Waterproofing/protecting wood

[wind_magic]

Basic question ..

What do you usually use to waterproof wood ? I'm not talking about wood on deck that will be exposed to the elements all the time, or even anything external, I just mean oil or something you can put on a piece of wood so that it doesn't absorb water from spills when you are making dinner, that kind of wood protection. I just want the water to bead up and not stain the wood. I usually use tung oil in woodworking, but it is pretty pricey.

Thank you in advance!

[bljones]

Season new unfinished cutting boards and countertops with edible cooking oil, like corn or vegetable oil (but not olive oil). Rub it in three times a day for the first three days, and then re-season the surface every three months or so depending upon how often it gets wiped/ washed down.

[PorFin]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

Basic question ..

What do you usually use to waterproof wood ? I'm not talking about wood on deck that will be exposed to the elements all the time, or even anything external, I just mean oil or something you can put on a piece of wood so that it doesn't absorb water from spills when you are making dinner, that kind of wood protection. I just want the water to bead up and not stain the wood. I usually use tung oil in woodworking, but it is pretty pricey.

Thank you in advance!

Wind,

I'd personally stay away from any tung oil based treatment for any food prep area -- tung oil's pretty toxic.

Walnut oil is a good sealer, and can be rubbed in very well. You can buy it prepared/extracted, or you can simply get busy cracking walnuts and wrap the meat in a piece of cloth and extract the oil yourself. We used to use leftover Xmas holiday nuts to oil wood pieces.

Another alternative is to use a wax -- Johnson's will do the trick.

[wind_magic]

Thank you for the tips! Those are good suggestions.

I will let you know how it turns out