Thread: Butcher Table from 100 Year Old Mango Tree

Sounds like a cool project. Please post pics as you build it.

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The coconut oil will go rancid, won't it? I think you'd be better off using a mineral oil or orange oil product.
It would be good to see some pictures of your build, sounds quite interesting.

Welcome to the forum Robi.

Hello All... and thank you for the warm welcome.

I am pretty new to woodworking and have really been enjoying the relaxing feeling I get while working on this, its almost like an addictive drug, it is all I have been thinking about lately.

Here is the progress so far...
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Sorry about the rotate... I tried to fix it but every time I uploaded nothing worked...

I used to be a computer network security engineer for a big hospital in the US and moved here to the Philippines to enjoy early 'retirement' and try my hand at farming fruit and coconut trees... also have a few free range pigs. I can't tell you how much am enjoying this new life and woodworking has added even more joy.

As for the rancid coconut oil, it appears from my research that coconut oil has properties that will keep it from going rancid... I thought about mineral oil but my issues are mostly availability, also looking to keep petroleum based products away from my food prep area as much as possible. Probably not a big deal, but it appears that there are quite a few professional products that use coconut oil and I have yet to hear of any first hand experience of someone using coconut oil and it going rancid... I guess I will find out... if it does go bad I will remember this post and update accordingly... the piece mango wood was only about $25 US.

Yesterday I went back and grabbed the other 2 pieces, a neighbor down the road had a similar size piece of Acacia for only $20 so I grabbed that too. Is this what drug addicts do?
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I am thinking to make a glow table with the cracked Acacia. Any other thoughts on what I should do with the other pieces.

Unless I hear a "do not use coconut oil" comment I will go pick up a couple gallons tomorrow and get started on the island.

Take care
Rob

You're a lucky man Robi. I'd love to see one of those slabs ripped into quarter sawn boards . It's also hard to get a grasp on the size of them until you notice the dog....... or is that a Rat

Coconut oil is the new "in thing" and i have seen a few occasions where it has been used on table tops and as a general furniture finish so i would see no problem with using it on a food prep surface. At 12cm thick if the oil does not work it's not like you cant grind a few mil of the surface

Were it me I'd be putting the thing on castors. Makes it easy to move around, both for use and for sweeping under.

Been buying and consuming coconut oil in bulk for the last decade or so. Yet to have any go rancid, and would have no hesitation in using it.

Thank you again for your replies and advice, the little rat is a 3 month old golden lab... I wasn't sure what quarter sawn boards are but now that I know, I will give that a try next time we make some boards, my brother in law does it for me and just uses a chainsaw but that's another discussion...

Thanks for the thoughts on making it mobile John, I'll think about that again, I was worried about it moving while being used but maybe I can get really good casters with locks... the wife gets the final decision on that tho...

I am glad to hear your thoughts on the coconut oil Cava and DD... as you can see in the pics below I jumped in and did it this morning, this is only the bottom so I am learning on this side... I just have a quick question for any additional thoughts... so far it has completely absorbed about 2/3 of a liter of the oil, little cracks seem to be closing a little which is good. My question is... should I keep applying oil until it won't absorb any more or should I seal it with wax/oil butter now? Should I keep it in the shade or put it in the sun? I am not sure if it will just keep absorbing till it gets to the other side, is this a case were more is better or is less better.

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One thing that I like about using the coconut oil is that I don't need to use any rags or brushes to apply I just used my hands to smear it all around then massage it it as it soaked in. I am sure you all already know, but the therapeutic effect of this project is having an awesome effect on me. I can't believe I waited so long to get into this, so many years wasted. I am pretty sure I will be doing this until the day I die. Thank you for this site and awesome ideas...

Thanks again for your thoughts and advice...

Take care
Robi

This household has been using Coconut spread for months now. Don't think i could ever go back to butter.

Robi, i would not apply any more oil. If all surfaces have been coated i would leave it to set and just apply a light coat with a rag every now and again when required.