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I use plain old mineral oil on the kitchen tools (spoons, etc.) that I make. Keeps them from absorbing stains/odors for quite a while. I lightly buff with fine steel wool and re-apply when the surface starts to oxidize. Have also heard that walnut oil is good, in that it will harden up, but that's probably too costly for a large project like a cider press. Whichever kind of oil you wind up using, be sure to warm it up before you apply it -- warm oil soaks in better and penetrates deeper. Now that I think about it, I remember that my grandfather melted paraffin wax onto his cider press. (The food-safe kind you find in the grocery section with the Mason jars, canning jar lids and jar rubbers). Poured it directly onto horizontal surfaces, spread it around and then took a scraper to remove excess after it had cooled and solidified. Buffed it out when he was done, and didn't it shine! For vertical surfaces, he took a cake of wax and rubbed on a thick coating, then took a propane torch and warmed it up until it melted and soaked in, finishing it as described above. Just be careful to keep the torch in motion, or you'll leave scorch marks. On a side note, when you go to press, try mixing different varieties of apples (i.e., MacIntosh, Courtland, etc.) together in the same batch -- will make some very tasty cider! Good luck, whatever you choose to do, and happy pressing! -- Maine Fordson
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