Stop Using Mineral Oil for Cutting Boards and Utensils! 

I'll bet they are surprised waking up at 5am to a table saw running, and ill bet that planers not very quiet either.

shh they don't know yet 🤫

hahahahahaha!!

They probably have a very good sense of humor and do not mind him cutting up in the garage! ;)

🤣🤣

50 years later, I could not put that any better!

I used 50/50 tung and orange oil on a countertop last year. It took weeks of application before it would no longer soak in.

Oils are penetrative and can't be classified as film finish. The tung oil is inside the wood, just like in your story about mineral oil. The tung oil stays inside after curing, stabilizing the wood and making it less susceptible to moisture due to sealing of the pores. You're talking about cutting up oil inside the wood, which makes no sense.

​@@White000Crowbut you're not supposed to keep soaking it 😄

@@stefanfyhn4668 that’s what the instruction told me to do.

So what is your go-to finish for cutting boards? 50/50 mineral oil/beeswax?

I made a bunch of those back in the day for Xmas presents for family. Most are still in fine shape; one was left sitting in the sink in water for a day and cracked, but that's definitely abuse. 😒 One thing that's bothered me when I visit some of the recipients is when they put them on display as art pieces and never actually use them - if I knew they were going to do that, I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of making them end grain. When I give people cutting boards now I ask the recipients to consider them as cooking tools and not decorations. End grain boards are pretty resilient to knife marks and I can always run there's through the drum sander if they want me to to remove knife marks.

@@barryomahony4983 another surprising way these can get ruined is by excessive drying rather than excessive water exposure. I found this out when I was moving, and placed one upright next to a floor vent for a few days while packing up the kitchen. Turns out excessive drying and excessive water will both cause warping in end grain cutting boards to the extent of cracking...

@@je4777 I used the "General finishes" brand salad bowl finish (which I'm guessing is equivalent to just about any other poly urethane), and touch them up every couple of years with either beeswax or mineral oil depending on what I have handy

Tung oil isn't made from linseed oil

True.

@@fritzkabeano1969 no one ever said it was.

@@unable1234 "Tung oil is usually sold in the same state. It's basically boiled linseed oil."

@@fritzkabeano1969 You are making yourself look stupid lol

I assume with Tried & True and similar brands, it’s intended to help the linseed oil cure faster than it would without a treatment, they same as “boiling” the linseed oil can. Lots of “BLO” on the market actually just has heavy metal driers or some other ingredient to speed curing, so not food safe, but Tried & True of course doesn’t have any driers. I use Tried & True original, which has just the linseed oil and beeswax, on my kitchen items, and I find that it actually does cure faster than another oil I have for kitchens from IKEA (picture of a wood countertop on the cab), which is a blend of only linseed oil and tung oil, no driers and not labeled as being processed in any way for pre-polymerization. I found a great website where the author was experimenting with making their own basic traditional finishes, and they actually heated their own pure linseed oil to “boil” it themselves and I found it really interesting.

Eating Polymerized oils is also what causes health issues. Look at the statistics, before the promotion and sale of Crisco. I heard it was originally utilized as a submarine lubricant. Around the year 1910 there was nearly zero problems related to cholesterol. With the advent of high temperature machine oils (Margarine, Soybean Oil, Shortening) that replaced saturated animal fats, there was an exponential rise in problems of health. I'm intentionally being vague.

@@Ritalie If you're drinking your cutting board's finish, you have bigger problems than the long-term health effects of polymerized oils.

@@Ritalie I believe what you’re thinking of is _hydrogenated_ oils, not _polymerized_ oils.

Caramel is a polymer. It can be gooey, or hard as glass.

Not if you ask AvE

I think that is mostly a problem with those other "Danish oils" that put all kinds of chemical dryers in them - but yeah - I'm still super careful. Note that 'flax seed oil' which is culinary grade raw linseed oil doesn't have any warnings about not putting oil soaked rags in the trash can. I suspect that it is because it dries way too slow to combust. It will dry because I have used it on wood and it makes a nice hard finish in time......a LOT of time. haha

Hi ! Great video, just in time for my new cutting board. I want one of those beautiful cutting boards! Tell me who I contact to buy one please! Thanks, Genelle Smay

The pattern is called tumbling block

Thanx! i didnt know the term for what Id call a 3d effect :)

How the heck can you make a pattern like that? It looks like a printed graphic or something. I am so confused. You can do that with gluing wood together?

@@genellesmay1878 how would you switch finishes on a cutting board that’s been treated with mineral oil? What prep would be recommended if switching to tung oil or tung oil+orange solvent?

Linseed oil is even better if 100% natural and food safe obviously

@@jeromechoquet2075 Yes, linseed oil is really good stuff but beware "Boiled" often means things were added rather than it actually being boiled. Raw linseed oil is really good on wooden parts of garden tools. You can put a lot on and leave the tool out in the hot sun for a while. Since linseed oil is good for the skin, a little rubbing off on your hands is really a good thing.

@@kensmith5694 I only use Livos bc I know it’s 100% natural, even the pigments

Yeap. Making sure there are no petroleum or non food safe drying agents is always the pest. Recently found tung oil supplier changed formula on their product. Have to check every time. Linseed oil can do stellar finishes raw too, but can take more time most than most normal human beings would consider to properly cure 🤣... loves airflow and lots of O2...

@@tttm99 Also beware of "boiled linseed" a lot of it has drying agents added. You can find the real boiled stuff some places.

For basic everyday cutting boards. I have used food grade mineral oil and after dried a bees wax type top coat. Howard's or similar. Easy and economical. Never a problem.

Great point. Plus you can sell them a can to reapply in a few months! People ask for care tips all the time and it's so easy to just hand them a can of mineral oil/beeswax wood butter.

@tombalko4589 yup. I gave out a small tin of my home made wax that had my logo and brand on it, as well as written instructions on how and when to apply some of it. Only cost me $2.50 per tin but was a good way of showing my faith in my products, and it keeps my brand in their minds for a few years after purchasing.

Tung oil is made from nuts, so can cause allergies to nut sensitive folks. It sure it’s a good idea to use around food.

Use food grade flaxseed/linseed oil rather than tung oil. Flaxseed aka linseed oil takes much longer to cure, and it remains pliable even after curing. You can mix beeswax in to make an easy to apply sealing oil/wax.

There is a video on outdoor finishes. Short answer - penetrating oils.

I agree with what you said. Nobody boils their cutting board. Obviously the tung oil held up better, but there are a lot of variables involved. And if you actually use the cutting board, what finish would you rather eat little chunks of. Idk, may give it a try. As far as Odies and the others, once they have fully cured they’re all safe.

@@BobBob-eh5sb James Hamilton at Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal maintains that most all finishes are "food safe" once they are cured. I think he is most likely correct, as he is knowledgeable and researches what he says before he says it. I'm not very concerned about tung oil being toxic once it is cured, or even before it is cured; however, the tung tree (leaves, seeds, etc.) are toxic, so that does make some people think twice about using for things that will come in contact with food. Just from a "better safe than sorry" standpoint, I will stick with mineral oil or fractionated coconut oil as the base for "food safe" finishes that I make; although I might experiment with using tung oil for finishes for furniture and other non-food-contact things.

@@linsen8890 Yeah, Stumpy is who I heard it from. The Tung oil looked good after the test, but that also made me wonder how thick of a coat it was to stay looking that way. Thinking it would tend to come off in chunks after repeated cutting. Probably wouldn't kill you, but might not taste good. Would consider it more for charcuterie boards.

I know I'm late to the party, but this was my feeling as well. For a cutting board, especially an end-grain one (which is all i use) I think keeping the wood fibers supple is much more important than maximal resistance to water / heat, because I think this will factor into the longevity of the board and it's ability to 'heal' knife marks. I have a thick block I bought from a Williams-Sonoma outlet store over 20 years ago that's been used almost every single day, and there's barely a visible mark on it. It's totally unscientific and anecdotal, to be sure, but I attribute a lot of that to having used only mineral oil-based products on it. These have evolved a bit from just pure mineral oil in the old days, to the home-made blend of mineral oil, beeswax and a bit of carnauba wax (

really? do you only use wood utensils in WATER?

@@op3129 Don't understand this comment - didn't address this at all.

@@chrisnurczyk8239 water is not NEARLY the usual environment for a "food safe" wood finish. boiling acid (aka simmering tomato sauce) is MUCH worse. you want "scientific method"? START with "fails in just water" - *_which is ABSOLUTELY a legit way to knock out 'first round'_* yeah sure, anything that fails just water should be mocked/shunned/rejected. THEN proceed to submerging various finishes in boiling acid (simmering tomato sauce). bc "scientific" needs to include reality.

​@@op3129boiling water is the ideal torture test, so what's your point?

Several years ago I helped a friend make an end-grain cutting board form maple. We coated it with a bees wax/mineral oil mixture (approx. 1 to 4). He uses it every day and the finish has held up to his, very sharp, knives without a recoat. I agree with your assertion that holding up to knives is the key to judging a finish.

You are correct. Adding a polymerizing finish to a cutting board makes it more like a plastic one. A breeding ground for bacteria.

So are you saying “it shouldn’t be used in cutting boards?

@@browncrcb Yes, they may be a good option for some toys (those less likely to be put in the mouth) or tables etc. and out of experiences they are great finishes. But no, they are not suitable for cutting boards.

@@alexanderkupke920 This comment completely contradicts what he just said in this video, that the polymerized hardening oils are the best for wood surfaces and cutting boards, because they don't leave an oily residue. Is there any research you can point to, to illustrate why a dry oil would be worse and cause bacteria?

@@Ritalie Not exactly. I used that Osmo stuff before myself, and at least the can I had said it was not suitable for cutting board or items used with food, despite being food safe. There sems to be a difference if this is for example used on a toy a child may put into the mouth, which already qualifies as food safe or something like a salad bowl that may be exposed to oil or acidic substances over time. I think food safe means not leeching out potentialy harmful substances. For a cutting board, I would not bet on any specific antibacterial or whatever properties from those oils anyways. For one, most wood, if it has a chance to dry properly, has already antibacterial properties (through tanins etc contained in the wood), also, how deep do you think any oil will penetrate into the wood actually? If you don´t let it soeak in in a vacuum chamber, not as dep as you might think. So the oil protects the surface, but as soon as you get a heavy scratch or cut in the wood, you will be through the oil coating anyways. those groves are actually what may support bacterial growth, if you don´t get all residue cleaned out and you may create a moist environment. plastic boards in theory are safer, but it was found, that those cuts and grooves likely close up immediately afterwards, encapsulating residue. So I generally agree with what Marc found, I just made a comment about something I found in the past as a restriction by one specific brand. Almost all of those oils will polymerize over time. Best example is linseed oil, which for that reason traditionally was used for paint and stuf as well. The stuf like Osmo and some other products just have additives that speed up polymerization by a lot. Which is a considerable factor, as a traditional oil paint out of linseed oil and for example white pigments used to paint old wooden window frames, or with sawdust and stuff was used as glasing putty, takes weeks to fully cure and harden. That is also why today mostly an oil varnish is used, not actual oil paint. No one has time for that any more.

There are many "poisons" that build up in the body over time, so a "safe" dose can be harmful if you keep ingesting it. There are also things like uranium that's poisonous at any dose

​@sopastar Well yes, you are of course, correct. But back to wood finishing. I haven't seen much of that uranium wood finishing oil around lately. Prolly took it off the market, right? 😅

@@Papadoc1000 Yeah, those were the days! Hard to get a hold of arsenic and lead paint too... At least we can still buy old uranium glassware

Tung oil has nuts, so even a small amount can be deadly to nut sensitive folks. Not sure why it’s being recommended for food cutting boards. Doesn’t seem right.

A little bit of research is telling me that it doesn't appear that a true natural tung oil will cause issues in a person with a nut allergy. Not sure it's worth testing that out on someone with a severe allergy, but I see it as something that could use more investigation, rather than assuming that it will cause a death@@1970rsc

What's the formula?

@@jvallas that's the thing, they wont tell you

What ratio of tung oil to beeswax do you use?

I have done the same as you with good results. Time for me too to do a tung oil comparison.

I prefer the sound of hemp seed oil because it is edible. I would NOT put any oil on my chopping board that I could not eat. Otherwise, it is toxic. Hemps seeds are edible therefore not toxic. Tung oil is not edible so why would we put it on a chopping board? That is my view.

"I’m more interested in keeping a cutting board from drying out and cracking." It's totally a misconception in the cooking world. The wood in cutting boards is dry. It SHOULD be dry. If it was moist it would warp like hell as it dried down to equilibrium with your house. It is just the moisture absorbed on a surface that causes expansion where those fibers absorbed water, and enough warping especially from becoming unevenly wet can cause cracking (doubly so if it was poorly glued, which is surprisingly common for mass-produced boards). Oil prevents cracking by slowing down that absorption of moisture. Actually oil is totally unnecessary if you take decent care of a well-made board-when washing, wet both sides, and make sure both sides dry evenly-but oiling will still help reduce the odors absorbed.

Cause you are not supposed to COOK your darn cutting-board - unless you are a maniac.

Or conducting a scientific experiment in which case you need to create extreme conditions to remove the time factor from the analysis

Bamboo is very hard and not the best choice for cutting boards.

@@GrantHendrick Why is hardness bad?

@@slicedtoad I dulls the knife edge.

There is also the option of using wide boards for cutting boards. It's kinda the opposite of all the trendy cutting boards people make with multiple different woods and 50 glue joints, to just use 2, 3, or 4 boards that are 6"/15 cm wide. Get your glue joints really tight and there'll be hardly any glue to eat. :) At that point, I wouldn't worry because inhaling brake dust walking next to a busy road will definitely have 100x the impact on your health anyway. I've seen some people fear increased warping with wide boards. If your cutting board is flat when dry then it'll be fine. Warping in cutting boards frequently is due to either only 1 face getting washed, or only 1 face getting dried, not because your boards are wide or flatsawn.

Interesting, informative video. Since my cutting boards and wooden spoons have been going naked for years, perhaps I should buy some Tung oil to brighten everybody up.

Yup! They "boil" the oil in a vacuum, which prevents it from turning into a hard lump, but makes it cure much faster than raw oil once exposed to air. That's what all "boiled" linseed oil used to be, but sadly nowadays manufacturers will use the boiled label for linseed oil with solvents 😞. I wonder if that's why they're specifically calling it "polymerized" oil?

The new version of boiled linseed oil literally contains heavy metals as driers. I did a project with flaxseed oil which is how I found that out.

Tung and flax (pure, food-safe linseed) polymerize, aka dry, via oxygen contact. Heat speeds this process. Flaxseed oil takes a LOT longer to dry, as in 4-12 times longer, which is both why people started putting lead into it and why that finish didn’t perform as well.

@@colonynaut1627 YES. Tried and True's SDS specifically says, _"No heavy metal driers - metallic salts of cobalt and manganese could be a health risk to those who manufacture them. Fume Free - Zero VOC - no solvents or petroleum distillates are present in Tried & True wood finishes therefore, there are no compromises in environmental impact indoor air quality."_ But they're the exception, not the rule. BLO at the hardware store nearly always uses heavy metal chemical drying agents. Always read the MDS to know what you're buying, for any finish but especially when it is something like "varnish" which could be nearly anything. If for whatever reason you can't buy online and don't have a high-end local woodworking supplier, you can buy regular linseed oil as flaxseed oil from health food stores. Art supply stores sell the heat-processed pure stuff, which they call stand oil (read the MDS to be sure that's what is in the bottle).

Solid Dad joke/pun. Well done.

I appreciate that he’s willing to go against the grain of everyone else in the world who correctly pronounces the word “polymerization”. 😜

@@jeffmansfield914 That’s what I get for learning that word in college and not on RU-vid. 🤷🏻‍♂️ 😂

@@woodwhisperer Been to college. Work in an industry that deals with polymerization of acrylic resins. Still don’t hear folks pronounce it that way. It really doesn’t matter, and only stuck out because you were saying it SO much. It’s cute.

To be fair, maybe it’s a regional thing.

I’ve been using coconut oil myself and like the results. Recently tried both Walrus oil and mineral oil, jury still out. Also I am trying a wax type finish, Wood Butter from Macy’s Place.

It will absolutely thin the oil down a little and suck it into the wood *just a little* as it cools . Don't heat the wood over about 170F, it could warp, weaken, or embrittle it. Some people use vacuum pots, which *seriously* draw oil or stabilizer into the wood!

​@Bob_Adkins if the oil is flaxseed/linseed, the heat will help start the curing process.

Original still does use beeswax. I wonder though what the proportions are compared to the finish he used.

How do you mix the wax and oil? What ratio do you like?

I too would like to know your mix ratios, if you don't mind sharing.

@@charlesdeshler202 I start by applying Tung Oil diluted with mineral spirits (about 50/50). Apply liberally and let soak in for about an hour. Then wipe off excess and let dry for several days. I repeat this process 3 - 5 times with a light sanding between. When this is done, I apply beeswax by rubbing a block of beeswax with a clean rag that is wet with mineral spirits, it helps lubricate and soften the wax for easy coverage. The polish.

@@SgtPUSMC thanks, if you use this on wooden window frames at the coast, do you have to lightly sand it down before renewing /re-applying a tung oil /mineral spirit coat (for maintenance purposes)

for candy making naked is best. the finishes do come off and flavor candy.

I say the same thing - don't put finish of any kind on those spoons and tools.

Go for the telephone pole and railroad ties. That creosote adds just the right tang to your foods. 🤣

@@jscott9384It’s tough to find the comment I’ve seen you keep referring to. RU-vid comments on a tablet do not allow searching. Bummer. Maybe I’ll find it eventually?

Would you eat what you put in the wood.? I just use salt and olive oil

@@peetsnort the problem with vegetable oils like olive oil is that they go rancid...does the salt solve this issue?

@@Shiva108 olive oil is the last oil to go rancid. The salt will kill the bacteria. It stops fungal growth.

@@Shiva108 I suspect the olive oil just stops the wood from drying out.

@@peetsnort yes, that's what oils do..but olive oil goes rancid after a while..I was just wondering if the salt counteracts this issue..

So you’ll notice Felipe spells Jatobá with the accent. Accents help - they tell you where the emphasis is, (ja-to-BA) vs no accent (Ja-TOE-ba.) it doesn’t matter in the USA - there’s no reason for anyone to care if it hurts MY ears when people say Ja-TOE-Ba! It IS extremely hard, rot-resistant wood, so your suggestion to try this with domestic woods (other than black locust) is a good one, as is giving the flax oil three months to dry between coats. I think stumpy nubs used flaxseed oil by painting it on, waiting a few minutes for it to soak in, and repeating a few times, then waiting a good while before the next application, kind of like compound coats. Another guy I don’t remember always put it out in the sun.

@@ReidLangford just so you know, that's a common RU-vid scam and not Marc replying.

@@teguh.hofstee yeah I figured that out. I PM’d Marc on here and he told me it was a scam. Thanks for the reply and advice!

I'm also wondering how walnut oil would compare to tung oil. Does anyone have links to any relevant evidence or tests?

I don't think everyone realizes mineral oil comes from petroleum refinement. Sure the stuff labelled as food safe has supposedly been purified, but it wouldn't be my choice.