba wax in his oils can spread without heat. For me, I won't put anything on my bowls that I can't eat straight out of the can.... The walnut oil you buy in the grocery stores is not the same thing. Some will cure, and some will not.
Speaking of polymerizing oils have you tried tung or hemp oil? For that matter what about linseed (available as food-safe flax) oil? I'm not a board maker, build the occasional project and do a little furniture restoration. Tung is great for that as it's a bit semi-gloss. I've been using hemp on the butcher (grain exposed) boards in my kitchen (and sometimes a 'butter' I make with it and beeswax). It wears where it's gotten beaten up by knives (shaving-sharp knives here). I've experimented with making a first coat of 50/50 hemp oil and orange-peel solvent. Doesn't seem to make it any more knife-proof (wears about the same in those spots).
Thanks. Very informative. I’m going with 50/50 Tung Oil and citrus solvent on current board I’m making. A recent video from The Wood Whisperer convinced me to give it a try. Fingers crossed!
I used it on some wood/resin coasters I made for Xmas presents last year and its held up really well. The only thing I will say is make sure you let it cure fully before you use it. I've had issues with it being on wood and seeing "dry" spots and/or white rings from hot things. It does great on the epoxy though.
problem with spendy oills, if you are SELLING boards, the customer will likely not buy and reaapply something that costs a lot. Mineral oil you can cheap at Walmart or local drug store.
Tung is probably the most water resistant of the oils and if it’s pure tung oil (not tung oil finish!), it’s food safe. The downside is that it takes a lot longer to dry than the others.
I make my board treatment paste from food grade walnut and flax oils plus beeswax. If there’s some question of nut allergy for the user I skip the walnut. I’m not a fan of eating petroleum products like mineral oil and if there’s no ingredient list on the product we should assume some petrochemical is in it.
Odie’s will become waterproof after 2 weeks of fully cure, therefor you have to give time before you expose it to liquids, this are the instructions on their website
@@YouCanMakeThisToo Yeah the video I saw the guy recommended a tung oil brand called Hope's. Apparently he diluted with some food grade citrus solvent, but he didn't say how much, but based upon something else he said in the video I presume it was a 50% dilution. His name is wood whisperer
Grapeseed oil. Food safe, food grade, no odor, no color. Also my go to cooking oil because it adds no flavor but allows the flavor of the food to come through and has a 420 degree smoke point. 3 or four coats, rubbed in with your bare hand (you can rub the excess into your hands as this oil is a great treatment for dry hands). Leave as little oil residue as possible after rubbing 2 or 3 minutes. I would estimate about 2 or 3 tablespoons per square foot. Allow 24 hours between coats and sand with 220 sandpaper between coats. Easily recoated anytime and brings out good color in the wood.
It's all good. I have irrational pet peeves too. But you did inspire me to check to make sure I'm not sounding like an uneducated idiot. Brittanica, Merriam, and Oxford assured me it's been used as a verb for a long time. But we can all agree "gifting" is taking it way too far.
@troybush5899 Those are verb forms of past participle for "give". "Gift" is an adjectival past participle. In fact, your post reinforces the point that there are other, extant, better _verb_ forms rather than using a _noun_ or _adjective_ as a _verb._
I'm confused . . . Trying to figure out the point of this video. Application is a no brainer, what wasn't addressed or wasn't addressed very well was long term wear and tear and customer maintenance. Though Odies is ok not many customers will spend $45 for a jar for their cutting board and 99% will maintain their board with a mineral oil wax blend. Something to think about when selecting board finishes.
Mineral oil is not toxic. It’s used as a laxative and you can ingest it (although it’s probably not a lot of fun to do so since it’s a laxative). It’s highly purified so there’s nothing toxic left in it.
