Caring For Your Board
We have produced a lot of cutting boards in recent years. They have been turned out in all sorts of sizes and configurations with all manner of different woods used to create the designs we were imagining. End grain, long grain, domestic hardwoods, imported specialty lumber… every last inch of it from all over the world all needs the same thing and that is proper care. If you care for your wooden cutting board then it will last for years and continue to look beautiful for the duration. There are only a few simple things you need to do in order to make sure your board will last.
Coating Your Board
When coating your board you will want to make sure that it is as clean as possible. Use a wet rag to wash the board and make certain that it is 100% dry before applying any oil. Once it is clean and dry you then pour far more oil than you think is necessary directly onto the board. Next, rub it in with a clean paper towel. Continue to work the oil into the board for a little while. Usually 2-3 minutes. Afterward, let it sit in a dish rack or somewhere that air can touch the oiled surfaces. It might look shiny, as if there is still too much on the surface, but that is ok. Come back in 15 minutes and look again and see if the shiny spots are still there. You will more than likely need to repeat this process a few times in order to make sure the wood has soaked up all of the oil that is can.
Repeat The Process
We like to let the board rest overnight and fully absorb the oil before we use it again. Future oilings can take place with much less effort as it will only take one thin coat to treat the wood. People ask how often they should reapply oil and that really comes down to how much you use the board and what you want it to look like. About once a month is the soonest we would ever apply oil. Personally we do our own boards two or three times a year or as we happen to think of it. If you can sprinkle a few drops of water on a dry board and it soaks right in then you’re probably ready for another seasoning.
Long Term
If you use your board a lot and you have a lot of scratches in it that you’d like to get rid of you can simply hand sand with 180-220 grit sandpaper. Remember to sand with the grain of the wood unless it is an end grain cutting board of course. If you want a glass-smooth finish then a final sanding with 300-320 grit will get you where you need to be. Know that this smooth of a finish is good for boards that don’t see much use as they will show marked immediately after the first use. Follow the sanding by wiping the board clean of any dust and letting dry before applying oil and you’ll have a brand-new cutting board.
Contact The Woodshop
We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message if you have questions or would like some information on something you've seen on our website.
Please allow at least one business day for us to respond.