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macklin
26th October 2008, 03:51 PM
went to the woodwork show yesterday and bought a large silky oak cutting board the person told me to cover with canola, would somebody please elaborate on this please.


thank you

john macklin

Tex B
26th October 2008, 07:59 PM
the person told me to cover with canola

I wouldn't. Canola may break down, turn rancid, and other horrible things.

Traditional finish for cutting boards is mineral oil (also called paraffin oil), found at the supermarket and usually sold as a laxative.

Other people use other finishes, but you should avoid using a vegetable oil.

Tex

FRB Design
26th October 2008, 08:11 PM
Grapeseed oil is good and food safe can easily be reapplied when needed.

Skew ChiDAMN!!
26th October 2008, 08:52 PM
What Tex said.

(This has already been covered many, many times, BTW. You'll find a LOT of info by doing a search for "finish chopping board". :wink:)

From memory, general consensus was along the lines of:seal with paraffin oil purely to keep it looking good on the sales counter. don't bother oiling it when in use. if they insist on oiling, a light coat of, again, paraffin oil. don't use vegetable oils. They go rancid.

(Now stand by and watch the can of worms unravel. Again.)

powderpost
26th October 2008, 09:10 PM
I have been using walnut oil for about six years now with no problems.
Jim

Calm
26th October 2008, 09:19 PM
I have been using walnut oil for about six years now with no problems.
Jim

Hope you dont give presents to anyone with a nut allergy - i beleive this could be enough to set them off.

powderpost
27th October 2008, 11:56 PM
Actually, one recipient has a son that has a very high allergy to peanuts. There was no reaction in this case.
Jim

Ashore
28th October 2008, 01:55 AM
I use organoil ( hard burnishing ) with good results :2tsup:

Wongo
28th October 2008, 09:20 AM
I always use 1 coat of hard burnishing oil.

RufflyRustic
28th October 2008, 09:22 AM
Personally, I prefer natural or mineral (parrafin oil)

cheers
Wendy

Mulgabill
28th October 2008, 01:15 PM
I use Ecowood Oil/Wood Wipe by Organoil P/L ( available from Bunnies).
Its a natural blend of citrus and nut oil. The nut oil component should not cause any problems due to the blend and when it becomes absorbed into the timber becomes reasonably benign. According to Organoil it is designed for bowls & serving utensils.

Sebastiaan56
30th October 2008, 10:07 AM
Hope you dont give presents to anyone with a nut allergy - i beleive this could be enough to set them off.

Allergies are caused by the proteins in a food, refined oil has no protein and will not cause reactions. I dealt with this stuff for 16 years in the food industry and have never heard of a reaction proved to be by nut oil. It is a furfy, BTW nut oils go rancid as well. The oxidising reaction is the one that makes products like BLO work as finishes,

bassbuilderman
30th October 2008, 10:23 AM
I use paraffin oil,
the only issue is if you use too much, the oil tends to seep out, so you get a bit of a foot print. Also not a great look if you intend to gift wrap it.
BBM

Sparhawk
30th October 2008, 12:23 PM
However, if you use peanut oil, some caution may be necessary. Cold-pressed expelled or extruded peanut oil may contain peanut protein and cause a reaction. Always check the manufacturer of the peanut oil and be sure it's a reputable one. The quality controls of some foreign manufacturers are not as good as quality controls in Australia.

cellist
30th October 2008, 04:44 PM
went to the woodwork show yesterday and bought a large silky oak cutting board the person told me to cover with canola, would somebody please elaborate on this please.


thank you

john macklin

I would also stay away from nut or grain oils. Reasons are well explained in other posts. I've been using Gilly Stephenson's Orange oil on boards. Non toxic, no silicon, smells great (in a shop, especially) and is not expensive. I wonder where people are getting their paraffin oil though...any leads? Thanks

Mike

jerryc
30th October 2008, 05:18 PM
What Tex said.

(This has already been covered many, many times, BTW. You'll find a LOT of info by doing a search for "finish chopping board". :wink:)


(Now stand by and watch the can of worms unravel. Again.)

Skew,
Couldn't agree with you more. Wood has it's own protection against bacteria and a test on wood and on plastic cutting boards proved that wood killed all pathegens in a very short time. Plastic did not.
My wife has, as many women have, the habit of throwing the cutting boards into the dishwasher. Doesn't do any finish much good.
So my question is why finish?
Tex,
I have a warped sense of humour and the idea of coating cutting board with a laxative conjures up a weird scene, but that's just me.

Jerry

rsser
30th October 2008, 06:21 PM
Wot Skew said.

IIRC it was only a species of pine that had anti-bacterial properties. Parasites, viruses and other nasties haven't been tested.

FWIW, putting your wood board in sunlight (not filtered by glass) after washing will allow the UV light to deal with a good deal of the bacteria.

Wongo
31st October 2008, 03:04 PM
My wife has, as many women have, the habit of throwing the cutting boards into the dishwasher. Doesn't do any finish much good.

So my question is why finish?


Is it too late to get a new wife? :U

Why finish? Because it makes the wood looks better when you give/sell it to someone.

jerryc
31st October 2008, 05:10 PM
Is it too late to get a new wife? :U

Why finish? Because it makes the wood looks better when you give/sell it to someone.
Wongo,

Answer to your first statement.
Wouldn't want to. Superb cook. Great crew when sailing even in stormy seas. Always happy. Good woodworker. Let's me buy all the tools I need.
Want me to go on?

Answer to second statement.
A cutting board is just another tool in the kitchen. It's like they used to say about handkerchiefs. Show or blow?

Jerry

Wongo
31st October 2008, 10:57 PM
A cutting board is just another tool in the kitchen.

Do you buy your wife nice clothes? :fisch:

:brick:

It is called packaging. :U

Ashore
31st October 2008, 11:37 PM
:brick:



Wongo you gotta stop peking and duck :D

ubeaut
1st November 2008, 12:21 AM
Think you'll find paraffin oil as a laxative is actually a lubricant not a laxative as such.

It is also the only completely safe and inert oil for food implements. Not only that but unlike some of the other oils it won't taint food in any way (if it has aromatics like orange, lemon, camphor, pure turpentine, etc it will taint food). Oil should in my opinion only be used for keeping the board looking good prior to being used, after that the only thing needed is hot soapy water and as rssr said some sunlight occasionally.

Cleanliness is far more important than oil or other finish for any wooden chopping board or cooking utensil.

HOWEVER: I think there will be more of a problem with the timber than the finishes as there are probably as many people if not more, who are allergic to Silky Oak as there are to nuts etc. I sure wouldn't be using it as a bread board or for any sort of food.preparation. I personally know of a of 2 people who break out in a rash and start wheezing as soon as they walk into a room that has silky in it.

Be very careful. Not all timbers are suitable for food utensils. SOME ARE EVEN DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. So are some of the finishes.

Cheers - Neil

PS Paraffin oil is available at chemists and most supermarkets. Don't use baby oil which is paraffin oil with a fragrance oil added. Oh yeah and paraffin oil here in Australia is completely different to paraffin or pink paraffin sold in UK and other places as a fuel. That stuff's more closer to kerosene. Paraffin oil is also known in US and other places as Mineral Oil.

jerryc
1st November 2008, 07:37 AM
Do you buy your wife nice clothes? :fisch:

:brick:

It is called packaging. :U

Wongo,

I didn't add to the list of this lady's accomplishments that she has studied dress making and is very good at it. I know she sounds a paragon but it's one of the reasons I've stayed married to her for fifty years. Also she puts up with me.

As to packaging, well I've never placed much emphasis on that. Like I said too much show and no blow. Form follows function, it doesn't need a party dress.

Jerry

jerryc
1st November 2008, 07:39 AM
Neil,

I had my tongue firmly in my cheek when I talked about laxative oil.

Jerry

Ronald200
9th November 2008, 06:04 PM
I personally would avoid peanut oil. I can't stand the smell enough to get through application.

Lumnock
16th June 2009, 11:39 AM
Bunnings stock Paraffin Oil with all their metho and turps. Do you know if this is the food safe variety, or is it the dangerous variety?

DJ’s Timber
16th June 2009, 11:50 AM
If its the 1lt and it looks like water then it'll be the bad one.

Never seen food safe variety at Bunning :no:

You need to go to a chemist or your local supermarket might even stock it. It's usually in a small bottle like 150ml.

Duffenator
19th June 2009, 10:35 AM
I personally just use olive oil - when I can be bothered using anything. I know, I know, it will go rancid blah blah blah.However, I am yet to be convinced about that. I have never become sick form using it on the board. The oil just soaks in and I don't think it would contact food in large enough amounts to cause a problem anyway.

I tried searching the internet for information about oil oil going rancid. All I managed to find was hearsay and people saying this is what they heard. I could not find any primary source which confirmed this.

The reason I use olive oil is cos a tv chef told me too - Huey or someone like that.

Funnily enough, on ACA the other day they reviewed olive oils. The pompous little twat that did the review said that olive oil will go rancid in a few days if exposed to air and light. I keep my olive oil in a clear jar, and the kitchen is quite bright. When the bottle is mostly empty, I imagine the oil is quite exposed to air. SO based on this, my oil is already rancid before it goes on the cutting board, or more importantly - in my cooking!

Anyway, you will probably find that after a few months you won't care what oil your board is finished with, because you have other thigns to do...that is what happens to me, but maybe I am just lazy :D

Johncs
23rd June 2009, 12:14 AM
However, if you use peanut oil, some caution may be necessary. Cold-pressed expelled or extruded peanut oil may contain peanut protein and cause a reaction. Always check the manufacturer of the peanut oil and be sure it's a reputable one. The quality controls of some foreign manufacturers are not as good as quality controls in Australia.

My wife is a kindergarten teacher. One year, she had a kid whose allergic reaction was set off by the next kid's peanut sangers, still in the unopened lunchbox. No contact necessary.

Johncs
23rd June 2009, 12:24 AM
I personally just use olive oil - when I can be bothered using anything. I know, I know, it will go rancid blah blah blah.However, I am yet to be convinced about that. I have never become sick form using it on the board. The oil just soaks in and I don't think it would contact food in large enough amounts to cause a problem anyway.

I tried searching the internet for information about oil oil going rancid. All I managed to find was hearsay and people saying this is what they heard. I could not find any primary source which confirmed this.

The reason I use olive oil is cos a tv chef told me too - Huey or someone like that.

Funnily enough, on ACA the other day they reviewed olive oils. The pompous little twat that did the review said that olive oil will go rancid in a few days if exposed to air and light. I keep my olive oil in a clear jar, and the kitchen is quite bright. When the bottle is mostly empty, I imagine the oil is quite exposed to air. SO based on this, my oil is already rancid before it goes on the cutting board, or more importantly - in my cooking!

Anyway, you will probably find that after a few months you won't care what oil your board is finished with, because you have other thigns to do...that is what happens to me, but maybe I am just lazy :D

I have a bought board which gets olive oil occasionally. It gets washed under the tap, often with a soft scourer and dishwashing detergent.

There has been no sign of any problems other than it's cupped from sitting in water a while back. I'll continue to use olive oil until I see a problem.

I have two woks, both get lightly coated in olive oil after washing. The smaller one sometimes goes months without being used, sitting on top of a kitchen wall cupboard. No sign of the oil going off, last time I used it it got a light rinse in case it was dusty.

Master Splinter
23rd June 2009, 12:49 AM
I avoided all the debate. Plastic chopping board. Goes through the dishwasher a treat!

Johncs
28th June 2009, 01:03 PM
I avoided all the debate. Plastic chopping board. Goes through the dishwasher a treat!

Home to bacteria. Dulls knives.
Some, if not all, woods are toxic to bacteria.