I applied a butcher block finish first to saturated the fibers so it's hydrated. Then I used a buffer with a bar of pure carnauba wax to apply a hardwax top coat. It's all food-safe. The butcher block finish I use: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004G6X0J2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_039JVXBFQN3R9N4VJWF4
Thank you. I read that it needs to be distilled white vinegar, is that correct? I'm asking because I have apple cider vinegar at home and I'm chomping at the bit to get this fixed. If I need white vinegar I'll have to (impatiently) wait until tomorrow.
I have some of this stuff for our cutting board. Will that work?
Is there a way to tell before sanding how deep the mold goes?
/u/Ihate25gaugeNeedles is correct on all accounts.
> Finish: I'm assuming you must keep the wood natural, no stains. But to finish would you use something like this cutting board oil? https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004G6X0J2
Yes, I use straight mineral oil. I buy it by the gallon and submerge the board in it completely for 10-20 seconds, let it drip dry and then towel off the excess. I then run some beeswax on the outside of all boards.
> Cleaning: Let's say you just cut a bunch of chicken, you can't have the chicken juice and remains there and you can't put wood in the dishwasher... so how do you clean this? I often have the chicken sticking to my plastic cutting board if I try to clean by hand with a brush so I have to put it in the dishwasher. So how is this gonna get clean on wood?
I just use soap and water and a scrub brush to clean it. I do sometimes experience what you're talking about on the plastic boards. I think there's a lot more crevices on those and that makes it hard to clean. I've never seen this happen on our wood boards though since they're basically smooth.
> Maintain: I'm assuming the board will take a beating over time, cuts, etc. Do you sand and re-apply the cutting board oil or what do you do?
Yup, depending on how often you use it and wash it, it will need to be re-oiled. We tell people when it starts to look "dry" just dump more oil on it and run it in. I've resanded ours once in the 3 years we've been using it.
Mineral oil works great, and is food safe, and does not have a taste or smell. It's also cheap.
Here's a lifetime supply for you and all your friends, for $9:
Also works nicely on cutting boards too.
Your knife is made of excellent carbon steel that will hold an awesome edge, but which will also rust with little provocation.
After use, wash and dry by hand. Get some food safe mineral oil and apply a few drops to a paper towel or a rag. Wipe the oil on to the steel, and wipe it off. The thin remaining film will protect it from rust.
You can use the same oil on your wood cutting board, and on the wooden handle of your knife.
Don't let your knife rattle around in a drawer. A knife block is best, but anything is OK so long as nothing is going to bump up against the edge.
So it's the best of both worlds---protecting it and bringing out the rich colours I've seen. Just to be pedantically clear---you saying to use mineral oil for touch-ups, not more of the wax/oil mix? The first being a mix of oil and wax and the latter being just oil, right? Given the low cost per bottle, it would make sense to include it in the gift.
It's actually very common for those traditional ho/magnolia wood handles to come untreated. All you need is to give it a bit of a soak in food grade mineral oil (which is pretty much just mineral oil treated with Vitamine E) followed up by a buffing with a beeswax/mineral oil combination. I apply this to any areas of exposed wood on the handle, including where the tang meets the handle.
There are a lot of sellers on Amazon but this is what I most recently used:
There's not a huge difference between 6k and 8k. 8k will give you a rough shave but 6k probably won't. Personally I prefer the higher grit for my nakiri but it's definitely not required to bring out it's performance.
Howard Products BBB012 Cutting Board Oil, 12 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G6X0J2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_JTF5VJG0741Y28HFMM79?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
This one works well: $15
https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Products-BBB012-Cutting-Board/dp/B004G6X0J2
Bought mine on Amazon, make sure you get food-grade mineral oil
I'm refinishing a butcher block countertop I got from craigslist. I would like the wood to be a bit darker than raw so I gave it a layer of "butcher block oil" which brought out a really lovely color after 8 hours of soaking in. See here.
I'd like for it to be a bit darker than what I think I can get from the butcher oil. Can I use any oil-based stain to help deepen the color even though it has some oil on/in it already? Maybe something like this stuff?
I imagine that since I used an oil that is to be soaked up by the wood, this "penetrating" wood stain should still work ok. I'm just afraid it might be blotchy due to the previous layers. I plan to hit the tabletop with some sort of finish once I get it the color I'd like. Thanks!
How well does this work with wooden spoons?
That is not what "seasoning a cutting board" means or has ever meant. Seasoning a cutting board is when you take mineral oil and brush it onto your board to help seal it and prevent moisture from the meat you're cutting (or any bacteria it carries) from soaking into the wood.