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Pseudo-scientific isn't exactly how I'd characterize the information I've seen, as it comes from medical journals and the like. Nobody claims acute toxicity, but long term is a whole different ballpark (just like glyphosate, DDT, atrazine, etc). The fact remains that petroleum based mineral oil is not a compound to which the human body has been regularly exposed for millennia. Numerous substances have been used for decades before we gain enough knowledge to realize the harm they cause. The precautionary principle is something we'd all do well to follow, imho.

If you're inclined to think that this is still all hogwash, which is of course your right and some people's natural inclination... just avoid mineral oil because it's non-hardening and doesn't provide a lasting finish. That's the main reason I avoid it myself.
 
If you're inclined to think that this is still all hogwash, which is of course your right and some people's natural inclination... just avoid mineral oil because it's non-hardening and doesn't provide a lasting finish. That's the main reason I avoid it myself.
No argument - if you find it doesn't work, then don't use it.

Yes - there is information out there for things that are KNOWN to be toxic and shouldn't be taken internally, but extending this to other things is a little fallacious. We haven't been exposed to Dairy Queen vanilla soft-serve for millennia either and I think it tastes nasty, but that doesn't make it toxic (but it could be)...
 
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No argument - if you find it doesn't work, then don't use it.

Yes - there is information out there for things that are KNOWN to be toxic and shouldn't be taken internally, but extending this to other things is a little fallacious. We haven't been exposed to Dairy Queen vanilla soft-serve for millennia either and I think it tastes nasty, but that doesn't make it toxic (but it could be)...

The list of known toxicity changes with time as we learn new things. Whether that's mercury dyes, lead pipes, lead-arsenate insecticides, or DDT, all were used and approved at one time. Some people draw comfort though a black and white approach to what's on the list of known toxins, and some people (myself included) like to look ahead a bit and avoid items that likely to make the list before they get there. There's a risk that I may be unnecessarily avoiding some beneficial items, but there's also a risk that someone in the black & white camp is harming themselves. All just a matter of cost/benefit analysis, and with different personalities, we all find ourselves at different places on that spectrum.

Back when I was a rock climber, I had friends who were a-okay with taking regular leader falls on the rope, having complete trust in that rope and the anchors it was attached to. Most of them ultimately became better climbers than I, but not all of them are still alive.
 
The list of known toxicity changes with time as we learn new things. Whether that's mercury dyes, lead pipes, lead-arsenate insecticides, or DDT, all were used and approved at one time. Some people draw comfort though a black and white approach to what's on the list of known toxins, and some people (myself included) like to look ahead a bit and avoid items that likely to make the list before they get there. There's a risk that I may be unnecessarily avoiding some beneficial items, but there's also a risk that someone in the black & white camp is harming themselves. All just a matter of cost/benefit analysis, and with different personalities, we all find ourselves at different places on that spectrum.

Back when I was a rock climber, I had friends who were a-okay with taking regular leader falls on the rope, having complete trust in that rope and the anchors it was attached to. Most of them ultimately became better climbers than I, but not all of them are still alive.
Sure - we all make choices based upon the information we have available.
However there are those whose perceive a danger when there is none. Yes - evidence may eventually come to light that something may actually be toxic, but until a claim is proven true, I will be skeptical. It may also be a matter of dosage and the character of the compound - a couple of Tylenol (a chemical created in a lab) will rid you of your headache while a handful will destroy your liver. On the other hand, a few grains of Ricin (a natural compound) will kill you. Just because something is manufactured or created chemically doesn't make it bad. Living in fear of what MIGHT happen doesn't make any sense. I might get hit by a bus tomorrow...
 
There's no need to live in fear of what might happen. It just makes sense to alter course around potential pitfalls if the cost of doing so isn't too great. In this case, it's actually beneficial to avoid mineral oil, whether it's ultimately proven to be harmful or not. A doe that detects some rustling in the grass ahead may do well to change course, even though she can't know whether it was caused by the wind or a wolf. Changing course doesn't mean she's living in fear; it just means that she's being cautious.
 
Sure - living in fear of the unknown is a characteristic of (prey) creatures that don't have the capacity to reason beyond survival imperatives...

I use vegetable oil or beeswax.
 
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A while back I took a oak burl and made a noggin, the wood was very dry as it came off the fire wood pile and was seasoned at least 2 years plus how ever long it had been since the tree became fire wood. I was concerned that being oak it may develop a check, but it never has. This was a project that I had been wanting to accomplish and figured if it did check all I was out was my time. That was 4 or 5 years ago I season it
 
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