Source
r/woodworking•
brownstuff007

Polyurethane on wood countertops after mineral oil

My wife and I put in butcher block countertops in a couple months ago and decided we'd just use mineral oil on it for the long term. Now, we want to just use polyurethane so we don't have to keep oiling it all the time. Any tips on how to do this? I was planning on just removing all the caulk, sanding the whole thing down and then applying a couple coats of the poly. Is there anything else/different I should do?

Posted Aug 22, 2020, 8:11 PM UTC

25
woodworkobsession•

My thought is the poly won't stick. The mineral will have soaked deep into the wood. You won't be able to sand it out. I've never tried it though so I could be wrong.

2
AnyDamnThingWillDo•

I'd be doing a lot of experimenting on a scrap piece of wood before going at it. That sounds like a major headache in the making.

1
jimmyratzman•

Have you considered trying Osmo Top Oil? A friend recommended it for our butcher block countertop, and it has needed zero maintenance (it has only been in for 2 months, but no watermarks or other issues yet). I'm not sure but I'd guess you could use it over mineral oil.

1
3ccreates•

I installed a butcher block on my island a few years ago. I went through a similar issue. I ended up using Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish over the mineral oil. I found it to be much tougher and still provide a more natural finish.

1
Sevulturus•

I'd wait for a bit for some of it to wash out of the top. Sand it smooth, then apply some form of catalyzing oil: blo, tung, or danish.

1