Vegetable oil is not a good choice for cutting boards,it becomes rancid after a while. By far the most commonly used finish for cutting boards is mineral oil or mineral oil with parrafin wax melted in.It is safe to use but must be renewed periodically when the board appears dry.bobj3 said:Hi Buckets
I recommend Pure Vegetable Oil that you can get from any grocery store
It's clean and you can use it many times to get that new look over and over, I use it on ALL the cutting boards I make it's safe and you will like the look of it.
I put on one GOOD coat (pour it on and use your fingers to rub/work it in) and then let it sit for a hour or two then one more good coat and your done.
Wipe it down a bit with a clean rag after a hour or so , to a nice buff and then hand one over to your boss and say hey babe here's a new cutting board![]()
Small Note**** For a nice touch get some apple extract from the grocery store at the same time you get the vegetable oil, you will find it in the candy/cake making items in your store ,put a drop or two with the last coat of oil on your board and your board will smell like apples for a long time.
It will be in a very small bottle.
Bj![]()
Try mixing blond shellac, walnut oil/linseed oil, and grain alchol (ever clear) in equal amounts with a table spoon of carnuba wax. Apply buff dry repeat several times until you achieve the desired sheen. You can buff dry with a power buffer.I am making cutting boards out of walnut and cherry, cut into an apple shape. I want a clear finnish that is food safe. Thanks, Buckets
I like to use a home brew mix. I mix equal amounts of shellac, grain alchol, flax seed (raw linseed) oil and carnuba wax. Doing about a quater cup of each it will only take about 1 Tbl spoon of wax. The alchol acts as a carrier for the shellac, oil, and the wax. This is a home made friction polish. Apply about 3 applications buffing between each and a final coat of pure wax.i was told to use mineral oil, and i did. looks good and protects the board as well. i made to boards one hard maple and walnut and the other one brazilian cherry and hard maple they turn out real nice
I use flax seed oil, that is the raw version of boiled linseed oil. I don't use an emulsifier so it seperates fairly quickly, shake it often. The alchol acts as a carrier for the oil and helps it to penatrate the wood fibers, as it dries it seems to catalixe the wood fibers, and of course the wax acts as a sealer and it will have to be reapplied. I apply three coats buffing dry between each application. After the third coat I allow the finish to cool and then repeat three more times then apply the final coat of wax and just hand buff with a shoe brush. Minwax and Johnsons floor wax work well. I am sorry that I was not as understandable as I should have been I have also reposted this.Steve, veg oils do not dissolve in alcohol, and the result has to be "dishwashing fluid resistant" - because we as woodworkers are happy to cherish the cutting board with a soft brush and TLC, but housewives will dip it in the sink and wash it thoroughly so all oil coating will be gone - and, with a sparkle in their eyes, they will tell you "but you are an amateur dear, what did you think you could make?" - Have you used this mixture before? Have you had feedback?
Last Christmas I gave away about 20 - 25 cheeseboards, (see rel. thread - a very interesting discussion came out of this)
Several of my friends noticed that a regular wash with dishwashing fluid finally removed all olive oil I had used, and I had been radical: a roasting pan was half filled with 3 - 4 cups olive oil and the cheese boards spent 24hrs swimming in there, then they were wiped dried in the shade and given away.
Now i am thinking of a mixture of turpentine, olive oil, beeswax ,carnauba wax and mastic - any ideas?
A very good friend of mine down under is still waiting for his board - I did not have enough time to make a good one for him and then I fell ill in February and just came back in action.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
D