Cuttingboard finish - YOUR experience

[Gary Kittleson]

Ok, I do realize that there are different opinions out there, and as I'm preparing to finish my FIRST cuttingboard, I will not pretend to have first-hand knowledge. I am making the "woodwhisperer" board out of maple & purpleheart, and need to decide how to finish it. I also am aware that the topic can be a bit controversial. So, rather than ask "which is better", I want to hear your opinion about the finish you used. As for me I know that:

1. I seriously doubt that I would re-oil my board every month. Knowing myself well enough, I just don't think it would happen regularly.

2. I'm leaning 'twords the Salad Bowl Finish.

So, let me know what you DO like about the finish you chose, and what you do not like. If you used the salad bowl finish, do you regret it?

Looking forward to your opinions, (but please, no bashing others if their opinon differs)

Gary

[Todd Burch]

I use mineral oil. Probably the same thing as a salad bowl finish, but cheaper and easier to find. My cutting board, maple, (and island chopping block, locust, - I did not make) both do dry out, over the course of 6-9 months, and I re-oil them. I do not do it monthly - what a hassle that would be. Re-oiling takes every bit of 4 minutes.

Todd

[Philip Rodriquez]

I have made a bunch of them. Originally, I went with the salad bowl finish... but I found that the finish doesn't keep it's luster. Fortunately, you can just apply mineral oil over the top of it. Now I only use mineral oil. $.97 at the Walmart pharmacy!

[Montgomery Scott]

When given as gifts I smear on the lemon oil wax for appearance. For my own use I put no finish on at all. I don't see the point of doing so as I'm not concerned about appearance and other than that oil has no useful function.

[Sam Stephens]

Salad bowl finish is thinned varnish -usually polyurethane. look up the msds. Here's a link to GF's, but they're all basically the same.

http://www.rockler.com/tech/RTD20000058AA.pdf

it is food safe after the finish has cured, but realize the you'll cut right through it the first time you use the board thereby nullifying any protective effect from moisture. Here's a good recipe for oil/wax:

From Howard Acheson:
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.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

End grain or long grain? I think it makes a big difference.
Sorry to go against the mineral oil guys, but my end grain boards got severly warped using the cheapo "medical grade" mineral oil. I originally went with Minwax butcher block oil. I kept having to sand and refinish, so I sanded it all off, and tried mineral oil. It just kept getting absorbed by the end grain, and I decided 5 or 6 soakings was enough. But it was not. After a few days of use, it got warped pretty bad. I let it dry, and it returned to a semi normal state. I then refinished it with the original Minwax Butcher block finish, which is a hardening oil. works much better. You do have to refinish. I'm currently testing out Mike Mahoneys walnut oil. Seems to be all he claims to be. I originally did not want to use a fruit/nut type oil, since some say it goes rancid. But Mike has stuff in it to harden and keep it from going rancid.

The wife uses the boards every day, drops it in the sink full of water, so if youre making minimal use cutting board, like a bread board which wont see water, you can use something else.

Hope this helps. Just my $0.02.

[Jim Riseborough]

I have always used mineral oil. I usually let it soak overnight in the oil, then let it dry. After a week, apply again, then at about 1 month, then yearly. Never dishwash a board, and if giving as a gift, give them a bottle of oil too.

[thomas prusak]

I used General brand Salad Bowl Finish ( which I believe you are referring to ) and found that 1. It holds up very well 2. It has and maintains a semi gloss sheen and 3. Wipes clean very easily

[Howard Acheson]

What do you mean by Minwax Butcher Block Oil? As far as I know and can determine, Minwax does not market a product by that name or a product specifically intended for a cutting board.

The reason that non-hardening oils are used on cutting boards is that they "heal" the penetration of a knife blade. A hardening or drying oil will be damaged with every cut allowing water and juices to be absorbed into the wood.

[Gary Kittleson]

When given as gifts I smear on the lemon oil wax for appearance. For my own use I put no finish on at all. I don't see the point of doing so as I'm not concerned about appearance and other than that oil has no useful function.

What difference does this make...a better sheen? If so, how long should I expect it to last? How about these products from HD ?

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

[Ted Calver]

Here's my take on end grain boards. I use Watco Butcher Block Oil as an initial pore filler. It's very thin and soaks into the end grain, often going all the way through the board before I have a chance to turn it over. I follow mfg's instructions. After it dries I apply a paste wax made from Mahoney's Utility Finish (Walnut Oil) and beeswax at a ratio of one part wax to four parts oil. My theory is that the butcher block oil soaks into and seals the end grain and the oil/wax gives it a nice sheen and a renewable top coat. My oldest board has seen daily use for going on five years and with an occasional reapplication of the oil/wax mix still looks like new. YMMV
http://www.lowes.com/pd_43860-90-000...ductId=3153369

[Ellen Benkin]

Mineral oil is cheap, safe, looks good, and is easy to apply. However, it almost never dries. Salad bowl finish is safe, looks terrific, and is easy to apply. However, I've found that it does not hold up well if the board is actually used and not just a display piece. If you are doing end grain boards make sure the first coat soaks all the way through. Subsequent coats should not soak through.

[Kent A Bathurst]

My version of reality:

Double boiler, set on moderate heat. Mineral oil into the pot. Let it warm up.....you want to be sure you aren't going nuke on the heat - bad things happen. Let it get reasonably hot - you can still stick your finger in it without screaming, but you don't want to leave the finger in there for too long. Flood the endgrain cutting board both faces. The temp of the oil thins it a bit, and it absorbs faster. Stand it on edge. As the min oil cools, it weeps out. And weeps out. And weeps out. Wipe it down every so often. Couple days.

While you are going through this noise, back to the double boiler. More min oil. same warmth. shave off fat curls of beeswax into the oil + stir it around. I dunno the "correct" proportions........but when it is cooled, it is about the consistency of good paste wax - maybe a bit thinner. Pour it off into mason jar[s]. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on it.

Last step: when you are done with the weeping & wiping, take just the bottom pan of the boiler, on mod heat, 1/2 full of water. Set an open mason jar of wax/oil mix in it. It will liquify. Cotton rag, and apply this liquified goop to the board. Let it cool/congeal. Wipe.

Done.

Then, to refresh the board, you can reheat the goop, or just use it at room temp out of the jar like paste wax.

When I have made boards as gifts, I always include [a] a pint of goop, and [b] lifetime sanding/flattening service.

[Rick Potter]

Does anyone know what they use on a cutting board you buy at a store?

Rick Potter

[Jim Neeley]

My experience: M son and I made an end-grain cutting board for mamma two years ago this Christmas.

At that time we applied a blend of ~3 parts MS to ~1 part oil-based poly.

Flooded the surface until it soaked clear through (didn't take long) they wiped the surface clean.

Let dry, applied second coat; none ran through. Wiped off and let dry.

I noticed the other day the surface was getting pretty cut up so we will sand and re-finish it again this Christmas break.

I'm *expecting* to see little soak-through since I *expect* the dilute poly got carried through the body of the board along with the MS the first time so the re-finish will be mostly cosmetic.

Other than a regular washing with dish soap and hot water, that's been the maintenance.

Just my $0.02.. YMMV.

Jim in Alaska