OT: oil for new maple cutting board

[markT]

I read a long time back on here a guy was making cutting boards. I can’t find the op. I think the guy was in NC or maybe VA. I’ve got a new fresh maple wood cutting board and want to put the right oil on it. Web says mineral oil but looks like there’s other stuff available. Tks

 

[DGP4]

This is what I have been using. A combination of beeswax and food grade mineral oil.

Mystery Oil for Wooden Cutting Boards

 

[SSL]

This is what I have been using. A combination of beeswax and food grade mineral oil.

Mystery Oil for Wooden Cutting Boards

Yep. That's what my wife literally just used to treat her several current and vintage boards.

 

[Rwfish]

I’ve always used Howard’s as it’s readily available in many hardware / home improvement stores.

 

[joshb]

Mineral oil. I may not be the guy you’re talking about but I make a bunch of cutting boards. Most hardware stores and craft stores.

 

[WSnyder]

I also use Howard's and have also used food grade mineral oil. Both work and both as has been said are found at lots of hardware stores.

 

[Chestnut]

I used to use the beeswax mineral oil mixes (Howards butcherblock was my go to). Most recently I've switched to 100% pure tung oil for fresh boards. 3 Coats with at least 24h cure between each coat.

On boards that have been oiled/waxed, I've been going strait solid beeswax. I get the board warm in my oven set to 160 and just rub the wax in. Usually last a year of daily washing before it gets dry looking again.

 

[markT]

Thanks all!! I think I will order this and give it a try. Appreciate it

 

[cavedweller60]

I use coconut oil (fractionated) and beeswax....1 part BW to 3 parts CO. There are a lot of recommendations on the internet for this mixture and you can buy it premade in many places too. You can use regular coconut oil but it solidifies when cooled down while fractionated doesn't.

 

[ELR LVR]

I've used food grade mineral oil, it seems to soak it up within minutes as if I did nothing to it.
I'd also be interested in something better that actually leaves a safe, somewhat oily finish that stays so cleaning up blood from meat would be easier
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The beeswas and coconut oil looks like a good alternative method

 

[Boilermaker]

I've used food grade mineral oil, it seems to soak it up within minutes as if I did nothing to it.
I'd also be interested in something better that actually leaves a safe, somewhat oily finish that stays so cleaning up blood from meat would be easier
--------------
The beeswas and coconut oil looks like a good alternative method

If your mineral oil is soaking up that fast, your board needs more saturated. Apply more coats until it no longer soaks it in so fast. Mineral oil is hands down the best product for the job. If you aren’t already, the board should be dried and reoiled every time you wash it.

 

[cavedweller60]

I've used food grade mineral oil, it seems to soak it up within minutes as if I did nothing to it.
I'd also be interested in something better that actually leaves a safe, somewhat oily finish that stays so cleaning up blood from meat would be easier
--------------
The beeswas and coconut oil looks like a good alternative method

If you do try it, I like to heat the board up pretty warm before applying it. It seems to open up the pores and really suck it in. I have put it in the oven at like 120 degrees and let it sit for awhile to warm up and, I have used a blow dryer to heat it up. I usually just stick with the blow dryer (or heat gun) though. I heat the board, pour on the warmed mixture and spread it around with a rubber glove on my hand. I then heat it some more until it is dry again and then put more mixture on it. The first time I do it, I keep going until it won't hardly take any more. It takes a couple hours the first time I do it but, after that, each time is pretty quick.

 

[cavedweller60]

If your mineral oil is soaking up that fast, your board needs more saturated. Apply more coats until it no longer soaks it in so fast. Mineral oil is hands down the best product for the job. If you aren’t already, the board should be dried and reoiled every time you wash it.

I re-oil a couple times a year but, I can't remember the last time I washed a wooden board. I will use some lemon juice and salt to scrub it when it is dirty and, if I am really concerned about contamination, I will wipe it down with some water with a small amount of bleach. Properly maintained wood cutting boards have anti-microbial qualities anyway. That being said, if I was cutting a deer or other large project, I would scrub with lemon and salt AND, bleach / water rag afterwards. My cutting board is twice the size of my sink and to wash it with any kind of regularity would be quite a chore.

 

[ebb]

I worked for years with a yacht carpenter that said a shipyard carpenter could not make enough to support a family and he work with us for years. He used to heat yacht spar varnish in a double boiler and get it thin as water for the first or second coats. I have not tried it on a butcher block with mineral oil, but i susp[ect it will allow deep penetration like he used yacht spar varnish. I have had this running around my head that I can heat BLO in a double boiler and do a new gunstock the same way. I am interested to see what JoshB and some of the other gun stock guys have to say about this.

 

[Will Henry]

One fellow who rents an RV spot from us makes fancy wood cutting boards. He uses a product called "Folkwood functional art conditioning wax". It appears, to me, to be a mineral oil/beeswax mix. WH

 

[archerforkids]

Watco Butcher Block from Home Depot is as good as any. After 35 years in the countertop business I learned 1 really important thing about countertop maintenance. If it ain't simple, it won't get done.
I would exercise caution using heat to get good penetration. Heat will break down a lot of the adhesives used to make butcherblock.
If you are wondering if your butcherblock(or natural stone for that matter) needs more treatment, sprinkle water on it and see if it absorbs it. You'll know pretty quick. If it does, give that countertop some loving. It will last a long time if you do.

 

[MS50]

I have a quality end cut board that I no longer use oil on. When I bought it, I would regularly clean and oil it with food grade mineral oil. Over time, a rotten food odor developed that was difficult to eliminate. Soaps, baking soda and scrubbing did not fix the problem. A power sander was required to remove the gummy mess that I had created. Now, I clean after using with dish soap and a brush, and a few minutes in the sun. I've used it this way for about 10 years with no problems. The board stays clean and dry. I suspect that meat cutters use more cleaners and disinfectants than oil on their cutting surfaces.
Amusing anecdote: After watching my sister struggle with a tiny cutting board, I bought her a decent end cut board. My brother in law put it in the dishwasher to clean it. He learned a hard lesson.