mineral oil is baby oil and basis of motor oils

[Scott Perkins47]

As I just found out about the origins of mineral oil,
how and when is it recommended for use with
wood furniture ? Has it proven to work well
in most applications ?

[RickT Harding]

I've not considered it for use on anything until the cutting boards I'm working on. It's a food safe finish so I've bought a few bottles in preparation for finishing these boards. Seems to be pretty standard so I would think it works out pretty well.

For most furniture stuff I tend to use BLO, not mineral oil.

[Prashun Patel]

It's food-safe. Most naturally derived oils are initially food safe. Almost none dry with practical speed, though. So, they're heated, or modified so they'll polymerize; or, a resin's added that will harden. This adds protection, but decreases the food safety.

So, it's a tradeoff.

Most people use mineral oil on food apps only. It's a good alternative to other oils which are nut based (walnut) or can rancidify and stink (olive/almond/peanut).


(off topic warning
Of course, some will have you believe that since mineral oil is from 'oil' cultivation, it's somehow bad for the environment. But it's actually a byproduct of oil refinery, which means it's by some measure a recycled product.

[Rob Fisher]

Shawn's got it right.

Personally, I don't like using mineral oil because it is dino oil based. I prefer to use natural oils, ones derived from foods that I could eat. I wouldn't eat dino oil so I won't use its derivative (even though mineral oil is "food safe"). Food based oils , walnut, tung or linseed oils (if you can find them natural pressed not chemically derived) are what I would and have used. They do take longer to dry. There are also some heat treated (actual heat treatment, not chemical dryers) versions available which are said to help speed up drying time without altering the qualities of the oil. I have yet to use these but I do want to try them.

Rob

[Jason Roehl]

Mineral oil just passes through the body. It does not dry, but it does evaporate (albeit very, very slowly).

All the drying oils are food-safe when cured. The reason is that once they cure, they form long polymer chains that should they happen to get into your food and thus your body, they, too, will simply pass through untouched by the body's digestive processes. But even if they had a mild toxicity when dry/cured, so little would work it's way into your food that it really wouldn't be much of a problem. It's the lighter, non-curing/drying mineral-based oils that one needs to worry about. I've heard it said that a teaspoon of machine oil in the water supply of an aircraft carrier would sicken everyone on board.