Cutting Board Finish………Revisited

December 2, 2007 by thewoodwhisperer
Filed under: Articles, Blog 

Seems like cutting boards are on everyone’s minds these days. Probably because we are all making holiday gifts. Either way, this is the time of year you can expect almost one forum post a day asking a question about cutting board finishes or “food safe” finishes. And the responses to these posts are nearly always the same:
Person 1- The best finish for a butcher block is mineral oil.
Person 2- NEVER use varnish or salad bowl finish on a cutting board! What are you, stupid?!?!
Person 3- Mineral oil and wax are the best!
Person 4- This person usually provides a bunch of extra information that you didn’t ask for.

Ok so I am generalizing here for fun, but you get the picture. I have noticed as well that many of the people posing these questions may be doing so because of my advice from Episode 7- A Cut Above. To sum up, I said that my favorite finish for end grain butcher blocks is salad bowl finish (aka varnish). But remember my caveat. I said we are NOT trying to build a film. And that’s exactly what the folks in the forums are trying to say. If you build a film, the film will then be cut by a knife. The cut will allow moisture to seep under the finish and become a wonderful home for all kinds of bacteria. I can’t disagree there. But with my method, you never actually build an appreciable film.

I recommend diluting the finish sufficiently so that it immediately gets absorbed into the wood’s wide open pores. Think of it like a vertical bunch of straws that you are filling up with finish. Within a minute or two, you will notice that finish is actually seeping out of the bottom of the board. This is exactly what we want. At this point, I usually set board on its side and allow it to dry overnight. I do this 3-4 times with a light sanding in between each session. By the final coat, you should start noticing that the finish doesn’t really absorb any more. You are now starting to develop a film. One last wipe with a clean cloth and call it DONE.

So how does a board like this fare in the kitchen? There are two main concerns here: safety and maintenance. A butcher block treated this way will resist water all day long. In fact, on my boards, water tends to evaporate faster than it absorbs. Mineral oil boards will actually take on moisture much more readily. Adding wax to your mineral oil can certainly help in this area if thats the route you want to go. Now the fact that it is so water resistant is a major plus in terms of sanitation. Remember that the bacteria like the moisture. So the less moisture in the board, the better.

So how about knife marks? Well like with any board, knife marks will happen. If they don’t, you must not be using your board properly. So what happens to my boards? They get knicked up. They get dulled a little more in the middle where the most action occurs. But after about 18 straight months of usage, my cutting board looks pretty darn good. Check out the pics below. Now if there were a thick film on that board and that film were to crack, the moisture would certainly seep in and create problems. In fact after 18 months of that type of abuse you would probably expect the finish to start flaking off or exhibit more physical damage than what you see. But when a knife produces a deep cut on my board, it just cuts into varnish-filled pores. There is nothing to flake off.

Cutting Board 1 Cutting Board 2

Now let’s talk about maintenance. I haven’t done anything to that board other than a light soap and water scrub after each use, and an occasional white vinegar rub down. And I suspect that in another month or so, I will take the board back in the shop, give the top a nice thorough sanding, reapply a light coat or two of diluted varnish (monitoring how much it takes up), and the board will look brand new. What kind of maintenance does a mineral oil board require? Monthly, and possibly more frequently if used heavily. Maybe I’m just lazy but one of those maintenance schedules sounds a whole lot more fun than the other.

I am by no means trying to discourage people from using mineral oil. After all, its the classic cutting board finish. Use whatever floats your boat. Personally, I have had great success with my method and will continue to use it. The feedback from other folks who have tried it has been great as well. I think its safer, easier, and looks better. Of course my results are not backed by scientific tests. If I still worked in a lab I might be able to test it properly. But I can’t, so all I can do is speculate and bring a little common sense to the table. Finishing is, and probably always will be, one of the most over-complicated and misunderstood areas of woodworking. I only wish there were more scientific resources out there so that issues like this can be resolved effectively without speculation. Until then, do your research and never count on my advice or anyone else’s as cold hard fact. Gather as much information as possible from your trusted resources and then add the final ingredient: YOUR experience, opinions, and common sense.

Viva La Varnished Board!



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Comments

36 Comments on Cutting Board Finish………Revisited

  1. Mac on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 8:11 am

    2. I am glad my desk is not the only out their that is covered in junk.

    On a more serious note, great clarification Mark. I was sitting on the fence of what type of finish to use and was really confused on what was out their.

  2. Jim on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 8:30 am

    3. Above you recommend diluting the finish “sufficiently”, could give an example of your “sufficiently” diluting finish (50% water or more)? Thanks for your help!

  3. Vic on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 8:57 am

    4. Hey Marc, Thanks for mentioning me (Person 4). I thought all the superfluous information I like to give was going unnoticed. I was teasing Sylvia the other day. She’s knitting a really cool scarf from Alpaca. I told her ” While I don’t know how to knit, I can give you some excellent advice for that”. (Inside joke) Anyway, thanks for the information. It make good sense.

  4. thewoodwhisperer on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 9:00 am

    5. You got it Jim. I usually aim for the ballpark of 50-60%.

    I would love to hear your knowledge on Alpacas Vic. :)

  5. Lee on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 9:32 am

    6. As a retired chef the cutting board thing is of some interest.
    1 First it was replace all the wood in the kitchens (comm.) with stainless
    2 Stainless proved not practical because it dulled knives after one cut
    3 Then it was plastic cutting boards should be used hmmm
    4 And finally it was proven wood was the safest because plastic (as well as stainless) leaves cuts where the disenfectant could not reach but the wood absorbed it killing the bacteria. This why it should not be sealed.
    5 The point is a light coat of mineral oil and wiping with diluted household bleach is the best (NO bleach is not a toxin) mix about 1 part bleach to 20 parts water.

  6. thewoodwhisperer on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 9:59 am

    7. This is the exact confusion I was talking about. You can find an equal number of studies done that “prove” plastic is the more sanitary kitchen item. It all becomes very confusing for the average person. I personally believe that whether you use wood, plastic, mineral oil, or varnish, a good cleaning and sanitation regimen should prevent food-borne illness. There is bacteria everywhere (especially in the kitchen). Getting rid of all of it is not realistic because it will never happen. But keeping it below the threshold that will cause food-borne illness is the goal.

    And just to clarify Lee, Bleach most certainly IS toxic. But small amounts in diluted solutions can be a safe and effective disinfectant.

  7. Kip on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 11:36 am

    8. Bleach is not something I would want on anything I eat from. Unless It can be completly rinsed away. Even deluted it would build up with each application. Marc’s point that the wood absorbes the varnish so would it absorb chlorine bleach. My Question is , if the varnish is absorbed into the wood, how toxic is varnish?

  8. Steve on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 3:50 pm

    9. Marc is 100% correct — bleach IS toxic and small amounts in diluted solutions are safe. Many municipal water treatment plants use chlorine (bleach) to disinfect our drinking water. It is toxic to tropical fish in your aquarium but will not harm us humans. Using a bleach solution as a disinfectant on cutting boards is perfectly safe.

  9. Mike in St. Paul on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 5:39 pm

    10. Marc -

    I just skimmed your post. So you are saying that mineral and wax are best, right?

    LOL! I couldn’t resist… Thanks for (yet another) great post. You always give us new methods to think about, but in the end you say the same message: your shop, your product, your choice.

    Well done.

    But mineral oil is best, right? :-P

  10. Josh on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 6:49 pm

    11. there are studies that show increased rate of bladder and rectal and breast cancer for those who consume and bathe in chlorinated water over extended periods of time.

  11. thewoodwhisperer on Sun, 2nd Dec 2007 7:15 pm

    12. Well folks, just one more reason not to eat Clorox Brand Ice Pops!

  12. BrianM on Tue, 4th Dec 2007 8:53 am

    13. I followed Marc’s advice and used diluted salad bowl finish. IMHO, if you keep the cutting board clean its just as safe as any other product in the kitchen (Copper, aluminum, teflon, glazed pots.. etc).

    besides… According to the World Health Organization I’m going to die of cancer because i worked graveyard shifts to put myself though college. I think salad bowl finish is the least of my worries.

  13. Brad Nailor on Wed, 5th Dec 2007 9:39 am

    14. Just about anything in large enough quantities is toxic. As for not wanting to eat anything that has touched something cleaned with bleach, then you better stop eating in restaurants, most use a dilute bleach solution to sanitize everthing in their kitchens!

    I personally prefer a diluted mineral oil for all my cutting boards, but I have used salad bowl finish, though not with Marcs diluted built up technique, on boards that were going to be decorative and not cut on. But Marcs sumation is correct..It’s your project in your shop, do with it what YOU think is correct!

  14. JohnC on Fri, 7th Dec 2007 12:31 pm

    15. At my daughter’s preschool, they use a *very* diluted bleach/water spray to mist over the toys and stuff… Compared to the germ warfare of 4 year olds’ drippy noses and sneezes, the bleach seems not so bad….

    -John

  15. Chris D on Sat, 8th Dec 2007 12:27 am

    16. Othan than purple heart what are some other tight grain non-oily woods that can be used for a quality end grain cutting board?

  16. thewoodwhisperer on Sat, 8th Dec 2007 9:58 am

    17. Hey Chris. There are a lot of opinions out there as to what makes an appropriate cutting board. And your options open up even more if you plan on using it for dry goods like bread.
    Here are some woods that I have seen in cutting boards: mahogany, walnut, yellowheart, birch, alder, maple, purpleheart, white oak, and bubinga. That’s all I have off the top of my head.

    As long as the wood isn’t real oily and doesn’t have wide open pores (woods like red oak and ash), you should be fine. So of course, be careful, do your research, and have fun!

  17. Steve on Sun, 9th Dec 2007 8:55 am

    18. Just a word about using bleach as a sanitizer:

    This quote was taken from an FDA brochure: “For extra protection, you can clean the board (cutting board) with a kitchen sanitizer, such as a solution of one teaspoon chlorine bleach to one quart water.”
    See for yourself: Go to http://www.fda.gov, seach for “foodsfe.pdf”. Look about 1/2 way down the brochure.

    This solution is about 1 part bleach to 200 parts water. Much more diluted that the 1:20 ratio recommended above.

    BTW Marc, love the site. Thanks and keep up the good work.

  18. Spanky on Wed, 12th Dec 2007 8:17 pm

    19. What type of varnish is recommended or does it matter?

    Thanks

  19. thewoodwhisperer on Wed, 12th Dec 2007 9:21 pm

    20. Technically, it doesn’t matter. What do I use? General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish.

  20. Johan on Sun, 16th Dec 2007 10:59 pm

    21. Hey Marc,
    Nice job on the site. Keep up the good work here. Thanks for revisiting this topic.

    Shellac is food safe, right? Would it also (mixed w/ normal alcohol, not denatured alcohol) make a similar or better quality finish as the salad bowl varnish?

  21. Johan on Tue, 18th Dec 2007 10:54 pm

    22. Never mind, I just listened to your original podcast, and you mention why shellac won’t be a good alternative.

    Thanks.

  22. Kent Follmer on Tue, 1st Jan 2008 9:15 am

    23. Hi Folks and Happy New Year!

    I have spent a lot of time making and finishing end grain cutting boards during the past two months. I think I have read everything on the internet on the subject including the never ending debate between plastic v. wood boards. Here are my 2 cents:

    PLASTIC VS WOOD

    On the wood v plastic debate, the answer in my view is this:
    Both work for cutting boards, Wood has been around for centuries and plastic for about two decates. Plastic boards appeared to receive more general but uninformed acceptance by the public including state legislatures a few years back, which caused this controversy in the first place, but wood , in particular one made of end grain of a closed grain species, is far superior in every category including appearance. In the last ten years, more has been published by unbiased scientists from major universities that establishes that plastic CAN me less safe than wood, and the real issues is how the board is usedd, cleaned and maintained, not so much whether it is is plastic or wood; so it boils down to this: which do you like better? WOOD.

    After refinishing 4 of our old boards, edge and face grain boards (sanding and sealing with a variety of finishes), and making 5 end grain boards, I finally looked at my ladies’ old white plastic board in the kitchen; this was a favorite of hers because her mom said she should use this one for meat. Guess what: This plastic board was FURRY! u AM NOT KIDDING, IT HAD SMALL VERY FINE LITTLE PLASTIC FURRY FIBERS IN THE MIDDLE.

    Sure, you can throw it in the dishwasher but the damn thing was furry from knife marks, - yes there were knife marks all over it but the general surface where the cutting took place in the center of the board was furry to the touch, which I believe will harbor bacteria like the Taliban in the mountains; this plastic board was the worst, ugliest and most unsafe board in the kitchen.

    After showing this to my lady, she allowed me to throw it over the shoulder into a well placed trash can, just as Marc did in his podcast, episode 7A.

    I suppose I could have sanded this furry plastic thing, but it was not worth the sandpaper it would have wasted. We are not interested in plastic working nor is Marc a plastic whisperer. Plastic companies have made a ton of money in the last 50 years but trees grew on this land before man kind and I think that scores a point or two. Lets get real here, plastic sucks. for cutting boards. I am not into plastic boards and I am completely convinced that if you keep your wooden boards clean, you can cut chicken or anything else you want and need not worry about any health issues. Maintenance on them would require light sanding every few years at the most. Does it make sense to have one board for chicken only? not to me. just keep it clean. One for vegies and one for meat? sure, why not. I like making boards.

    THE FINISH

    Mineral oil is good. It is cheap, does not last long, easy to apply. My vote here is use this on your standard run of the mill single species boards. You don’t get the luster but works well.

    Walnut oil. I like this more than mineral oil. It gets harder over time with light and air. It last longer than mineral oil. It might darken lighter woods. It is not unhealthy. Your plants don’t like walnut wood shavings and dont use the walnut wood chips as an ingrediant to your meat loaf, and you will be just fine; however, y ou don’t get the luster or shine as you do with a varnish.

    Salad Bowl finish is a real good option. Marc’s recipe of dilluting with thinner is an absolute MUST to avoid streaky oily and smearing finishes but with a 50% thinning, and several coats, you get a nice shine and this shows off the more exotic woods and your efforts better. It is a better seal than the options.

    Another good option is this: do nothing. once a year sand it.

    Sorry for rambling and for all those that read this, the most important thing is to enjoy this hobby of working with wood.

    Kent

  23. Dave) on Sun, 6th Jan 2008 4:46 pm

    24. For purists (and to defend Chef Lee) toxins are poisonous substances produced by the mteabolic processes of living organisms. Snake venom is a toxin. Chlorine is toxic, but it is not a toxin.

  24. Steven on Mon, 3rd Mar 2008 12:31 pm

    25. ARRGGHHHHH!!!

    Marc - “At this point, I usually set board on its side and allow it to dry overnight.”

    ** on its side**

    I did not see or hear this one detail in your original video. I left the board flat to dry!! I kept expecting the bleed through to stop - which never did using diluted finish. I had some success with using undiluted finish, so eventually I called it done.

    I gave this board to my wife for Christmas. She literally refused to cut on it for two weeks because it was “too pretty”. I finally convinced her to start using it, but it was very painful for her. :)

    This was my first project where I using using serious hardwoods and really trying to maintain tight tolerances. The cut, flip, cut steps magnify every flaw in woodworking process. I learned a LOT about working with hardwoods (plenty to go!) and more importantly details about the setup and use of my wood working equipment (table saw driving me nuts and my first use of power planer). This was a VERY valuable experience for me. Thank you, Marc!!!

  25. Ben on Sun, 8th Jun 2008 12:31 pm

    26. So if you turn it on its side overnight, how do you keep it from gluing itself to the surface it is resting on and messing up the edge of your board?

  26. thewoodwhisperer on Sun, 8th Jun 2008 2:23 pm

    27. in most cases, I don’t coat the side that’s going to face down. I will catch it on the next coat. After 1-2 coats, you will be finishing with the board flat again so you can do all 4 sides evenly at that time.

    Hope that helps.

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  28. Mike on Fri, 17th Oct 2008 2:55 pm

    29. Hi Marc,

    I’ve made three of your end-grain cutting boards now…they’re a big hit with all who see them. Everyone thinks I labored away days gluing up individual little blocks of wood…I don’t let one how easy it actually comes together!

    Sorry to dredge up an old topic, but I seem to be having a problem with the finish that no one has mentioned….

    I went with your recommended Salad Bowl Finish thinned with Mineral Spirits. But after only a few light washings, it appears that the finish is completely gone! The surface is rough like the grain is raised. What did I do wrong? Should I have rubbed more in on the initial coat? I rubbed for about 3-4 minutes…it seems like it would have soaked up more. I never experienced the finish coming out the other side.

  29. thewoodwhisperer on Fri, 17th Oct 2008 9:37 pm

    30. Glad the boards are working out for you!

    Now on to your dilemma. Keep in mind that the light coating of finish on top is actually meant to wear off. We don’t really want a heavy film on top of the board. Films lead to cracked finish and cracked finish leads to bacteria. Since the idea is to essentially fill the grain from the inside, the board should still be protected. Now if you notice that water absorbs into the wood, it might be a good idea to recoat the board again because it is apparently not totally sealed. But if it still repels water, then you are still in good shape.

    Now your description of the finishing process raises some questions. In most cases, the finish will go through to the other side. Did you keep applying the finish or did you just keep rubbing a small amount? I usually flood the surface and keep adding finish until it appears on the other side. But not all woods will allow the finish to pass through so readily. What woods did you use?

    Either way, you need to check to see how well the board is repelling water. Put a good sized drop on there and watch it over the course of a few minutes. If the drops absorbs within a minute or so, the board needs more work.

    Now here’s a little extra info for you. After about 5-6 months of using a new board, I like to take it back to the shop and resurface it. The initial use of the board causes some of the joints to swell and the surface feels a little rough (as you described). So by sanding the surface with 220 and reapplying a fresh coat of varnish, you completely renew the surface. And since the board is fully seasoned, it will stay smoother and the joints will be much less obvious at that point. And they should stay that way too.

    Feel free to email me if you want to get deeper into these details.

  30. Geof on Thu, 23rd Oct 2008 6:15 am

    31. Marc,

    I just discovered your site and am very impressed. I found you because I was looking for info on end grain cutting boards…………..presto, your podcast is perfect. I have purchased the hard maple and purple heart from my local wood purveyor and am ready to begin.

    Geof

  31. John on Mon, 27th Oct 2008 10:38 am

    32. I am glad to hear I am not the only one with the board getting “fuzzy fast” issue (Mike on October 17th, 2008 2:55 pm ).

    I am making a lot of these boards and have been testing them in my kitchen. The mineral oil ones do not repel water well enough for someone who washes the board and sets it aside - instant warpage - the warpage can be fixed but if the board is a gift, you just became a sucky woodworker in their eyes. Since most folks who use the board will not be as educated about its properties and care as those of us who make them, we need to keep this in mind when we finish the board.

    The Salad Bowl finish looks great but the surface of the board gets rough and ugly very quickly after some use. The board still repels moisture well and does not warp so I will probably put a 6 month refinish coupon in the gift to get past this issue and let folks know what to expect with a new board.

    I have not tried the wax yet but I expect that it will not seal the board as well as the salad bowl finish and will seal better than the oil only system. I suspect that I will end up finishing the boards with the salad bowl finish and then maintain mine with oil/wax and recommend the gift recipients use oil only as that is easier.

    All my boards will come with directions for their use and maintenance as they require a bit more brains than plastic. If you are not smart enough to own it after all this work and you still have problems, I will take you off my cool gift list and start sending you my recycled “2 for 19.55 but wait there’s more” gifts.

  32. Bob on Sat, 29th Nov 2008 7:00 am

    33. When you said to dilute. What do you dilute with?
    Earlier someone asked and he said 50-60% water. Is that OK or should it be diluted with mineral spirits?

  33. thewoodwhisperer on Sat, 29th Nov 2008 9:08 am

    34. mineral spirits or naptha will do just fine.

  34. Lucky1406 on Sat, 29th Nov 2008 2:15 pm

    35. Hey there, I had a quick question. I’ve made a number of your cutting boards, and I’ve been trying few finishes, and I wanted your advice about a problem that I seem to have. I’ve been finishing the bottom of the boards with the varnish/mineral spirits to keep it protected from water on the counter tops (I heard that the boards can mold if left in water on a counter top) But I wanted to finish the top in a Butcher Clock oil. I liked the look of this, with the protection of the Varnish for the bottom. The strange thing I noticed is that after I put on the varnish, I decided to go ahead a put a layer of Butcher block oil on top of it to see what it looked like. And I started to notice that where the grain of the wood was, It seemed to raise up with a slightly gummy substance. maybe the Butcher block oil was pulling some of the varnish up? I’m Not sure, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this. I just sanded it down a little, and tried it again. But it did the same thing again. I’m not too worried about it because it’s the bottom of the board, but still. I’ll be sure to try these things out before I do anything to the top of one of my boards.

  35. Bob on Tue, 2nd Dec 2008 12:35 pm

    36. If this is your favorite finish for end grain cutting boards, would it also be for edge grain?

  36. thewoodwhisperer on Tue, 2nd Dec 2008 12:44 pm

    37. Well, for face grain and edge grain cutting boards, I am usually a little more conservative in my approach. With most woods, you start building a film almost immediately. And remember, we don’t want a film on the surface. So I guess you could use this method, but you’ll have to toe the line between film/no film. But I would probably not even bother. I would just treat it with mineral oil/wax and go with tradition.

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