Cutting boards

[rwinsouthla]

Not really homesteading but I want to make a nice cutting board....one that will last. What type of wood, stain/varnish (if any) would you use?

Thanks,

Ray

[Windy in Kansas]

Maple, oil only.

[kreig]

You probably will want to use a hardwood. Maple is pretty traditional. I have used it as well as cherry quite often. More open grains like oak and ash are not as good. Hickory is VERY hard but will last a very long time. Some of the exotics are toxic so I would avoid them unless you know what you are dealing with. Most people use a food grade mineral oil on the wood. Sometimes you see it advertised as butcher block oil.Glue is somethng else to consider, you are going to be getting your board wet so you should probably use a water resistant glue. Many narrow strips of wood are far more stable than one or two wide pieces. Not to mention prettier! Have fun!

[Old Vet]

I have one that used to be used at a fabric shop and they used cabinet grade plywood and set it on steel baskets. It came from a Jo Ann shop and It works. It had a painted top and a grove to set the scissors in when cutting.

Edit to say: My wife found it during a closing sale and bought it for $25. If you can find a fabric store that is going out of business then that is the way to go.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

like they said mapel with an oil only finish and yes oilive oil works just fine at least well enough for me


most of my cutting boards are the poly type they sanitize much easier
i like the big ones 15 X 20 or so that is about the biggest i can get in the dish washer


so is this a show board for a little light cutting or a serios meat cutting board maple works for both just harder to clean

[CowgirlGloria]

I have seen beautiful cutting boards made with strips of different hard woods. When oil finished, they are breathtaking.

[Rod Torgeson]

I made a cutting board for my daughters birthday this past March. I used alternating maple and walnut. The size was 16 x 20 inches. The glue was Titedond II and the finish was mineral oil that you can buy in the drug store. Whenever it gets a little dried out, re-oil it. Hope this helps.

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Quint]

I've only used maple. finished it with cutting board finish. Not sure what it was exactly. The table just said cutting boards, salad bowls and other wooden utensils.

I don't use them nearly as much any more though. I use plastic or nylon one. I'm one for easy clean up and those I can just toss in the dishwasher. I cut them to just the right size to fit. I have larger plastic ones and wood ones but don't use them as much since they have to be hand washed.

[Cabin Fever]

Just a comment. We love the rich appearance of a nice maple or butcherblock cutting board....BUT....nothing can beat the paper-thin plastic sheets they sell for cutting boards. They are easy to clean and store. Ours lasted about 3 years before it had to be replaced....and it cost less than a dollar.

[stranger]

like they say, Maple only,it's real hard when seasoned, it has a very tight grain so nothing can penitrate it to give it a rancid smell.

also wood boards are not recomended to cut meat on any more, just the plastic ones.

[Speckledpup]

I'm with cabin Fever on this one. I use the thin cutting boards. They fit perfectly in the dish washer to be sanitized.

[THETOOLMAN]

when they put my granite counter tops in there was a big piece og granite left over where they cut the sink out. I put a board on the back. I use the granite it works great....... but then so does the rest of the counter.

[rwinsouthla]

Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE

like they said mapel with an oil only finish and yes oilive oil works just fine at least well enough for me


most of my cutting boards are the poly type they sanitize much easier
i like the big ones 15 X 20 or so that is about the biggest i can get in the dish washer


so is this a show board for a little light cutting or a serios meat cutting board maple works for both just harder to clean

Thanks for the suggestions on maple and oils. I appreciate it. Yep. Serious meat cutting. I'm going hog trapping in early August and wanted to bring something up to my buddy's camp to use while I'm up there, but also to leave as a gift and this is what he mentioned a long time ago he would like. He is a big deer hunter and cleans the deer there at the camp so this and the fact he mentioned he wanted a nice big one, came together for a nice easy gift that I can make for him.

Thanks ya'll!!!

Ray

[just_sawing]

MAple is easier to get but the traditional meat markets used beech for their's. It bleechs snow white and is hard