Assistance Finishing a Cheese Board

Hello all,

Let me preface my questions (or ignorance) by saying that this is the very first time I have tried doing any woodwork at all. I am really only doing it to give it a try and to learn some new stuff.

So, with that out of the way, I have a question.

I am currently making a cheese board from a piece of Jacaranda tree that I felled some time ago (the wood has had a chance to dry). I have sanded it back to a nice smooth surface and the grain actually looks quite nice. I would like to know how to finish it.

I have looked around and found a number of different options, but nothing definitive. I was thinking of applying linseed oil followed by beeswax. Would this be appropriate, or would it be sufficient just to use the beeswax?

Thanks, your help is appreciated.

Hiya telemeister

There are a few options open to you. My personal preference is for a) natural - no finish or b) paraffin or mineral oil.

Others will recommend other oils and they have their reasons, but I like these two options the best, based on my personal experiences.:)

Cheers
Wendy

Put some cheese on it... its finished already:D

I really would like to finish it off with some sort of oil or wax or combo to give it a bit of a seal and a shine and to help enhance the natural look of the timber. Any advice is appreciated, but specifically, would a combo of linseed oil followed by beeswax work?

For food items , most cooking oils will do .
Lay the oil on thick and let it soak in . Give it a few coats if you wish . Wash with warn water and dish wash soap .
The reason for oiling wooden utensils is to prevent juice, grease, water etc soaking into the wood .It stops staining too .
I use rice bran oil . No odour , and it gives a bit of a shine .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by telemeister

I really would like to finish it off with some sort of oil or wax or combo to give it a bit of a seal and a shine and to help enhance the natural look of the timber. Any advice is appreciated, but specifically, would a combo of linseed oil followed by beeswax work?

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I would not use any organic-based oil. Mineral oil, as Wendy mentioned, is preferred and will not go rancid. For my boards I apply 2 coats of mineral oil, allowing several hours between coats. Then, melt about 25% by volume beeswax into some oil and apply a final coat or two. Renew as needed. :)

[Edit: Specifically, no, I would not recommend linseed oil for this application.]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

I would not use any organic-based oil. Mineral oil, as Wendy mentioned, is preferred and will not go rancid. For my boards I apply 2 coats of mineral oil, allowing several hours between coats. Then, melt about 25% by volume beeswax into some oil and apply a final coat or two. Renew as needed. :)

[Edit: Specifically, no, I would not recommend linseed oil for this application.]

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Yep , agree about the linseed , it stinks , and the 'boiled ' has chemicals in it .
Peanut is a bit smelly too

Treen that is not washed goes rancid , the same as any other unwashed thing .

Have seen Orange Oil for sale @ the big B. Its supposed to be made for finishing chopping boards. Nothing wrong with what the others have said, just throwing one more in the mix. Noting its for cheese and does have a bit of an orange smell for a little while that might take it out of the mix?

If you really must finish it, go for the Paraffin or mineral oil without Beeswax for a finish that will leave no aromatics that will transfer to the cheese. Beeswax will transfer to the cheese and spoil the taste of the cheese I believe.

You can also buy Woodwipe, have no experience with this one so don't know if it has any aromatics that could transfer to the cheese

DJ, I put some mineral oil on the lovely chopping board and it came up an absolute treat :):2tsup:

cheers
Wendy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RufflyRustic

DJ, I put some mineral oil on the lovely chopping board and it came up an absolute treat :):2tsup:

cheers
Wendy

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Gotta pic Wendy?

How has it held up?

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Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

Gotta pic Wendy?

How has it held up?

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Better than the one I did I hope :C. Made one out of Ash from Vic (seasoned 30+ years) and Red Bauhinia (seasoned barely 2 years) and it all fell apart withing months :o Bloody Bauhinia is very unstable I discovered :B but it did look fantastic with a couple of coats of parrafin oil :2tsup:

It's held up really well, thanks DJ :2tsup:, No one but me uses it (they all know better that if they trug up my chopping board they are in severe trouble :D )

Mineral Oil.

Thanks for the responses so far. Where can I get Parafin or Mineral Oil? I went to Bunnings, but they don't seem to sell it. All they have is beeswax, tung oil, shellac and lindseed oil.

Any other suggestions are welcome, as I am going to try different suggestions on a couple of pieces of campher laurel (I think) that I have.

Once I get the hang of it, and come up with a really nice way of finishing I am going to give a piece of Sydney Blue Gum a go.

Thanks again.

Chemist or Supermarket

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

I would not use any organic-based oil. Mineral oil, as Wendy mentioned, is preferred and will not go rancid.

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Mineral oil is organic in origin - it comes from fossilized dead sea creatures.
Synthetic oils like some hydraulic oils are also not organic but I would not advise putting these on a surface that will contact foods.
Chainsaw bar oil, some two stroke lube, and gearbox oil are also made from mineral oil but also probably not a good idea because of the additives.

I think what you mean by mineral oil is "purified fossilized oil without additives" as available from a pharmacy or supermarket.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobL

Mineral oil is organic in origin - it comes from fossilized dead sea creatures.

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Fair call. You caught me out. I meant to say avoid things like vegetable oil, olive oil, grape oil, etc.

Bugger! :D:D

Hi all,

I decided to go with parafin and beeswax. On the jacarandah board I used both, and on a smaller campher laurel I just used the parafin. They came up looking really nice. I would like to know how to get that nice shine though. Any hints?

As I said, this is a learning exercise for me. I have learned that belt sanders and orbital sanders each have their own use and should be used in combination. I have also learned that finishing isn't as simple as a trip to the hardware store and that finding really fine sandpaper for timber (better than 240 grit) is easier said than done. One last thing, which I am sure you all already know, the sheer beauty of a natural timber product was reinforced. It amazes me that a piece of rough branch cut hastily with a chainsaw needs just a couple of hours work to become a truely beautiful piece.

One question I have is about Shellac. I have seen it at the hardware store and am wondering if I could use it on a board?

Cheers for now and I will keep you all up to date.