Cutting Board Finish

[swarf]

Hi All,

I am making some checker board style cutting boards for the heck of it and want to know what is the best finish for them. I have heard on the wireless that grapeseed oil is the best to rub in. However SWMBO is insisting they be finished off with polyurethane to seal the timber. I would prefer to oil so any authorative advice on the best finish with hygene and wear in mind would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Swarf

[DJ’s Timber]

This topic has been covered extensively here, if your do a search on "cutting board finish" or "mineral oil", all will be revealed

[ubeaut]

Do the search as advised and if it makes you feel any better you can tell SWMBO she's dead wrong.

[astrid]

gently tell your partner that polly will scrape off into the food she or you are prepareing.

astrid:U

[rsser]

Maybe she has ulterior motives ;-}

[MacS]

I would go with 100% Pure Tung Oil, use no solvents, and it is a food safe finish.

[rsser]

Unless it's pine it's going to have to be washed in warm soapy water, it's going to get cuts and dings and all the signs of use so finishing it ultimately is a waste of time.

The finish you'll end up with is the patina of use.

[MacS]

I think thats a matter of opinon, many people use all kinds of oils on their wooden pieces.

Every one should know, you need to wash and clean the woods after using, I am offering them a choice because most of them will end up oiling the wood.

Cheers

[Honorary Bloke]

Okay gents, let's not get tangled up. There are a squillion ways to finish a cutting board and no matter what you use it will need to be reapplied every so often. :)

But I think we can all agree that polyurethane is NOT one of the squillion ways.:D:D

[Ian Wells]

grease it by cutting up mutton chops on it, and scrub it with salt and hydrogen peroxide when you've finished just like my grandfather did throughout his life (and no he didn't die of botulism at age 22)
Ian
( I plane mine down once a month or so and use olive oil in between).
Tung oil would be fine, but maybe try ox tongue for a little extra favour!

cheers
Ian

[scooter]

Here (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/search.php?searchid=1802268)'s a search for you. Welcome aboard. :)

(The forum has a search facility built in, you click on, you guessed it, "search" up on the top right of screen, enter a couple of key words & enter. I continued to Advanced Search, used chopping board as my search terms, and selected the Finishing forum to narrow it down a bit)

Cheers................Sean

[astrid]

I dont use anything on my cutting boards. I scrubb them down with olive oil and salt every now and then and seem to develope there own patina without drying out.
this is the method used in restaurant kitchens

astrid

[durwood]

Somewhere in the forum I posted a link to a study which was conducted at a university which backed up what astrid has just stated and if you look at the links at the bottom there is one where Neil also states.

No oils: oils only provide a means for bacteria to breed in. the bare timber prevents this from occuring just scrub the timber in warm soapy water or give it a wash as astrid suggests - oil to decorate if you are selling for decoration but useless and maybe detramental if persisted with.

[MacS]

I never tried Oxen tongue, I personally perfer the Kangoroos they are more particular at what they eat, so their tongues are much sweeter.

Give it a try!

In a recent survey done at the prestious ABS University in the UK, more women use Mineral Oil then any other substance on their cutting boards, salad bowls, and other wooden utensils. They claimed they personally get a better cleaning out themselves from the Mineral Oil, and that their woods also look much nicer.

Cheers

[rsser]

Elsewhere I posted the results of a quick lit scan that showed that only pine has anti-bacterial effects. Other timbers showed none. And of course there are viruses and parasites to consider.

[PeterJohn]

Timber has the unique property of destroying bugs, germs etc likely to cause humans distress or death (botulism type germs). Provided you don't leave foodstuffs on the board (yes even chicken meat), just rinse under the tap with a stiff brush, then no live bacteria will be detected after about 5 minutes.
This compares with a nylon cutting board whose open molecular structure can harbour diabolical infestations days after use even after scrubbing.
Therefore don't do anything to the board that might inhibit this valuable property
Regards
Pete

[rsser]

As noted above and elsewhere, a comparative study of the anti-microbial effects of timber found that there was evidence only in the case of pine. And that study as well as several others did not test for viruses or parasites.

[MacS]

Hi Pete,

Could you give us some information that would lead us to this information. I certainly would like to know more about that subject.

[PeterJohn]

Hi Pete,

Could you give us some information that would lead us to this information. I certainly would like to know more about that subject.

My information came from my old woodwork teacher when we were making cutting boards for our Mums. We were working in Pine at the time so I suppose the assertion was true. However over my lifetime I have extrapolated the assertion (improperly it now seems) to other boards that I have used without ill affects.

Again however, I seem to remember some kind of investigative project that looked at a number of different materials for antibacterial effectiveness because the one that stuck in my mind was the adverse result concerning, what was then a popular board material, nylon. Also glass was not that good either.

I will see if I can find details of this investigation and post it for everyone

Regards
Pete

[rsser]

Here's the thread with reference to three study abstracts I found on a quick search: http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=58366&highlight=parasites

[Ian Wells]

[quote=MacS;621340]I never tried Oxen tongue, I personally perfer the Kangoroos they are more particular at what they eat, so their tongues are much sweeter.

Hmm! good point I've eaten a lot of kangaroo in my time but never tried the tongue or any of the other fifth quarter as they describe offal in Europe, Well next time the Folks on the farm get the go ahead for a cull, I'll see that I save a bit and try it.( we are due for a cull as the roos are in huge numbers and the drought hasn't broken,its trully terrible to see them thousands starving to death)
Ox tongue is fantastic especially thinly sliced and charcoal grilled,is that what you guys call broiled? season with salt and lemon juice, yum!