Foodsafe woods?

[Elmojo]

My dad has commissioned me to make him a dinner plate.
He is buying a ceramic knife and decided he wants a solid wood plate to eat from.
Keep in mind that the finished plate will most likely only be finished with mineral oil or some other food-safe finish of your suggestion.
Also, since he will be using it primarily for things that need cutting (steak, pork chops, etc...), we can expect that some small amount of the wood will be cut away and ingested.
With that in mind, what woods should I consider or avoid?
I want something fairly exotic visually, and pretty dense/hard (over 2000 Janke) to resist cutting and marking.

I'm also looking for a source for the blank.
I figure I'll need something 12"x12"x1"+

Any suggestions?

TIA,
Elmojo

 

[nelsone]

Can't help much with the exotics. Maple is a standard for cutting boards.

 

[mkepke]

Look here for a start.
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic

Also, I wouldn't fixate on the Janke hardness. You don't want anything too soft, but the reality is that nothing wood is going to resist a sharp knife over time.

Sugar maple - used for butcher blocks for more than a hundred years - only has a Janke hardness of 1450. And that would be my suggestion: sugar maple, either curly or birdseye.

-Mark

 

[CrealBilly]

this may help ---> http://www.mimf.com/archives/toxic.htm

 

[Elmojo]

Look here for a start.
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic

Okay, that's an awesome list, but I don't know what I'm looking at! lol
Could someone decipher the codes?
I assume they are varying levels of toxicity, but do they apply to sanding, contact, ingestion, etc???
Any clarification appreciated.
Elmojo

EDIT: Crap, I need to learn how to scroll down!
I see the full key and legend at the bottom.
So ignore me, I'm an idiot.

 

[Mike Davis]

Sycamore is least likely to impart any flavor to the food and is completely non-toxic.

If you can find a nice quarter sawn piece it has very lovely grain.

Hard maple would be my only other choice.

 

[Elmojo]

Hard maple would be my only other choice.

I this because you like working with maple or because you are leary of using any tropical hardwoods due to possible toxicity?

I found a guy near me that will sell me a 12"x12"x2" slab of bubinga, yellowheart, bloodwood, or Padauk for around $25. This seems a little high to me, but he's the only one that seems to have the size I need, plus he's close enough (Wendell) for me to go get it and save on shipping.

I have worked Bloodwood in the past and like it a lot. The others I'm less familiar with.

Any thoughts?

 

[Mike Davis]

I have heard many woodworkers express little to no concern about using exotic wood for bowls, spoons and plates. They say the finish will protect you and if not then the infinitesimal amount of wood ingested could not possibly do any harm.

So, take that as you will.

I use sycamore, white oak or hard maple for food contact items including cutting boards.

Take that as you will.

I won't be drawn into a food war, nor will I give legal advice.

 

[DavidF]

I like Beech for that sort of project, cutting boards plates etc. Nice close grain and a warm colour.

 

[Mike Davis]

I would agree with beech also. I never find it in good turning blanks.

 

[fergy]

Boos Blocks are also made out of walnut, so you may get away with that one as well.

 

[Elmojo]

What are Boos blocks?
Sounds interesting!

 

[fergy]

high end countertops and butcherblocks.

http://www.boosblock.com/

They use hard maple, cherry, walnut and red oak.

 

[Elmojo]

Gotcha, thanks!