Replies

1. 
   Sprucegum | Feb 23, 2004 07:36am | #1

   According to what I have read here at Knots ; 3 or4 more coats should give you a nice even finish , not a high shine but a nice deep glow.

   To achieve a shine you would need to top coat with an oil based varnish.

   Yes,I made it. No,not hard. Yes, a long time.

2. 
   jackplane | Feb 23, 2004 05:48pm | #2

    I would not use tung oil and/or thinner on ANY food contact surface. Those products could leach into your food.

   Mineral oil only, is recommended in this situation.

1. 
   OneofmanyBobs | Feb 24, 2004 01:45pm | #5

   Cured tung oil is not toxic.  The conventional "wisdom" is that you don't use any oil or finish that supports bacterial growth.  Since mineral oil or parafin and oil are non-toxic and not nutrients, people use those.  But, you can take a teflon cutting board and after you use it a little it will have little scratches.  Food and bacteria hide in the scratches.  So, unless you disinfect the board every time with lots of bleach, it doesn't make any difference.  Don't use vegetable oils that turn rancid, like olive or walnut.  Pure tung or linseed are just fine.  But, NOT oils with driers.  The driers often have cobalt compounds and are not good to eat.

1. 
   jackplane | Feb 24, 2004 05:36pm | #8

   Why take the chance on linseed oil (boiled) with driers being added? Most companies will not reveal their formulas unless one looks up the MSDS sheets. I don't know enough about pure tung oil to comment.Mineral oil is cheap,non-toxic and available at any drugstore.

1. 
   OneofmanyBobs | Feb 24, 2004 08:34pm | #10

   I said PURE linseed.  Not boiled.  I specifically said that driers are toxic.  I don't use it anyway because it take too long to cure without driers.  I hate mineral oil.  Ugly and does not dry.   Bacteria will grow on glass or stainless steel if there is any nutrient on the surface.  That's what counts, not the finish.  So long as it isn't toxic when dry, its fine.  No matter whether the board is wood or plastic or glass, no matter what the finish, you still have to disinfect it.  Stuff gets into the knife cuts.  Even if you wash it and it looks clean, still needs chlorine bleach.

1. 
   chise2 | Feb 24, 2004 10:44pm | #11

   I think all this talk about oils is missing the point. The butcher block is not being used as a cutting board. What we are talking about is kitchen counter that happens to be a butcher block. If you were making a wood counter top would you finish it with oil? Oil is not a good finish for a kitchen counter top. You need a film finish that seals the wood and keeps out stains and can be easily cleaned.

2. 
   PeteBradley | Feb 25, 2004 08:51pm | #12

   Try Arm R Seal. I haven't used it a whole lot, but my experience is that you get a bulletproof surface with a look much closer to a natural varnish than the "plastic-y" look of poly. Looks great rubbed to a semi-gloss with 4F pumice. You won't get an oil finish look though.

   Pete

2. 
   PeteBradley | Feb 24, 2004 06:30pm | #9

   I keep seeing references to nut oils going rancid. Maybe it's happened to someone, but I don't know how common this is. I think Walnut oil makes a great cutting board finish. It gives maple a warm yellow color and it dries well.

   A previous thread did point out that walnut oil might be risky for folks with nut allergies, but other than that, it works for me.

   Pete

3. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 23, 2004 05:49pm | #3

   Is she using pure, 100% tung oil or one of the "Tung Oil Finishes"?

   Pure tung oil does not give a glossy finish. Pure oil finishes are relatively dull and generally require a number of coats to develop a soft sheen. The traditional schedule for a true oil is one coat a day for a week, one coat a week for a month and one coat a month for a year and yearly reapplications thereafter. Pure tung oil cures even slower than linseed oil so most wait 3-4 months after applying the first 4-5 coats.

1. 
   PlaneWood | Feb 24, 2004 04:10pm | #6

   Polymerized Tung Oil will give a high gloss.  It can be ordered but 100% is thick as cold honey.  It has to be thinned to be used.  Polymerized Tung Oil is pure Tung Oil that has been boiled until the temp gets to a certain level.  Sorta like how Linseed oil used to be boiled.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 24, 2004 05:01pm | #7

   All true, but I don't see that polymerized tung oil is being used. That's the reason I asked the question. With standard pure tung oil, a high gloss finish is not in the cards.

   BTW, Tried & True is polymerized linseed oil. Polymerizing initiates the curing process so that when the polymerized oil is applied, it cures much faster. That's a benefit with tung oil because tung oil cures very, very slowly.

4. 
   chise2 | Feb 24, 2004 09:34am | #4

   I would let the oil dry and then top coat with polyurethane. Oil alone will not protect the surface very well from water and food stains. Since you are not going to use the surface as a cutting board (a very good idea by the way) but it is going to see a lot use and abuse in the kitchen why not really protect it with a durable varnish? I put oil based polyurethane on my butcher about six years ago. I even use a green scrubber pad to take off dried on crud and the table top still looks perfect.

5. 
   PeteBradley | Feb 25, 2004 08:55pm | #13

   OK, I think I've got it now -- you're not necessarily looking for an oil finish look. You want even shine.

   You might try Arm-R-Seal. I haven't used it a whole lot, but my experience is that you get a very durable and impact-resistant surface with a look much closer to a natural varnish than the "plastic-y" look of poly. Looks great rubbed to a semi-gloss with 4F pumice.

   Pete

1. 
   chise2 | Feb 26, 2004 03:01am | #14

   what is arm R Seal, who makes it and where do you get it? Thanks

1. 
   PeteBradley | Feb 27, 2004 01:50am | #15

   Arm-R-Seal is a tung oil based urethane varnish. It comes in gloss and satin, but if you want satin done right, I recommend you use the gloss and rub the finish with pumice. If you have a Woodcraft store in your area, they carry it, or you can buy it online from them at http://www.woodcraft.com.

   Pete