There is a combined beeswax / mineral oil treatment that many GWers use. It's sold commercially, but I'm just planning to make a big vat of it myself. 2 parts oil to 1 part beeswax. You can use it on both the butcherblock and the soapstone.

Another one here who uses a combo beeswax/mineral oil on both my soapstone and butcher block. I feel my stone stays dark longer with it. I love the way my butcher block looks and feels with it. Does a great job of protecting my butcher block. I shopped around and found the best deal on ebay. THe seller is a very nice woman in Michigan who is also a wood worker.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beeswax/Mineral Oil on Ebay

Thanks! That sounds like a good solution (pun intended). I ordered some from the source you recommended. It was shipped in less than two hours!

And will it work to put the beeswax/mineral oil mixture over the top of a tung oil finish?

We just put in some butcher block (and soapstone as it happens) and I've put 5 coats of tung oil on the butcher block but I also think it needs something more and was intending to do more tung oil but if I could put the mineral oil/beeswax on both it would certainly simplify things (especially since they abut each other).

Also wondering if there is any problem with putting the beeswax on the tung oil. Will it still absorb, etc?

My vote is for sending the DW to a spa for the weekend while you do 5 more applications of tung oil!

;-)

francy

sw_in_austin - It should be OK. I haven't applied enough tung oil for it to start forming a hard surface. I already rubbed down one rough patch with plain mineral oil and 000 steel wool, and it soaked in just fine.

bayareafrancy - With pure tung oil, five applications takes five days. I have trouble getting her to leave her cats for a three day weekend away :-)

With twelve applications of tung oil the old countertop looked like a piece of furniture. That was fine at first, but after we left a wet copper pot on it overnight (making an interesting green circle) and messed it up in other ways it started to look a little shabby. In contrast, a 35+ year old butcher block island at the church has never been treated with anything and never babied and it has worn well, like an old pair of jeans. I'm shooting for something in between the two effects.

I use just food-grade mineral oil on my butcher blocks. Is the stuff from Michigan with bees wax food safe? I chop all my food directly on the block.

Yes, the stuff from Michigan is food safe. Click on the link and read for yourself- "Made with high quality natural beeswax and food safe mineral oil".

i treat my lyptus butcherblock with the same beeswax/mineral oil mix I made for my soapstone, it works great!

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I ordered the beeswax/mineral oil mix from the recommended source on Thursday morning. It arrived in this morning's mail, approximately 48 hours after I placed the order! I just treated test patches on the butcher block and the soapstone. My first impressions are that it was absorbed nicely by the butcher block. i.e., there were no compatibility problems with the tung oil, and that it doesn't darken the soapstone quite as much as plain mineral oil. I like the effect.

did anyone have oval / rounded butcher block? Who cut it for you? any recommendations in New Jersey ? Want to buy butcher block in Ikea , but can't find who will cut it for me. Please post pictures. Thanks!