Cutting board filler

[JB]

What's a good filler to use on cutting boards? I know the boards shouldn't have cracks or holes, but they have, and I'd like to fill them with something that won't work loose and isn't fatal if eaten. I think epoxy resin meets the first criteria best, but maybe not the second. Water based fillers seem impractical for something that will be regularly washed/rinsed. Any thoughts?

[ubeaut]

Bees wax. It can be melted into the cracks with a heat gun.

Personally I think you are crazy working with food on a cracked chopping board. Timber is really good at killing germs but cracked timber..... Well that's just flirting with danger.

You obviously don't care about your health and safety or that of others. If you intend selling or even giving them away then I would think long and hard before doing it.
The resultant law suite for making someone sick or even dead could really ruin your day.

[BobL]

JB, I use epoxy resin fill to cracks in and to fix wooden handles into (cheese, pate, pickle, butter etc) knife blades. In this situation fully cured expoxy resin should represent a low ingestion risk. However, unlike a cutting board, no one is usually cutting into the handle with another knife.

From your credibility point of view, after cutting/washing up 3/4 times the cutting board will look as ratty as a watch from a cereal packet and whomever you give/sell the cutting board to will then think considerably less of you. The fine or coarse nicks knives will make on the epoxy/wood interface will create a pathway for water to gradually work it's way into and it will slightly swells the wood it will lead to more cracking at these junctions providing a lovely breeding ground for bugs that will lead to the problems ubeaut refers to.

If it is just for you and you love the wood I would just live with the cracks and use more as a serving platter than a kitchen cutting board.

Cheers

[Bleedin Thumb]

Ive got a very large myrtle cutting board that has a knot hole that has been filled with..(bees wax?? who knows). the trouble with the fill is that it is slowly washing away making a larger and larger crater. From what Ive heard on this forum Epoxy once set is safe for such uses.

[JB]

Mmmmmm....food for thought

[ubeaut]

The addition of epoxy to the board, apart from eventually breaking up under use will also nullify the germ killing capabilities of the wood and actually harbour the germs and give them a wonderful environment in which to grow.

Either machine the cracks out of the surface or if that isn't possible get timber that isn't cracked. Just out of curiosity what sort of timber is it?

[dan_tom]

JB thanks for posting this - my first thoughts were "oh crap" - I just made a cheeseboard for my Aunty for her 60th birthday. Trouble is, I really like this Aunty, and going by what Neil says, I might have to ask for it back! :eek:

I used black epoxy resin to fill a couple of cracks, thinking that the epoxy would be hard just like you would expect from a plastic chopping board (actually probably harder). It'll be interesting to see how it wears - the intention for the board was for serving cheeses, nuts, dried fruit etc. I oiled it with orange oil and thought I was being a nice niece!! :eek:

I've seen them sold in local galleries and the like using putty and also this strange orange coloured putty stuff. I don't know what that is though. Also seen them using epoxy too - it's how they are often joined together if the board is multicoloured timber. I think Zenwood did a fancy board a few months back - how did he fare up?

I think the biggest risk is chicken. It's not for chopping meats on.

Cheers
Dan

[JB]

Just out of curiosity what sort of timber is it?

Camphor laurel, oblique cut

[ubeaut]

Aren't you worried about the effect of the aromatics on the food that's being cut on the board. Each time you cut something it will release the odour of the timber. Blowed if I would rub my meat, cheese, sandwich, etc with "Vicks Vapour Rub" before eating it, but that's basically what you will do each time you use it.

Really don't think I would like to have orange flavoured food either.

You really need to think before making chopping boards, bread boards, cheese boards, etc. Will the timber or finish taint the food, am I putting a poison on the surface, will it grow bacteria in the cracks or on the plastic coated surface used to fill or finish it. Is the timber toxic (in very many cases yes). These are some of the things you really need to think about.

Then there's the really important things, like: Will my present make aunty sick, can I afford the law suite from the family I put in hospital. Will a child or adult die from an anaphylacticreaction to the oil I used.

[JB]

Each time you cut something it will release the odour of the timber. Blowed if I would rub my meat, cheese, sandwich, etc with "Vicks Vapour Rub" before eating it, but that's basically what you will do each time you use it.

Your comments regarding filling holes or cracks were helpful and accepted.

As for releasing the odour of the timber and tainting the food each time the board is cut on—codswallop.