: I use mineral oil on cutting boards that will be actually be used. Doesn't go
: rancid like vegtable oils will. I have always wondered about using it is a
: preservative on a kayak frame. I was doing some research and ran across
: this on Wikpedia

: Preservative

: Since it does not absorb atmospheric moisture, mineral oil is useful as a
: protective coating or bath for water-sensitive materials. Alkali metals
: like lithium are often submerged in mineral oil for storage or
: transportation.
: Mineral oil is also often used as a coating on metal tools and weapons,
: knives in particular, as a way to inhibit oxidation.

: The Japanese swords Nihonto, for example, are traditionally coated in Choji
: oil which consists of 99% mineral oil and 1% oil of cloves. The use of oil
: of cloves is sometimes explained as a means of differentiating sword oil
: from cooking oil to prevent accidental ingestion, but may also be purely
: aesthetic.

: Mineral oil can be used as a leather conditioner as well, though most shoe
: polishes use naphtha, lanolin, turpentine and Carnauba wax instead.

: It can also be used as a wood preservative. A light coating of mineral oil,
: rubbed into well-sanded wood, provides an easy-to-apply and relatively
: durable finish, without the odor or drying time (or toxicity) of varnish
: or urethane.

It would probably work as a preservative but I'd bet it'll leach into the fabric covering and discolor it.

Bill H.