cutting board finish

[Randy Walker]

I am just about to finish some cutting boards for Christmas gifts. They are intended to be bread and cheese boards, so meat and vegies are not likely to be cut on them. I am planning to use BLO on them, but there are so many options. I don't have salad bowl finish and don't plan to get any.
Any recomendations of which oil or wax might be better (I have most of them) would be helpfull.

Merry Christmas
Randy Walker

[Rob Young]

Don't use the BLO. Use mineral oil. Get a bottle from the pharmacy, house brand is OK so long as the label says "Pure Mineral Oil" or similar and the ingredients say 99.9% or so mineral oil. Don't bother buying "butcher block oil", its the same thing just more expensive.

Just keep mopping on coats until the board stops soaking it up. Rub down a with a paper towel between coats. Depending on the wood, thickness, etc it could take as few as 4 or I've had some take 8 before the oil weeps through to the other side.

It also helps if you prop the board up on some stickers.

[Ted Calver]

Also consider Watco Butcher Block Finish...I get mine at Lowe's and have been very happy with it--it really soaks into the grain. After it dries (couple of days), I rub on a coat of my go to paste wax to give it a nice smell and soft luster (Mahoney's walnut oil and bees wax 5:1)

"From the maker of the world's easiest to use finishes, Watco now offers a FDA-compliant, food safe oil. It meets government standards 21CFR 175.300 for application on butcher blocks, wooden bowls, food utensils, children's furniture, toys and more. Wipe on one coat for a matte finish or multiple coats for a glossier sheen. Butcher block oil builds relatively quick, and can be reapplied in as little as 6 hours. Products are ready for food contact after curing for 72 hours. Cleans up with mineral spirits/paint thinner. As with all linseed oil based products, soak used rags in water and let completely dry outside before disposing to prevent combustion."

[Howard Acheson]

Do not use BLO. It has a rather strong odor which might be tranferred to the items on the board.

An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag.

Reapply whenever the wood begins to look dry.

Never put a wood board in the dishwasher and don't soak it in dishwater for long periods.

[Randy Walker]

Mineral oil it is then. I won't have time to add the wax this time but I will make up a batch later and use it on my next set of cutting boards.
Thanks to everyone for the help.

Merry Christmas
Randy Walker

[Casey Gooding]

I like canola oil.

[Scott Holmes]

Ted,

Watco Butcher Block Finish...

Would you and anyone else out there like to save money and get a better finish to boot?

This is just a very expensive ($15/pint) oil finish that is 70% MS, 5% Xylene, 25% oil.

So 75% of what you buy, evaporates and does nothing to or for the wood. As for the "Watco now offers a FDA-compliant, food safe oil. "... MARKETING HYPE!!! Don't drink the liquid...Xylene is bad stuff.

Where as an oil/wax mixture, like I use, is 100% solids. Mineral oil and beeswax or pariffin wax. 6 to 1 or so is fine.

Let's compare - MO is a mild laxative (cheapest in Walmart or grocery store ($2-$3/pint) so it must be "food" safe. Pariffin wax ($3 for 4 bars you need 1 bar per pint) was used for "canning" to seal glass jars with food in them; again food safe. Beeswax is also food safe. ($5) You could drink this stuff to make yourself regular. A pint of my mix costs about $3-$4.

[Ted Calver]

Scott,

I think it's just a case of different strokes for different folks. I used the mineral oil and wax for a number of years before I migrated to Mahoney's Walnut Oil and bees wax (5:1). Then I spotted the Watco BBO at Lowe's and used it as a base coat on a couple of boards. Now I'm convinced it adds another level of protection to the wood and since I don't mass produce cutting boards, I'm not as concerned about expense as I might otherwise be if profit were involved. I've read time and time again on this site and others that all finishes are food safe when dry, so I don't get too excited about the Xylene. We are hard on our boards and they often get wet and stay wet for hours. My unscientific take on it is that both the BBO and the polymerized walnut oil are drying oils and the BBO in particular, because it is so thin, penetrates deep into the end grain fibers. The first time I flood the top of an end grain board with BBO it will saturate the fibers and penetrate through to the other side of the board. I re-coat in 6 hours and that coat doesn't make it through to the other side. That tells me that the finish is drying and filling up the pores--which is a good thing, since closed spaces won't wick in bacteria carrying moisture. After the boards dry we hand wash the surface per the BBO instructions, then let them dry again. To finish, we rub in the Mahoney's/bees wax mixture and lightly buff it out. Since the Mahoneys is a polymerized oil, it dries in the wood too and won't evaporate like the mineral oil and we don't get as many grease spots on the tablecloth or the wall from leaning a board against it. We also think it's easier to keep the board looking good with this method--just a dab of oil/wax every couple of months does it.

[Rob Young]

I like canola oil.

It doesn't go rancid with time? It seems that the food grade seed oils (BLO excepted because it is chemically altered) would be subject to this problem.

I suppose if it took longer for the oil to go rancid than for it to wear off/out of the board then it is a non-issue.

[Brent Ring]

+2 on Mineral Oil - I like the coloring it adds as welll.

[Kent A Bathurst]

+2 on Mineral Oil - I like the coloring it adds as welll.

ditto. cheap, easy to apply, easy to re-apply (even by gift recipients), foodsafe, no risk of allergies like walnut oil, yada-yada-yada.

[Matt Armstrong]

I use wiping varnish. And i know people will critique this.

[Scott Holmes]

I use an oil/varnish blend on the ends & edges of cutting boards all the time.

[Bill Carey]

I tried Boos oil and after 4 coats and letting it sit for a couple of days, the smallest amount of water (or chopping an onion) raised the grain. I'm gonna try the Watco stuff and see what happens.

[Bill Carey]

Well, I put 3 coats of the Watco Butcher Block Oil on, waited the recommended time, and have been using the maple top for several weeks. This is a great finish. No scratches, no raised grain, silky smooth and very beautiful finish. And we use the top - we cut fruits and veggies on it, bread, etc. No meat. And it has held up so far in great fashion. Highly recommend this stuff.

[Art Mann]

I just googled "Xylene" and the National Institute of Health describes it as toxic. It may be an issue of quantity of ingestion but that is enough to discourage me from using it.

[Bill Carey]

I had the same concern, and emailed Watco. Here is their response:

Hi Bill,
Thank you for contacting Rust-Oleum Product Support.
We appreciate your interest in using our products for your project.
The cautions on the cans refer to the liquid form of the coating and are driven by the solvents in it. Once the coating is fully cured, the solvents have evaporated and are no longer in the coating; the remaining coating is the resin and can be considered non-hazardous and non-toxic.
Our Butcher Block Oil penetrates into the wood, drying in it, not on top of it. Once fully cured after 72 hours, it is considered food-safe for contact (meeting government standards of 21 CFR 175.300).
If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regards,
Kelli

[Ted Calver]

Thanks for checking on the Watco, Bill. Food safe for contact is what I'm looking for and their explanation works for me. Think about it. With the amount of time food spends on a cutting board you could almost invoke the 'five second rule'.:p

[Bill Carey]

An update: after 9 months I have not had to re-coat the top, and water still beads up on it. We use it every day and it is still a beautiful finish. Extraordinary product.