Can you use vegetable oil for staining wood --outside...is it ok?

or olive oil..is it as good as regular stainCan you use vegetable oil for staining wood --outside...is it ok?
Most vegetable oil turns rancid when used as a finish, olive oil certainly will and it won't last long as a protectant. It is not a stain.





General Finishes makes something called outdoor oil that is linseed oil and polyurethane spar varnish that is a good undercoat if you want to bring out the grain of a naturally beautiful wood such a mahogany or Ipe. I would use something made for the purpose for which you intend to use it though. Get deck stain for a deck. Get siding stain for siding, etc.Can you use vegetable oil for staining wood --outside...is it ok?
are you wanting to stain it (color it) or protect it? Was unsure what you meant. I can't imagine that vegetable oil would actually stain it. This question caught my eye because a couple of years ago I left a citronella candle on the deck in the hottest part of the day which melted it. It then got tipped over somehow. It penetrated the pores of the wood in my deck. I scraped up as much as I could, but it has never come out. It is the only perfectly preserved area of my deck. On hot summer days I can actually still smell the citronella. However, when I tried to use deck and floor paint it wouldn't penetrate. The rest of the paint started peeling up on the edges of the wax area and I am going to have to scrape it all off. Thinking about buying several candles and melting them on the deck:)
I had a friend years ago who had to paint his parents'fence once a month or so with oil. We would walk down to the corner garage %26amp; get some (free) used auto oil.


the veg/ olive oil will go rancid. for chopping blocks I always used mineral oil
Yes you can but the shades you desire may not be possible. Using veggie oil is common place on kitchen cutting boards, keeps the wood ';limber'; so it doesn't dry out, but you have to re-apply often. Heating the oil a bit helps but not boiling it, that's how fires start. Using the oil will bring out grains and hues you didn't imagine. Try it on a small piece first, and learn by experimenting.
No they are not stains and will only succeed in attracting insects and vermin. Put the money towards better use by getting a deck water proofing treatment.