7- A Cut Above (Pt. 2)
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In Part 2 of our cutting board series, I show you two of the most popular ways to finish cutting boards, or any wooden kitchen item for that matter. I also review the care and maintenance required for each finish type.
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Marc,
Great episode. I noticed you didn’t mention poly as a choice for the finish. I assume this is because it is completely unsuited for the purpose.
Nice plug for Matt’s Basement Workshop – I have really enjoyed Matt’s content over the past year.
Thanks again for all the effort you put into this – they really are fun to watch.
Marc,
I enjoyed this episode. Keep up your positive attitude – it makes a difference.
And thanks for the nice words about Matt’s BW and our LumberJocks.com
I just found this podcast from some woodworking forum and went through all the episodes in a few days. Great fun to watch and I really like the cutting boards.
Just want to second the “pro-others” approach to your stuff here, Marc. Mention of Matt’s podcast actually turned me on to a resource I’d not yet taken the time to look for, and now am the better for. I’m really starting to digg (hint, hint, everyone) your style and just want to thank you again.
-kiff
DIGG. haha I get it! :)
I guess one of these days I should mention Digg and Podcast Alley. Couldn’t hurt right?
Hey Paul,
I’m assuming that you treat both sides of the board as well as the edges. Any specific advice on how to do that?
~CZ
Who’s Paul?
Hi Marc,
I also want to know like CZ if you finish both sides, and also, I don’t have the Salad Bowl varnish. Can you use mineral oil now, and in a month or so refinish with Salad Bowl Varnish?
Love your site, humor, tips, and I’ll have to find out about digging…
Cheers
Hey guys. I do indeed treat all surfaces of the board. I didn’t necessarily show that in the video due to time considerations. But all surfaces are treated exactly the same with the same number of varnish coats.
You can use mineral oil first. Just make sure the finish has plenty of time to cure before applying the varnish. And before applying the new finish, I would give the whole board a nice wipe-down with lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to remove any surface oil. Once it flashes off, you can apply your salad bowl varnish.
Good luck!
Marc
Marc,
Wow! Love the site and I am working my way through all of the podcasts while my six week old son is napping…
A couple of quick questions regarding this cutting board episode:
1.) I noticed that you cut the board on the table saw with the fence up against the slice you were taking out. I don’t own a table saw yet, but I thought that was a no-no. I also noticed that you had a wood block running the length of your fence. What for?
2.) You answered someone question about recoating all sides of the board, but I was wondering if you had to wait for the top side to cure/dry befor flipping it over to apply the finish to the underside? Or is there a trick that lets you save a few days…
I can’t tell you how great I think your podcasts are! Keep up the great work!
~Peter
Hey Peter. Well first off, congrats on the mini-woodworker! Getting any sleep lately? :)
1- I agree that that type of cut is not ideal. But in cases where you need a consistent sized cut, it just makes more sense to do it that way. And with some experience and the right push sticks, that cut is relatively safe. I would not recommend doing that as your first cut on a tablesaw, but once you are comfortable with the machine, you should be in good shape to try it. Just be sure to use a good push stick.
2- You would need to let the board dry before coating the other side. That is, unless you come up with a system that lets the board breathe while it dries. One way to do this is to take a piece of scrap ply and put a few nails into it. Then you can coat the whole board and lay it with the bottom resting on the nail heads. The nail heads might put a slight blemish in the finished surface, but its nothing that a light sanding wont take care of. And if you use a little finish nail. you shouldnt see anything at all.
Hope that helps Peter. Good luck with your woodworking!!
Marc:
By vocation I am a consultant in Regulatory Toxicology and by avocation a serious woodworker. Your comments about the toxicity of various finishes were right on the money and I wont get into an elaborate discussion here except to say “the dose makes the poison” and when using non-approved (FDA) finishes that holds true. I would have no issue personally using food contact items that have been finished with any type of polymerizing (or cured) finish. However, any woodworker who either gifts, donates or sells these products should consider the potential legal ramifications of using a non-approved finish. For this reason I would strongly encourage that these products be finished with FDA complient products such as mineral oil, Salad Bowl Finish or other natural oils.
Dear Marc,
I am from Bangladesh. Can you give me the basic formulation of Salad Bawl Finish. Can you tell me is mustard ( brown) oil FDA complient for wooden utensils like cutlary, serving plates etc?
Thanks
Hi Tutu. Most salad bowl finish in the US is just varnish. As for mustard oil, I never even heard of it. From what I can see though it seems to be a kitchen oil. Most oils like canola oil, vegetable oil, and oilive oil will go rancid on a cutting board. So please, do your research on mustard oil before applying it to the board.
Hey Marc,
I really enjoy your podcasts–they’re lots of fun to watch. Regarding the cutting boards, it’s important to get the first lamination dead level. I don’t have a drum sander, and when I flip the 1 1/4″ strips over on their side and swap ends on every other strip, things get a little gappy. I could throw a cat through some of those gaps. All I know to do is to go back to the table saw and shave each side of the strips. Then, when I line up the strips, they’re gap-free, and we’re good to go on the last glue-up. Love the podcasts–keep “em coming!
Thanks Marc. I love the design and simplicity. I instantly knew this would be a great holiday gift. I made two, cause initially, I was supposed to make one for my M-i-L, but I let the LOML see it and she took ownership of the first one. So, I made two. My wife said quote “Mom will wet her pants when she she sees this.” Apparently, the other two gifts for the other fair-gendered family members are going to freak when they see it and they don’t get one yet.
It’s all part of the master plan. They are getting one next year.
BTW, I am going to need you to come up with another fantastic holiday gift within the next few months please.
Troy
Great videos … I was just given an unfinished cutting board as a gift and was wondering the best way to finish it … Now I know!
BTW, a great little extra for this board would be a groove about a 1/4″ inside from the top edge to collect the juices from a juicy roast.
Thanks again and keep up the great work.
Very nice. I am still in the middle of the job, bit it is looking really good.
Have you designed any small trash boxes for the kitchen?
I’m new to wood working and having a blast!
~Shane
If the finger cut out is only 1/2″ deep, how do you get the 1/8″ roundover bit in without hitting on the bearing bolt of the bit?
Hey Shane. I imagine it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but I was able to just barely get the bit in there. If you know you want to ease the edge with the 1/8″ bit, its probably best to measure the bit first to make sure you have enough clearance. Or just round over by hand. Its not much area so it would only take a few min. with some sandpaper.
Disaster!
I am building 5 of these at a time for christmas.
They look awesome but it got cold here last night and they warped before I could finish them.
I ran one of them through my planer very gently and it helped but I am afraid of tearing them up.
Help.
Can I wet the board to straighten it?
Hey Shane. Check this post out: http://thewoodwhisperer.com/cu.....-the-week/
Hi Marc,
Great information on building a cutting board and finishing it.
I’ve made a small endgrain board that I’m looking to use as a cheese server. Made out of pine with very good patterns. Previously I’ve simply oiled my cutting boards as you describe. I’d like to use the varnish finish but I’m not sure if it will bring out the grain like the oil finish does.
I’ve also considered just giving it a light oiling and then varnishing it.
Can you please suggest the best way to go?
Thanks,
tony
Hey Tony. A few things. In general, most people report that the varnish does a better job of bringing out the beauty of the wood than the oil alone. The oil has a tendency to make the surface look a little dull and lifeless. I am assuming we are talking about mineral oil here. Now I would NOT recommend coating with mineral oil, followed by varnish. Remember that mineral oil never cures. So if you topcoat with varnish, the varnish will have problems curing. So either go oil, or go varnish, but don’t combine them.
And jut to reiterate, this method is intended for endgrain boards. So if your boards are long grain, you might just want to stick with the oil.
Hope that helps. Feel free to email me if you need further clarification.
Hi Marc,
Thanks for the quick response.
Yes, I’m talking endgrain boards. From your advice I’ll just varnish this small one and see how it looks.
I have another (larger) board I did earlier (my first attempt) which I’ve already oiled. I had considered varnishing it for additional protection, but from your comments sounds like I should just leave it oiled, or may be add a coat of beeswax.
cheers,
tony
Hi Marc,
One other thing. Am I correct in assuming you use Satin rather than Gloss varnish? My thinking is that a Satin finish normally hides knife marks better than a Gloss finish.
thanks,
tony
Actually, I only use gloss on my boards. I guess in my head I am trying to get the “purest” finish possible on there. And since you aren’t building a film, there really shouldn’t be a visible difference between satin and gloss.
Hi Marc,
Im kind of new to wooodworking … i had been wanting to try making a cutting board and stumbled over here and love your site. Just have a finishing question (yes, yet another lol! … and no i wont repeat anything asked before). I have read in several places that tung oil in its pure form is non-toxic. When applied properly (several coats) it binds with wood and makes the surface completely waterproof. Is this true ?
I must admit that I have never applied enough tung oil to a piece to determine just how water-proof the finish can be. But, I have read the same thing many times. So I would say its certainly worth a shot. The fact that tung oil actually dries, gives it a few bonus points over mineral oil. And as long as the material truly is labeled PURE tung oil, you should be ok. In fact, I think I may try this on a future cutting board.
Ill probably end up trying tung oil too on the cutting board too. Just a note on my past experiences with 100% tung oil. I tried the old masters after reading some review about it … the finish looked great but it had some voc associated with it, which it shouldnt if it was pure. I tried woodcraft tung oil it seems like its just pure oil. You still need to thin it to apply it well but, atleast you know what you are putting in it.
Marc,
Curious if you wipe off the excess finish after each coat. That is, you put it on for 3-4 minutes, then wait a minute or two, then wipe down the board. It seems like you simply apply the finish and let it dry, but that would also seem to build up a film.
Great website!
Scott
hey Marc im just starting out playing with wood and since i cant find any part time schools for this im going to try to learn everything off of your shows. im going to start with those awesome end grain cutting boards and ill do a couple of them to get a good hang of it, then ill give them out to friends. but i need a little advice. what other type of wood combination can i use on a cutting board? id like to be diverse and creative with the colors and patterns. so if you have any suggestions also on different cutting patterns that would be cool too. i was thinking of using walnut, and cherry wood just off the top of my head, but i dont know if theyr are tight grain and hard. thanks so much Marc appreciate all your hard work im learning so much.
-wil
Hey William. I am glad to hear you are getting into woodworking. Its pretty addictive so watch out. :) And be sure to take advantage of all the great resources we have available to us on the web. My site offers just one perspective, and there are many approaches to the craft.
Now on to your question. When it comes to cutting board, most times its better to play it safe. While I’ve seen lots of different woods used in cutting boards (including exotics), I usually try to keep it as simple as possible. I’ve been using purpleheart for a while now and feel its just as safe as maple. But many other exotics have a good amount of natural oil in them. Personally, I am concerned about what else might be in that oil. So if the wood is oily I don’t use it. Now it is also a good idea to avoid open pored woods like oak, ash and possibly even walnut. But I have seen hundreds of boards using walnut……
Bottom line is its a gray area. There isn’t a whole lot of info out there so that’s why I like to play it safe. If you are looking to try a colorful wood, do a bunch of research to determine if there is some allergy or toxicity concern. And of course it best to just avoid the odd ball exotics. And as tempting as it is to use this system to make fancy colorful patterns, it might not make the best material for a surface that will be in contact with food.
Hi Marc,
Was wondering when you thin the salad bowl finish with mineral spirits…(this may sound stupid) but are you talking the kind you pick up at the local building center? Great site!
You got it. Just regular old mineral spirits.
Marc,
I am new to wood working and must say that I enjoy your website. I DID in fact make the cutting board, but the question I have is the finish. I have applied 4 or 5 coats of mineral oil and have wiped it all down. I was so proud of the cutting board, it actually looked like the one you made in your pod cast. In fact, once I put the cutting board in the kitchen, my wife wasted no time in putting it to use, I about had a heart attack…I didn’t want her to use it… just look at it in all its beauty. I got over it quick as she sliced through the tomatoes…anyway, after she hand washed the board and let it dry, the surface was rough. I sanded the board up to 320 grit ( smooth like glass) when I made it. Did the water when she washed it raise the end grain? I would think thats normal but was not prepared for the feel of the board after.
Thank You
Patrick Melchior
The first cut is always the worst one Patrick! lol. But an unused board never reaches its true potential. I am glad to hear she wasn’t afraid to dive right in and start cutting!
In general, the board will go through a lot of surface changes in the first few months. As the board goes from wet to dry to wet to dry…….the grain gets raised and the glue lines become more evident. So usually I wait about 6 months, then I take it back into the shop for a light sanding and refinish. This 6-month wear-in period almost has the same affect as pre-raising the grain before finishing. So that once you clean up this second time, it will stay smoother and the glue lines will be less likely to show up. Now the fact that you are using mineral oil does muddy things up a bit, literally. When you take it back to the shop, you’ll find that your sandpaper gums up pretty quickly. Just do the best you can to sand the surface smooth up to 320. And you don’t necessarily need to get down to bare wood.
Now since mineral oil still does allow moisture to absorb into the board, you will be more likely to have the roughness return than if you used the varnishing method. But as hard as it is to remind yourself, it is just a cutting surface so a little roughness is to be expected.
I also would try to avoid adding mineral oil a month or so before bringing it back in the shop. You want the board as “dry” as possible.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the info Marc. no that the soap box is open I would (wood) lol, like to give you some feedback. I, as well as all the wood workers who follow your website appreciate the fact that you are independent in your opinions, and not a shirt and tie guy, a corporate man. I feel we relate better to you and your opinions. I hope you remain true to your core foundations that got you to where you are today. I understand that you have to make a living, ROCK on!!
keep up the great work… you and your wife are both hard workers and your funny
thanks again
patrick melchior