Mark J Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 I would like to know what happens to mineral oil after it is applied to wood. According to Flexner mineral oil does not cure in the presence of oxygen (i.e. it does not form chemical cross links and polymerize). Also according to Flexner it does not evaporate. So how does it become "solid" or at least dry to the touch when applied to wood? I understand there is capillary action and some of the oil is drawn into the wood fibers, but that is only going to account for so much oil. And isn't that a potentially bidirectional process? I use mineral oil and bee's wax commonly, so I'm trying to understand what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 In my experience, mineral oil does not really dry. It simply seems to migrate below the surface. Aside from cutting boards, I experimented using mineral oil on some realy old, dry WRC patio furniture. It did improve the appearance, bringing some vitality to the dry wood. However, the outdoor conditions washed away / dissolved / dried up the surface. I would be curious to see how long a piece might stay oily if treated in a vacuum chanber, like stabilized turning blanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 26 minutes ago, Mark J said: Also according to Flexner it does not evaporate. Well it depends on the time scale your looking at. With enough time and some added temperature it does evaporate. I'm pretty sure my dad used to drive the tanker between substations to add oil to transformers. Also we used mineral oil for mosquito control and would shoot many many gallons of it in the air with huge HVLP guns and none of it every came back to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Mineral oil will eventually evaporate, albeit at a glacial scale. It just absorbs into the wood as much as it will & then the excess is wiped off. Obviously, end grain will absorb much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pondhockey Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Not an answer to the question, but I use mineral oil to "revive"/extend the life of shovel handles, outdoor crates and sawhorses, and steak knives. The surface of each of these remains dark for at least many months or a few years. The steak knives needed to be soaked for a few days, leading me to support the migration theory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted October 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: I would be curious to see how long a piece might stay oily if treated in a vacuum chanber, like stabilized turning blanks. Don't know about the vacuum chamber, but I have noticed an oily film on the mantel where a piece I did a year ago has been sitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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