Author here, I was mostly referring to the practice of coating the wood in a layer of smooth plastic that makes the wood not feel and look like wood anymore. It's like something that you want to keep encased forever.

I'm of the same opinion as you, drying oil polymers are still plastic, it's just that their method of curing makes them look better on wood, most likely because of the very thin layer that remains at the surface, but also because of the polymer surface texture.

Every epoxy resin, even the more penetrant ones, end up looking like plastic on wood, not sure how else to describe it.

But in terms of chemistry, food safety and how inert they are, they are indistinguishable.

I'm also aware mineral oil is food safe, I was trying to say that it will leak into the hot food and not stay in the wood fibers, which renders the finish useless after just one use.

I really enjoyed your article. In regard to the parent comment: it’s also enough to say “I enjoy this and this is how I want to spend my time”. So what if it’s reinventing the wheel - the act of learning and crafting itself can be immensely satisfying regardless of the end result.

I came at your article from a slightly different perspective. Rubio monocoat is quite expensive, especially if you’re trying to run a business selling products coated in it. You’re probably already aware, but I think base Rubio is essentially oil + carnauba + a small amount of paraffin. I make large pieces of furniture, and finishing with Rubio can go through multiple cans! So making my own finish has become a priority. That’s not even accounting for Blacktail Studio coating too.