first attempt: Red Oak cutting board

[Russianwolf]

Well I'm not sure whiskey barrels are made of red oak but I'm pretty sure whiskey and wine barrels are made of some form of oak. For all I know it may be because of the tannic acid not in spite of it. Any vinters or moonshiners out there that can help us out

DonHo

All Oaken barrels I've seen for whisky and wine have been burnt inside. I think the charcoal "lining" may negate some of the problems with pourousness and such.

Just a guess based on observations.

Red Oak would not be my first choice for a cutting board. But, there are ways of sealing the pours so that contaminants can't get in them. I'm thinking of an article That I saw in one of the woodworking magazines that showed how to put on a finish an wetsand the finish into the board. this caused you to form a slurry that was made of the finish and very fine sawdust that would fill the pours in oak. If you then sanded to remove most of the finish and applied the mineral oil, I think you'd be set.

[LCHIEN]

I think JNESMITH's reference a few posts above that only something like Rockhard Maple is suitable for cutting boards is the suggestion Howard needs to use for the next cutting board. Also I guess mineral oil is OK to use for sure, the others' seem to be divided about other veggie-derived oils. I guess bacon grease is out of the question.

[gerti]

After the oil has formed the bonds (hardened) there's not much to go rancid. Now I'm not saying to rub the thing down with canola oil or corn oil. But the more polysaturated variety walnut in particular is going to be alright -- I think I've even read of some vessels of olive oil being dug up in the middle east someplace that were still OK..

Definitely not vegetable oil. I think the only oils that harden completely are the boiled varieties (boiled linseed oil or BLO, boiled walnut oil which is used by some turners). I guess they might be OK, but given that they will mostly generate a film and only penetrate the wood a little, and that the wood is used to cut on, I think these might actually not last that long. BLO isn't known for great protective value anyway. So I think the mineral oil is still the best way, maybe some added bess wax as someone else suggested.

Sounds like a question for Mythbusters to me.

;-))

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Practially all finishes are safe for contact with food ONCE IT HAS FULLY CURED.
All ingredients used in common finishes, including metallic driers, are approved by the FDA for food contact as long as the finish is cured. I would go with shellac. How is that for different?
Shellac is approved by the FDA for consumption (used to coat pills, etc), is organic (the shellac itself, not the evaporative denatured alcohol), is a renewable resource and Amber Shellac would give a nice color to the Red Oak with no stain.

Here is what the FDA has to say on the matter . . . .

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...75_main_02.tpl

[ejs1097]

You can also get oil specifically made for cutting boards and Bed Bath and Beyond or other kitchen supply stores. That's what I used.

They indicated to condition it by applying 1 coat per day for a week. then 1 coat per week for a month, then once a month after that.