"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...
In article , "Leon"
wrote:

Actully if you take all of the precautions that you mentioned and build a
butcher block style cutting board, "with end grain pointing up" the likely
hood of the joints and or wood splitting increase dramatically. The end
grain will soak up enough liquids and oils that it will eventually swell
and
can crack.

Indeed that's true -- which is one reason I don't build cutting boards
that
way. The other reason is I don't like the look.

Actually that other way, with end grain up is the better way, the cuts in
the wood are "self healing' so to speak, and knives stay sharper longer.


I have a mobile butcher block that I build almost 30 years ago
that split for the reason mentioned after about 6 years of use. Rods
added
through the center have prevented this from reoccouring.

Yep, I can see that. More trouble than it's worth IMO -- easier, and
(again,
IMO) better looking to use strips, with the edge grain up.

Better lookiing until they get used a lot. Along with that 30 year old
butcher block that has never had to be resurfaced, we have an edge grain
maple cutting board that I made in Jr. High. I have had to resurface it
numerous times.


If your cutting board uses the side or edge of the wood for the cutting
surface glue is all that you should need.

Agreed.


Finish with vegetable oil

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Most vegetable oils will become rancid in fairly
short
order. Finish with mineral oil, or with walnut oil.

That is not true. My wife has never used anything but vegetable oil on
the
butcher block and there has never been a problem with anything going
rancid,
at least in the last 30 years. While mineral oil and or a butcher block
oil
may be a better choice, vegetable oil has done just fine for us.

OK, perhaps I should have said "may become rancid". Still better to use an
oil
that eventually dries; walnut, being a food product, is of course
completely
food-safe. Or leave it unfinished, and dress it with a card scraper every
now
and again.

I think the "vegetable oil" thing is much like the "Swine Flu", it gets much
more bad talk than it poses as an actual mass threat.