I am thinking of making a bunch of wooden platters (10-14” or so long) for light use with food service (think small bites/canapés; no cutting). I will be gluing strips of different wood together with clamping, cutting and finishing as many have done before. However, are there woods I should definitely avoid (e.g., padauk, zebrawood, wenge, bubinga, rosewood, etc)?

i tried a small inlay project a couple of years ago (I believe with purple heart) and the poly would form a sticky mess due to the oils in the wood. I solved the problem by spraying with shellac before the GFHP satin, but I’d like to avoid this on these boards. I was planning on using GF wood bowl finish.

As always, thanks in advance for any advice.

Phil