What to do with a gnarly old Elm board? (mostly for newbies...)

I'm thinking about doing some cutting boards for Christmas gifts. What's best to use to seal those, or do you just leave them raw like that?
 
I'm thinking about doing some cutting boards for Christmas gifts. What's best to use to seal those, or do you just leave them raw like that?

Mike, you'll likely get various opinions, but my recommendation is for plain ol' pharmaceutical mineral oil. It protects the wood, doesn't go rancid like some vegetable-based oils can, and it's easily renewable after the board gets some use. I've used it on dozens of cutting boards with no complaints.
 
Mike, you'll likely get various opinions, but my recommendation is for plain ol' pharmaceutical mineral oil. It protects the wood, doesn't go rancid like some vegetable-based oils can, and it's easily renewable after the board gets some use. I've used it on dozens of cutting boards with no complaints.

So no stain or anything, just the mineral oil then? Can you give me a run down of the application process?
 
So no stain or anything, just the mineral oil then? Can you give me a run down of the application process?

I'd recommend no stain, since that's something that could possibly be transferred to the food. For the oil, I just sand to 400 or 600 grit, then slather on the mineral oil real thick on both sides, and let it sit for a day or so in a shallow container like a cookie pan. Every once in a while I'll turn the board over and add more oil as it soaks it up. Page 5 of this tutorial shows a picture of how I soak a cutting board. Then after a day or so of soaking, I wipe it off with paper towels until it's "dry" and let it sit for another day or so wrapped in a towel to soak up any excess that bleeds from the wood. At that point it's good to go. Over time and with use, the wood will start to dry out. Just a bit of mineral oil wiped on with a paper towel will freshen up the look, and continue protecting the wood.

Some folks like to mix the oil with a bit of melted beeswax or paraffin wax before applying it, then they scrape off the excess wax after it cools. I haven't tried this method, but those who use it like it as much as I like straight mineral oil.
 
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