magicflight said:
MoeOnTheMoon said:
Isn't butcher block oil just glorified mineral oil? What's the difference? From what I've heard, one can use plain old mineral oil on wood, no? (only on the outside of the box, of course)
Hi,
We have wondered that exact same thing ourselves -- its a question that needs to be asked of the vendor for the butcher block oil. For our purposes, the important part is the FDA certification. We require certain assurances that the (otherwise minimal) finish is absolutely safe to use, and we get them so as to be sure that what we are selling is a good product for everyone.
People are welcome to reapply the finish at any time themselves so as to preserve the natural color of the wood. We recommend the Jasco brand -- they have an off the shelf consumer version that is generally available.
-- Magic-flight
Don't read this - it's long - unless you're interested in putting cheap oil on your wooden vapes like the Launch Box to preserve the wood:
Magic-flight, I certainly understand and appreciate your using FDA approved butcher block oil and think you are absolutely correct in doing so, just to be safe. That is just another example of how customer-oriented you are and we appreciate it!
The following is only for those who want to preserve their wood on the LB and perhaps on other vapes etc, who do not want to shell out the $ for "butchers block oil", which tends to be a little pricey:
My research on using oil on my wooden cutting board led me to believe that plain old mineral oil is just as good and WAY cheaper for personal home use. I put some mineral oil on my MZ and it worked great, darkened up the wood a little and it feels much less dry. I also use it on my cutting board and some wooden carvings I have.
As to whether or not butcher block oil is better in any way than mineral oil, I don't really know, though I've read some opinions on the web that say it is not.
I did find this:
"MOST block oils are just food grade mineral oil. The cheapest version of this, as you stated, is laxative mineral oil from the pharmacy. I can't comment on any others but Boos oil contains mineral, linseed, and tung oil. The latter two are drying oils which cure to a harder state to form a cross-linked polymer. From my experience this oil seals much better and lasts much longer than anything else I've used. It does impart a deeper yellow color than mineral oil though."
I also found some info that says the manufacturers of wooden cutting boards use mineral oil on them before selling them. This leads me to believe that Magic-Flight could save some money by also using mineral oil if they wanted to.
And this:
"Mineral Oil is the most traditional finish for a butcher block. Used for years by butchers around the world to keep their blocks in good shape. All of our cutting boards come standard with mineral oil and countertops, island tops or workbenches can be purchased with this finish as an option. When applied, Mineral Oil seals the pores of the wood blocking the penetration of moisture. This of course extends the life of the Butcher Block. While Mineral Oil is a great finish it does require maintenance. This is highly dependant on the environment and the amount of use the surface gets. The owner of an oiled block should be sensitive to the color and feel of the block. When the block begins to look dry the block should be re-oiled. We do NOT recommend any oil made of vegetable or animal fats. These types of oils run the risk of going rancid and can be a health issue. Mineral oil remains safe throughout its life.
Pure mineral oil can be purchased at your local drug store."