using mineral oil over polyurethane - good idea?

[Monty85]

Hi guys,

Just thought i'd pose the question to the people that know much more about finishes than I do.

Is there any issue/differences with using mineral oil vs polyurethane as a finish for indoor projects?

I've used both and can obtain a flat, matte finish very easily with the mineral oil but need to take a bit more time to get the same look with the poly.

So for something like some shelves inside, is there any issue just whacking a couple coats of mineral oil on and be done with it?

[Christos]

From my understanding Mineral Oil is not a very hard wearing finish. A poly based finish will form a coat over the wood, sort of seal the wood.

The main difference between the two is when the surface becomes scuffed up, the oil can normally be reapplied over the last coat where as poly based needs to be removed and then a fresh coat applied.

Of course there are oil finishes out there that have an amount of poly added. You can even create your own, one such example Sam Maloof would use 1/3 oil, 1/3 catalyst and 1/3 urethane.

[Monty85]

Thanks. Thats along the lines of what I thought.

From what i've been able to determine so far is that it seems like there shouldn't be too much of an issue using it for something like a shelf that will get no real wear and tear placed on it.

But I just need to be aware that I may still need to reapply the oil in a few years if the shelf has any exposure to sunlight.

Well at least i think that's how it works.

:/