Food-Safe Woods

[jackellis]

I've used maple for cutting boards but I'm wondering whether the Brazilian hardwoods that are typically used for decks are food-safe.

I just picked up a bunch of Tigerwood cutoffs, which has a reasonably tight grain. Some pieces are only suitable for coasters and trivets. Others are long enough and wide enough to be used for snack trays and the like. The stuff is apparently related to Ipe. Can I use it for holding food simply by finishing it with mineral oil?

[crokett]

Here is a link to some laminated cuttingboards that include tigerwood.
http://www.contemporarywoodturning.c...er_gallery.htm

I couldn't find much on tigerwood beyond using it for decks, etc.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

The more common name for tigerwood is Goncalo Alves. Yes it is safe for cutting boards. You will find more technical data searching for Goncalo Alves. Someone on here is building kitchen cabinets out of the stuff. They are awesome.

[jackellis]

Thanks for the advice.

These are cutoffs from a deck so the longest board is about 15-18" and they're all 5.5" wide. Some will get used for boxes, some for coasters, and perhaps I can convince my wife that wooden "plates" for finger food with a place to hold a wine or champagne glass are handy when we have guests. Tigerwood would match up nicely with the teak kitchen and dining room furniture, too.

The deck that was built out of this stuff impressed the boss so much I think we just might use it in a second home we're starting to plan.

[cabinetman]

Generally speaking most all woods are "food safe" if properly sealed and cured. Beyond that as for finishes, most all finishes are "food safe" once cured. There are also non-toxic stains available that can be used under clear oils. Paints that contain heavy metals such as lead or cadmium as colorants, should not be used as a "food safe" surface.
.

[Bob Webb]

I have been making and selling cuttting boards for a fews years now. I have used combinations of Purpleheart, Padauk, Walnut, Hard Maple, Lyptus, Mahogany, Brazilian Cherry, and Cherry.

I am oppsed to using any kind of varnish or finish other than a combination of Bee's Wax and mineral oil. Cured or not I am not sold on using this products for food surfaces. If you need to resurface ie, plane or sand, it is easier than having to go through the trouble of refinishing "painting" the board using bee's wax and mineral oil. Rub it on and your done. You will be surprised by the finish you will get.

Ome thing I learned it doing some reasearch is that if you have someone who has an suppressed immune system, they should NOT use anything but a stainless steel "board" per the FDA. My sister asked me to make one for her and the hardest thing I had to do was tell her I could not. She had a double lung transplant and this was not something she could use.

As for the dust, be careful. It can cause alot of problem. If you don't have a good dust collector and air filter, get one. Also, a good mask.

Good Luck.

[cwithboat]

food bearing surfaces-glue? Filler?

I have picked up on this thread from last winter to ask if there are any comments concerning glue (I normally use Tightbond III) and fillers when making a cutting board.

[dkerfoot]

I don't know if many woods are safe for use as food, but I do recall Euell Gibbons saying that many parts of the pine tree are edible...

[cwithboat]

I don't know if many woods are safe for use as food, but I do recall Euell Gibbons saying that many parts of the pine tree are edible...

so are parts of the apple , pear, walnut, peach, orange ,lemon, lime, etc.