finishing advice on my first couple cutting boards?

[Brandon Ketchum]

I am unsure of the best way to finish these boards. I am a beginner, obviously, but am very happy with the result so far and really want to not jack them up with a poor finish. any help would be appreciated? how do these boards looks, as far as being put together by someone with only a few months of self taught ability.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have been treating my cutting boards with regular mineral oil for years. Some have been in use for about 10 years now and they have all held up nicely. Wash off with warm water, towel dry, let air dry for 15 - 30 minutes and then coat really well with mineral oil, let set for 5 minutes or so and then wipe the excess oil off. All done.

[Prashun Patel]

They look great. For the finish, if you don't want to mix your own out of wax and oil, you can buy Butcher Block or salad bowl finish from the big box stores.

Your second board appears to show some divots from sanding. Flatten those out before you finish. Also, what grit did you sand up to? Proper sanding is the key to a non-jacked finish.

[Alan Lightstone]

As Prashun was alluding to, I use a combination of melted beeswax and mineral oil. The boards come out looking great. I put on 2-3 coats, though, letting it be absorbed as much as possible, then wiping off the excess.

[Howard Acheson]

An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag.

Reapply whenever the wood begins to look dry.

Never put a wood board in the dishwasher and don't soak it in dishwater for long periods.

[Michael Dunn]

They look nice. A bit more sanding wouldn't hurt. I use General Finishes salad bowl finish.

[Pat Barry]

Nice work - I like #2 better but tha'ts just me. They do look thin though, what are the dimensions? I had good luck with the combo mineral oil and paraffin wax method.