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Some recommend non-edible petrol-based mineral oil (aka liquid parrafin) because it doesn’t go rancid, but has the same effect of not actually doing much for pr
by userbinator 11mo ago
Some recommend non-edible petrol-based mineral oil (aka liquid parrafin) because it doesn’t go rancid, but has the same effect of not actually doing much for protection and will leak into hot liquids.
Highly-refined mineral oil is food-safe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil#Food_preparation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil#Food_preparation
Why even use wood if you’re going to cover it in a layer of clear plastic?
I find it amusing that those who will use wood or "natural" (petroleum is also naturally occurring...) products for some sort of weird misguided eco-virtue-signaling, inevitably end up needing to basically reinvent the chemistry of finding an inert, durable material that brought us modern plastics. All these drying oils create a layer of polymerised material, which can be classed as plastic anyway. Waxes, regardless of source, attribute their properties to long hydrocarbon chains, just like polyethylene.
- dekhn 11mo agoAh yes: "Congratulations! You have just completed the cycle of recapitulating the collection of processes which have brought us the present!"
- vpribish 11mo agowell, it's an arts and crafts project and they may value avoiding petrochemical products in the end-product. regardless it's interesting to work through that whole process instead of just accepting it.
- DannyBee 11mo ago100% - this sort of insanity is just silly.
- abdullahkhalids 11mo agoThere is a large difference between extracting fossil fuels from the ground and using substances extracted from plants. Only one of them is renewable, and hence the only sustainable way for the human species to live.
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- userbinator 11mo agoGuess where the fossil fuels came from...?
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- culi 11mo agomarine plankton and algae in the Mesozoic & Cenozoic eras mostly. Hardly considered renewable unless you plan to cover the earth in large warm shallow seas with the right tectonic conditions to deposit dead marine life instead of allowing it to rapidly decompose
- userbinator 11mo agoFrom biological matter. You are made of hydrocarbons as is every other living thing on this planet.
- evilos 11mo agoYes but it is important not to confuse the source with the form. For example we can create hydrocarbons using solar/wind energy and that is still "renewable" even though hydrocarbons are involved. They are merely the medium of energy storage.
- throwaway173738 11mo agoCall me when the hydrocarbons we buy off the shelf are actually made from wind and solar. Until that day you’re still arguing for the artificiality of a real distinction.
- bluGill 11mo agoHow much are you willing to pay? https://renewablelube.com/ https://renewablelube.com/ mostly plant based for the solar source. In general about 5x the price of pumped oil, and they may not last as long. I've bought for them before, no other relation
- levocardia 11mo agoI have used a 50/50 blend of food-safe mineral oil and beeswax with good success on my little hobby projects (and as a regular treatment for my cutting board) but admittedly I'm not making ladles you'd dip into boiling soup, so I paid less attention to the extreme temperature issue
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- samirillian 11mo agoWood is rigid and won’t melt or scratch
- alin23 11mo agoAuthor here, I was mostly referring to the practice of coating the wood in a layer of smooth plastic that makes the wood not feel and look like wood anymore. It's like something that you want to keep encased forever. I'm of the same opinion as you, drying oil polymers are still plastic, it's just that their method of curing makes them look better on wood, most likely because of the very thin layer that remains at the surface, but also because of the polymer surface texture. Every epoxy resin, even the more penetrant ones, end up looking like plastic on wood, not sure how else to describe it. But in terms of chemistry, food safety and how inert they are, they are indistinguishable. I'm also aware mineral oil is food safe, I was trying to say that it will leak into the hot food and not stay in the wood fibers, which renders the finish useless after just one use.
- michaelbarton 11mo agoI really enjoyed your article. In regard to the parent comment: it’s also enough to say “I enjoy this and this is how I want to spend my time”. So what if it’s reinventing the wheel - the act of learning and crafting itself can be immensely satisfying regardless of the end result. I came at your article from a slightly different perspective. Rubio monocoat is quite expensive, especially if you’re trying to run a business selling products coated in it. You’re probably already aware, but I think base Rubio is essentially oil + carnauba + a small amount of paraffin. I make large pieces of furniture, and finishing with Rubio can go through multiple cans! So making my own finish has become a priority. That’s not even accounting for Blacktail Studio coating too.
- techsystems 11mo ago>All these drying oils create a layer of polymerised material, which can be classed as plastic anyway. No, that is absolutely not the case.
- userbinator 11mo agoDo you care to say why not?