End grain cutting board oil question

[Ned Bulken]

OK Ladies & Gents,
for those who make end grain cutting boards, are you a fan of wipe on oil, or soaking in a pan for applying mineral oil?

I'm about to gear up for a production run of boards... 10-15 or more.

[Don Baer]

I just pour it on thick.

[Brent Dowell]

I mix mineral oil with a little paraffin wax to 'thicken' the mixture up, then put it into a squeeze bottle and lay it on thick and let it soak in. After it sits for a while, I mop up the any excess (usually isn't any) and buff it up a bit with a paper towel.

To make the oil/wax just heat up a pan of water, put a mason jar in the water, put a bottle of mineral oil and a chunk of paraffin. Let the paraffin melt and mix it up. Don't put too much paraffin, or else the mix gets too thick.

The paraffin just seems to help give it a bit more of a 'finish'.

[John Daugherty]

If I only have one to do I use a baking sheet and slather it on thick and rub it in with a paper towel when it looks dry. I'll flip the board several times and recoat.

If I have several boards at once I'll cover the dinning room table with plastic and coat the boards as above.

[Peter Lyon]

I chose the "wipe on" method because that's what I've always done but I'm presently working on a run of 15 boards (staff xmas gifts) so I may explore the put them in a filled tub method.

Any recommendations on how long they should soak?

[Ted Calver]

I use Watco Butcher Block Oil and Finish from the Borg. It seems to wick into end grain and dries in the wood helping keep moisture from entering and harboring bacteria. After the Watco dries I rub in a mixture of Mahoney's Walnut oil finish and beeswax. Seems to work well on the boards we have been using for several years.

[Don Baer]

I use Watco Butcher Block Oil and Finish from the Borg. It seems to wick into end grain and dries in the wood helping keep moisture from entering and harboring bacteria. After the Watco dries I rub in a mixture of Mahoney's Walnut oil finish and beeswax. Seems to work well on the boards we have been using for several years.

Ted remind me not to eat any food prepared on one of your boards, I am alergic to walnut wood and also the nuts.

[Chris Hatfield]

If the walnut oil is refined, there shouldn't be any issues with allergies.

I can't say that's 100%, but it's what I've been told.

[Ted Calver]

Don..I always tell whoever the board goes to what the finish is. There have been many discussions about the possibility of allergic reactions to the nut oil and the consensus is that the process it goes through destroys the proteins that cause allergic reactions. Mahoney's site says: "Mahoney's Fine Finishes are high-quality, non-toxic, and food-safe products…a woodturner's dream!"

[Don Baer]

Ted,
I have heard the same thing but if you haven't had an alergic reaction you just don't know. I choose to err on the side of caution.