My neighbor through it out because he's tool old to deal with the weight. It's made from edge-grain maple, 24x17x3 inches and very heavy. I sanded 1/4" off the top and bottom to get rid of all knife marks and staining. It looks 100% brand-new and has not even visible hairline cracks. I also sanded all sides, but less aggressively. Most online sources recommend mineral oil and beeswax for protection? Does anybody have any tips or suggestions?
40 year-old butcher's block
- Thread starter vavavroom
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Tung oil. Or Vegetable oil on a cutting board. Maple is a beautiful hardwood. My wife USES a cutting board I made in High School in 1975. American Walnut and Hard Maple. Try buying that at a lumberyard today.
I'm not a woodworker, so I'm afraid I can't make any suggestions other than the following:
Show us pictures!
Show us pictures!
Originally Posted by Ihatetochangeoil
Tung oil. Or Vegetable oil on a cutting board. Maple is a beautiful hardwood. My wife USES a cutting board I made in High School in 1975. American Walnut and Hard Maple. Try buying that at a lumberyard today.
Doesn't tung oil have a strong odor? As for price, I checked. You can spend hundreds on a butcher's block.
Tung oil. Or Vegetable oil on a cutting board. Maple is a beautiful hardwood. My wife USES a cutting board I made in High School in 1975. American Walnut and Hard Maple. Try buying that at a lumberyard today.
Doesn't tung oil have a strong odor? As for price, I checked. You can spend hundreds on a butcher's block.
Last night I watched A Craftsman's Legacy on PBS, and they featured Johnathan Simons a wooden spoon maker. He and the host both made a spoon, and the final step was a coating of a mixture of beeswax and coconut oil.
http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/craftsmen/SEASON-4/Jonathan-Simons
http://www.woodspoon.com/
http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/craftsmen/SEASON-4/Jonathan-Simons
http://www.woodspoon.com/
I believe i have seen a kitchen block specific oil in the wood finishing sections of Lowes etc..... safe for food etc
Mineral oil.
Go to a drugstore and get a bottle of Food/medical grade mineral oil. Works great and won't go rancid.
Originally Posted by R_W_M
Go to a drugstore and get a bottle of Food/medical grade mineral oil. Works great and won't go rancid.
This is exactly what was recommended to me and is what I did. Block looks great, doesn't go sticky or rancid.
Go to a drugstore and get a bottle of Food/medical grade mineral oil. Works great and won't go rancid.
This is exactly what was recommended to me and is what I did. Block looks great, doesn't go sticky or rancid.
And lets see pictures. Butcher blocks are big money these days for good ones. Good save from the trash!
Walnut oil. We've used it for years on our butcher's block.
I use mineral oil. It works well for my cutting board as well as my knife handles and wooden spoons. Also keeps rust off my straight razors.
Kestas
Staff member
I believe tung oil polymerizes once it is absorbed into the wood. Mineral oil seems to be the best choice.
Originally Posted by Kestas
I believe tung oil polymerizes once it is absorbed into the wood. Mineral oil seems to be the best choice.
Can't quite generalize like that about all tung oil.
A lot of tung oil labeled finishes do have synthetic agents in it that do just what you said - I use ones like that for refinishing firearms stocks. Others have more natural tung oil and are excellent for cutting boards or blocks. I use them for that and get much more longevity out of it than with other natural and mineral oil I have tried.
I believe tung oil polymerizes once it is absorbed into the wood. Mineral oil seems to be the best choice.
Can't quite generalize like that about all tung oil.
A lot of tung oil labeled finishes do have synthetic agents in it that do just what you said - I use ones like that for refinishing firearms stocks. Others have more natural tung oil and are excellent for cutting boards or blocks. I use them for that and get much more longevity out of it than with other natural and mineral oil I have tried.
The shading on the wood is from the uneven light coming through the window. After sanding both top and bottom down 1/4 inch and the sides maybe 1/8 inch. I still need to sand with a finer grit. I have decided to use food grade mineral oil and beeswax. That's what my neighbor who owned the block for over 40 years has been using. He told me to clean the block with white vinegar and salt, rinse with warm water, let it air-dry in the sun, then apply oil and wax. Since this has worked for several decades, I see no reason to make any changes.
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