I’m working on a project for a buddy, and @Azalaket recommended sealing it with mineral oil. Only issue is I haven’t found mineral oil besides the $8 tiny bottle of “cutting board oil” at Home Depot. Where do you guys get your oil?
Here’s the carved project:
you can get pretty good sized bottles at Wally World. Just don’t get the baby powder scented stuff.
It’s usually at pharmacies and the like. Some people use it as a laxative.
ikea’s cutting board oil is cheaper than home depot’s, but the other suggestions are probably better…
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Howard-12-oz-Cutting-Board-Oil-BBB012/202500132
@mattarmstrong, The question is what are you wanting to use the piece for? If for holding/containing food stuffs that might tend to seep into wood (e.g. a meat cutting board), then yes, mineral oil is a good choice. If just to finish/seal the wood so it can sit on a shelf and look cool, I wouldn’t use M/O as it doesn’t “cure”, but stays oily in perpetuity, or until it drys out.
If it just to sit around or put keys in or etc. non-wet-food uses, Danish oil (is this what AZ maybe suggested?), tung oil, or just some spray lacquer wood (he he) all be good choices.
I like Tung oil or Danish oil is a good choice. For my cutting boards I use mineral oil and I usually buy it at Walmart or Walgreen. Unless you are soaking a lot of boards in it a quart of mineral oil will go a long way.
I always bought from Bulk Apothecary by the gallon for $11-$12. I used several gallons a year though.
ya walmart in the laxative section of the pharmacy. i got 2 bottles of the equate brand the other day for like 1.94 each for a quart, here are my results. used about a half a bottle on this
That’s the pint (16 oz) price, unless they were running a sale. Still a very good price at <$16/gallon equivalent.
I buy it by the gallon for cheap ($15-20/gallon) at Tractor Supply (also available at many Ranch Feed and Seed stores). It is used when “tubing and lubing” horses to treat for colic.
Buying by the gallon is great for soaking cutting boards IN the oil rather than applying it ONTO the board.
Good rule of thumb for treating wood with mineral oil (a food-safe finish):
ah dangit it was pint size. but ya works good, i put some more on last night. i like the idea of soaking it though.
This is good advice - if it’s going to be in contact with food, you want something safe for people to consume. If they sell it at the drug store to drink as a laxative, I’m hoping it’s safe to consume and therefore put on a cutting board.
Thanks guys!
No food contact, just wanting to find a seal that doesn’t bring out a different color on the end grain
mineral oil will change the color like wetting the wood. does that make sense?
A couple of coats of clear spray lacquer (or spray polyurethane) should do the trick, then. (Unless someone smarter says not to 
) Sanding the detail between coats might be a challenge given the detail involved in the piece…I don’t really have a good suggestion for that.
I think any type of mineral oil will change the color and even clear ones will make it look wet as pjgamber mentioned. I “wood” try Wipe On Poly on the back of the piece to see if it works for you. Good luck
There are matt poly sprays,
Also you have to constantly replenish mineral oil finishes. It doesn’t really seal the wood in the sense I think you’re looking for.
Cut it with 1/4 to 1/8 Lindseed oil. Continually reapply until you’re happy. Once the lindseed dries, it pretty much seals it shut. Sherwin Williams can get you BLO in 55 gallon drums!
These guys have drums of mineral oil to go with that BLO, and only $5/gallon!
http://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/mineral-oil/
