Finishing end grain cutting board?

[Eric DeSilva]

Well, as a woodworker and a cook, I finally got around to making myself a good maple cutting board. It's substantial--2.5" thick, end grain, about 20" long and 14" wide.

I wanted to finish it just using foodsafe mineral oil, but it just keeps soaking it up and drying out. I think I've dumped a cup of mineral oil into it so far.

Any ideas? How much will this guy soak up? Should I be applying some kind of wax as well?

(Note that this board is a user, not an objet d'art. I'm a cook and this is really about having a good, solid, knife-friendly board for my Shun knives.)

[Ted Calver]

Eric,
I've had good luck with slathering the oil on both sides repeatedly, letting it sit overnight then hitting it with a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax from a recipe I saw in FWW. IIRC the recipe called for four parts mineral oil and one part beeswax. I warmed the four parts of oil in a glass container in the microwave a minute at a time and shaved in beeswax until the melted mixture reached the five part mark. The result is a fairly dense waxy mixture that rubs in nice with a paper towel. I also use..and prefer... the same mixture using Mahoneys walnut oil and beeswax. They are both good for revitalizing a board that has been sliced on for a while. I give a little jar of the stuff out with each board and it seems to work because the friends and family i give the boards to ask for more wax when their supply gets used up. Worth a try.

[Mike Schmalzer]

I would just pour on a healthy amount of the oil and let it sit over night. You could also heat up some beeswax and buff it in too. A good cutting board is a definite must when you have Shun knives. Great knives, never knew what sharp was prior to them.:)

[Jeff Bratt]

My favorite finish for end-grain cutting boards is walnut oil - either from the grocery store or a woodworking supply (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20056&cat=1,190,42942) place. Walnut is a drying oil, so it will not go rancid, the end-grain wood readily drinks it up, and it is completely safe - since it's edible. A new board will soak up quite a bit - maybe three or four days of - drench the surface, then let sit overnight. I would forgo the wax - way too soft for use on a cutting board.

[Howard Acheson]

See if this helps.

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.