"Safe" finish on chopping board?

[hazo]

Hi
Have just made a couple of Jarrah block chopping boards and was wondering what to finish the surface with?
Have experimented with cooking oil on one but the grain has now risen and it has gone quite dull!
Will be used for food prep etc. so must be safe.
Brian

[zenwood]

I've got one: I used the no-finish finish, and it still works fine.

[hazo]

Hi Again
Sorry should have done a search first, have now got a couple of ideas from there! got to get the cooking oil off first though!
Brian

[BobL]

One thing I do know is that various cooking and vegetable oils like olive oil will go rancid and eventually smell bad and become a health hazard.

Check out the sponsors products for details of examples of which finishes are food safe or not. Trad wax is a one that I use.

When I give people a chopping board as a gift I sometimes give them a small jar (as in those mini glass jam jars) with a bit of Trad Wax in it.

As Zen does, raw wood is a natural antibug material so you can always leave it like that.

[thumbsucker]

Pure tung oil. Extracted from the nut
of the china wood tree. Used as a base
in many blended finishes. Available
from catalogs and hardware stores.
Difficult to apply, requires many coats,
good water-resistance.

Raw linseed oil. Pressed from flax
seeds. Not to be confused with boiled
linseed, which contains metallic driers.
Listed as a food additive by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). Very
long curing time, good looks, low
water-resistance, frequent
reapplication.

Mineral oil. Although derived from
petroleum, it is colorless, odorless,
tasteless and entirely inert. Sold as
a laxative in drug stores and as a wood
finish in hardware and kitchen-supply
stores. Simple to apply, low water-
resistance, frequent reapplication.
Walnut oil. Pressed from the nuts of
the walnut tree. Sold as a salad oil in
health food stores and in large grocery
stores. Walnut oil dries and won't go
rancid. Easy to apply, frequent
reapplication.

Beeswax. The work of the honey bee.
Can be mixed with an oil to create a
better-smelling, slightly more water-
repellent finish. Sold in woodworking
and turning catalogs.

Carnauba wax. Derived from the
Brazilian palm tree. Harder than
beeswax and more water-resistant.
Can be used straight on woodenware
as a light protective coating or a
topcoat polish. Sold in woodworking
and turning catalogs.

Shellac. A secretion from the lac bug.
Harvested in India. Super blond shellac
in flake form is the most water-
resistant variety. A film-forming finish.
Sold in woodworking catalogs and
hardware and art supply stores.
Nothing. Available everywhere. Makes
a reasonable finish for woodenware. No
application time. Free.

[simon_b]

has anyone used orange oil as a finish for chopping boards?

[rhancock]

Yeah, mate of mine gave me some for the BIG chopping board. We don't use it every day - only when we have roast to carve! I did it about 2 years ago, and we hand wash it every time we use it and you can't see its been used.

[Grunt]

I vote for no finish finish.

I inherited a large chopping board (1000mm x 800) from my folks. It's about as old as I am and has never had a finish on it. Still looks really good and is easy to clean.

[Bino]

[quote=BobL;522155]One thing I do know is that various cooking and vegetable oils like olive oil will go rancid and eventually smell bad and become a health hazard.

I have been useing cooking oil on jarrah boards for years and have never known this to happen.

Bino

[Hardenfast]

Nice summary of finishes and their origins/applications Thumbsucker. Most helpful. Many thanks.

[Gumby]

There's lots of info in these forums on this topic. A search will bring up threads like this....
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...chopping+board

Read Ubeaut's posts in particular.