cutting board finish

TBoomz

New User
Ron
is there any way to get a glossy finish for an end grain cutting board?

Now, for cheese/bread boards - that aren't endgrain - any safe, glossy finishes?
 

Roy G

Roy
Senior User
I had read articles that say once the finish (like a varnish) is dry it is food safe. I use a wiping varnish on bowls to build up a glossy finish. Oils tend to never build up so you get only a matte finish. End grain will soak up the finish regardless of what you use, so be prepared for a lot of coats. Anyway, once the board is used for its intended purpose the surface finish is pretty much worn away.

Roy G
 

Bear Republic

Steve
Corporate Member
Only issue is that whatever finish you put on there will marked up with usage. Is there something driving the need for the gloss finish like it being for display purposes rather than used? The normal mineral oil/wax finish can be buffed to a nice finish but not gloss
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Glossy finishes and 'functional' cutting boards don't mesh well in my opinion. If these pieces are for show, then by all means use whatever finish you want; but if these are to used, then I'd expect customer complaints about the finish (durability? cracking? flaking? cleaning?) after a few uses.

I believe the general thought, in line with the post above, is that cured finishes are safe for food contact; of course food contact and a flaking finish are two different matters.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
You could explain to the customer that the finish may not hold up if they use the board as an everyday kitchen cutting board. That's your disclaimer and whatever the customer does with the board is their problem.
 

Johnson

New User
AD
General Finishes makes a "Wood Bowl" finish that is food safe and does a great job. Use multiple coats and then very lightly sand 400 grit before applying the final coat. Just my two cents
 

TBoomz

New User
Ron
How long might a "wood bowl" finish last? Say, I made a salad bowl. It's gonna have vinegar and dressing in it.

Also, what's best way to clean a wood bowl, that will prevent bacteria. Use a bleach solution, the way cutting boards are cleaned?
 

Johnson

New User
AD
How long might a "wood bowl" finish last? Say, I made a salad bowl. It's gonna have vinegar and dressing in it.

Also, what's best way to clean a wood bowl, that will prevent bacteria. Use a bleach solution, the way cutting boards are cleaned?

The finish would typically need to be reapplied every year or so as a single coat, less frequently depending on usage. It lasts much longer than mineral oil finishes. Cleaning is typically done with white vinegar. General Finishes' "Wood Bowl" finish actually used to be labeled "Salad Bowl" finish. I would only use bleach if the surface was deeply scarred and then re-sand the surface before applying multiple new coats.
 

Stan McCue

New User
Sam
You could also sand to a (much) higher grit. I did one cheese board that I took all the way up to 1000 grit. The board on the left was sanded to 220 and the one on the right was taken to 1000. Both were finished with a cream called "Boos Block Board Cream". I can't speak to the effect on performance/longevity that sanding to that high of a grit will have but it definitely definitely had much more of a shine.
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Joe Scharle

New User
Joe
Salad bowl finish (Lowe's) will give a glossy look and says on the label it's food safe when cured. I've used it on clocks, but it will, no doubt, show every knife mark.
 

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