Thread: Wip end grain cutting boards

A question to the wise.

Can you use cyprus pine in chopping boards? I just thought that the smell may be inappropriate for food preparation.

I wouldn't use pine, to soft. I prefer gums & untreated natural Aussie timbers.
I'm no expert, Aussie untreated in anyway is just my preference. Buying timber off Greg I know that the log has been milled & laid under some trees to dry. Who knows what has been done to produce perfectly flat and clean boards purchased through the major retailers, besides buying and making boards from Aussie timbers surely has to be a good selling point.

Pine is very soft I know, however I have copious quantities of cyprus pine from a deck build, that I would like to utilise in something. All short pieces to 700 mm, and not really big enough for anything else that I can think of.

If you can be sure it hasn't been treated in anyway,
which I would be surprised if this is the case. I wouldn't use it, I may be a little anal about this.

Originally Posted by Dangermandave

If you can be sure it hasn't been treated in anyway,
which I would be surprised if this is the case. I wouldn't use it, I may be a little anal about this.

Like yourself, I am also anal about chemicals and food use etc. Perhaps, to be on the safe side, I should just give this a miss... now what could I use it for though? Back to the drawing board.....

Originally Posted by Dangermandave

I wouldn't use pine, to soft. I prefer gums & untreated natural Aussie timbers.
I'm no expert, Aussie untreated in anyway is just my preference. Buying timber off Greg I know that the log has been milled & laid under some trees to dry. Who knows what has been done to produce perfectly flat and clean boards purchased through the major retailers, besides buying and making boards from Aussie timbers surely has to be a good selling point.

Hey Cava,

Have to agree with Dave about the chemicals, but not so much on the pine.

If the the board is NOT End Grain, then pine is too soft but one of the main reasons for making End Grain boards is to align the Fibers of the timber so they are all pointing Up & Down.

This means no matter which direction you cut, you are never cutting across the fibers & breaking bits off. The fibers simply part & then return to the original position without being cut.

Having said that, pine is pretty ordinary to look at & you can certainly be a lot more creative with some nice aussie hard wood, but I have a couple of Pine & Pine/Jarrah boards in our kitchen that I use every day & they are certainly standing up to the test of time without any problems what so ever.

This particular board is mainly pine with a bit of Jarrah in the stand, the knife block & between each block just to give it a bit of character. The customer was extreamly happy with it.

Steve