[OP]
Member
SWMBO has ordered cutting boards be made for friends. I'm happy to do it, however,
she wants me to make them from some mesquite that I have. I'm happy to do it,
but I'm not sure mesquite is save for food service. Does anyone in this group have
knowledge in this. I'm more inclined to use hard maple.
Contributor
lowell, I'm not able to give advice on using mesquite for cutting boards but, with your beginning your post with , "SWMBO has ordered," and adding, "I'm happy to do it," twice, I'd sure like to see some emoticons attached to those comments.
Contributor
Lowell
If you were making them for a living, and selling to the food industry, there are are chapters in the CFR's on cutting boards. Hard maple is the preferred wood, if you get bored enough to research them. Yep, believe it or not, there are government regulations for cutting boards and their use.
Making a few for friends, that will really never see much actual use compared to a food service business, I personally think you're okay making them out of just about any suitable hard wood, covered with a food approved coating. The exception being a board for specific use as a bakery/bread board.
I wouldn't hesitate to make them.
PS
Don't they grill steaks and such with mesquite wood, or is that a different type of mesquite?
Last edited by Mike Cutler; 04-27-2017 at 3:23 AM.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
Contributor
Originally Posted by Mike Cutler
They regulate cutting boards???? The tiny bit of faith in humanity that I was holding on to has been lost.
Mesquite is fine for cutting boards. The issue with mesquite is if you get a splinter in you and don't get it out, but the same goes for zebra wood and many other woods used in cutting boards. I have read that screw bean mesquite makes a bean that you can eat.
When I make cutting boards, I glue them with epoxy. Clamping is a pain because it's so slippery, but I have no fear of rinsing them in the sink. Just my $.02 worth of advise. Please note- LOTS of people make cutting boards using waterproof wood glue like Titebond III. I just prefer to use what I glue boats together with so I know it will be fine getting wet over and over.
Last edited by Malcolm Schweizer; 04-27-2017 at 5:39 AM.
Contributor
Lowell; I wouldn't hesitate to make a mesquite cutting board ... if I had the 'planking'.
The typical, twisted-trunk, mesquite in the Austin area would be a rare find for planks, but, would be great for a end-grain version.
I've been choked for several years with odd length cut-offs of white oak and maple ... and after reading a 'post' a few months-ago decided to rid myself of the clutter by putting the material into end-grain cutting boards. Most of the posts that I've read usually advise to SOAK the board in mineral oil as the preferred coating. I've built a lot of cutting boards where I just kept brushing-on coat-after-coat till the boards seemed to be not absorbing much. The first 2 turkey-sized ... about 18" x 28" ... boards I made this time were from the white oak that had been packed-around since 1998. I set-up a soaking station using some 2x lumber and plastic and proceeded to soak ... turning the board over daily ... till the top-side showed that it wouldn't take any more. It took about 10 days to fill-up a 1 5/8" thick board. I was majorly surprised at how pretty and how smooth the boards looked and felt thoroughly soaked thru with the mineral oil. Then I went to work on using up the myriad of maple cut-offs that I had ... I'll have the 3rd one ready for soaking by around noon today ... and I've been soaking them by thoroughly submerging them ... a much more efficient way-to-go. The only supply for mineral oil that I could find was the local HEB food store that sold 16 oz bottles at $2-a-pop ... and it takes a lot of oil to submerge a 18 x 28 x 1 5/8 board. I think that I have enough maple to do at least 2 more ... and I went searching for a more convenient gallon sized supply ... Bulk Apothecary came-up as the most promising looking supplier for $cost and quantity ... http://www.bulkapothecary.com/raw-in...s/mineral-oil/ ... I'll know how much more I'll need to buy when I pull-out the currently soaking pair. When the 'soaking' is thru ... the remainder ... using a coffee filter ... gets put into a clean gallon container for future use.
Member
Mike ... could you elaborate on that exception? And I ask because I bake quite a bit and have made "bakery boards" for myself and have had others ask me to make them for their use ... which I have not done yet. They are very different from regular cutting boards in that they tend to be quite large and need to be very flat and can have edges to wedge against a countertop. I don't put any finish on mine because rolling resistance is an important attribute.
Last edited by Bill Adamsen; 04-27-2017 at 7:27 AM. Reason: added resistance
"the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius
Friend of the Creek
I coat them with mineral oil as well. I don't have a soaking station, but continue to apply until it leaks out the bottom and then flip and repeat. One think to note is that the mineral oil in the local drug store is usually a thick version. I prefer to get the thinner stuff from online.
You may also note that after soaking, it will bleed for a time. I usually give it a week or so before passing it along.
Member
I used it for years when I lived in Arizona and never heard of any ill effects. I would wipe the joints with Acetone before gluing though.
Contributor
Bill
That's the difference. Bread and bakery boards aren't required to have a finish. The natural properties of wood, pores in the grain, will trap the flour that bread boards are coated with prior to kneading dough, cutting cookies, pie crusts, etc. Bakers need this layer of flour to stay where it is and not slide off. I'm not a baker, so I'll take their word for it
I made a pair of "bread boards", 5' long, and 30' wide , and 2" thick, about 15 years ago. That bakery is still in business, and still using those boards.
The boards were made from maple slabs. She did not want a laminated bread board. They looked like "work bench tops" to her.
I stumbled on this design about 10 years ago in a wood working magazine. I forget which one. The design came from a board they dated back to the middle ages.
They're super simple to make and they're stout. I've made a few of them from some bubinga slabs I sourced a long time ago. Very heavy, very stable.
The one in this post has been next to the sink since I made it. It gets everything on it, and is still going strong. I have another that is sized to cover the burners on our stove. It's amazing how versatile an extra 18"x30" horizontal surface in the kitchen is.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ard&highlight=
PS
Believe it or not; the one design they do not like in the reg's, that concern cutting boards, is an end grain cutting board.
Last edited by Mike Cutler; 04-27-2017 at 8:38 AM.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
Member
Thanks Mike! Here is one that I made ... remarkably similar (virtually identical) to the one you posted. That one I made from wood that I had that probably wasn't ideally selected for a breadboard. What I have read is that one chooses a hard but decay prone wood (ie. maple) since those woods tend to have the fewest complex chemical "extractives" that would deter growth of microbes but might also impart flavor.
"the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius
Member
If you have any local (farm) feed stores around, check with them. I have one 2 miles away that sells a gallon for $16, which is way better than paying for shipping. I used a large roasting pan (bent to make it wide enough) for one last night. I heat the mineral oil to about 145 to thin it down and pour it on to saturate it, giving at least 3 very thick coats per side, often more. I like using a pan like this to easily pour into a pan, reheat, and reapply before eventually re-bottling it after passing through an oil-fryer filter. Once it is saturated well, I use Howard Butcher Block conditioner for the final coat. Here is a shot from last night on a project for my niece's wedding.
Contributor
Adam
That's a really nice board!!
Very cool design.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
Moderator
One of my YouTube regular stops is a guy in Russia who makes end-grain cutting boards: mtmwood
Look him up.
Member
Haven't watched lately but remember being mesmerized by the productivity. Any idea what he is dipping those finished boards into?
"the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius
Member
Thanks, but I can't take credit for the design. This is from MTMWood
I'm with you here. I love watching his videos. He sells both complete cutting boards and the plans. I could have built it from his youtube video, but he only asks $12 US for an amazingly detailed PDF build guide and sketchup file. It was a no-brainer to pay him for even the idea.
It is a mineral oil bath for 10-15 seconds, then 6 hour drying. Repeat 10-15 second dip, 6 hour dry, and then the beeswax/mineral oil finish.
Last edited by Chris Padilla; 04-28-2017 at 1:55 PM.
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