Replies

1. 
   _mj_ | Sep 25, 2021 06:46am | #1

   My guess is beech. If it was a countertop is should be fine for a cutting board. It's more open-grain than I would choose to start out with but nothing to stop you.

1. 
   randomwoodguy | Sep 25, 2021 02:40pm | #5

   Thanks for reply

2. 
   eddo234 | Sep 25, 2021 10:35am | #2

   On my iPhone’s small screen it doesn’t look like beech, looks like oak. Whatever the species, if it was a countertop I’d be careful about using it as a cutting board unless you know it had a food-grade finish previously or you removed enough of the surface to eliminate it. You don’t want to add chemicals or bits of old finish to your food.

1. 
   randomwoodguy | Sep 25, 2021 02:38pm | #4

   If I put it through a thickness planer and take a few millimetres of all sides that should take off any previous non food safe finishes wouldn’t it ?

1. 
   eddo234 | Sep 25, 2021 02:53pm | #7

   I guess it would depend on what finish was on it, penetrating vs topcoat, and how deep it could penetrate. Open pore woods, like ref oak, would let the finish go deep, closed pore, like maple, wouldn’t go as deep. White oak, which your’s may be, is a mixed bag, it’s cells are closed, but it’s also got pores.

3. 
   john_c2 | Sep 25, 2021 10:37am | #3

   I was thinking one of the oaks.

1. 
   randomwoodguy | Sep 25, 2021 02:41pm | #6

   Thanks for replying

4. 
   _mj_ | Sep 25, 2021 05:43pm | #8

   We're headed into woodworking myth territory again... All finishes are "food safe" when completely cured.

1. 
   john_c2 | Sep 25, 2021 07:05pm | #10

   Don't use the "m" word . . .

2. 
   eddo234 | Sep 25, 2021 09:53pm | #11

   I hope you don’t mind if I’d prefer not to ingest a petroleum based oil or flakes of urethane in my food. But hey, eat what you want, and maybe have a cigarette afterwards. :-)

1. 
   rob_ss | Sep 26, 2021 02:57am | #12

   Bug secretions it is then!

1. 
   eddo234 | Sep 26, 2021 10:59am | #15

   Shellac for a cutting board? Um….. no.

5. 
   rob_ss | Sep 25, 2021 06:12pm | #9

   What MJ said.
   This could be a lot of hardwoods. Quite often less well behaved species are made into these engineered countertops.
   It's unlikely to be a problem if used as a cutting board but as to provenance, that is much harder. Could even be off cuts of walnut.

6. 
   pantalones868 | Sep 26, 2021 03:46am | #13

   As it was a countertop and probably manufactured to be a counter top it was likely finished to be food safe wouldn't you think?

1. 
   eddo234 | Sep 26, 2021 10:54am | #14

   Not true.

7. 
   johngr2022 | Sep 27, 2021 12:23am | #16

   Slice off the ends, at whatever width you think would eliminate any finish residue, and then crosscut the board at the width you would like your cutting board to be. Glue the pieces with the fresh end grain up ( rotate each slice 90 degrees from the original orientation). You will have a nice end grain cutting board, ready to be finished with mineral oil and beeswax (combine the wax and oil and heat until the wax is melted, let cool to lukewarm and apply) or a commercial butcher block finish (which is mineral oil and beeswax).

1. 
   randomwoodguy | Sep 27, 2021 06:12am | #17

   Cheers