I've made a fair number of cutting boards as presents (as well as one for
myself) and I've almost always used mineral oil. It seems to work well from
what I've seen. If you can't find a cheaper or more convenient source you
can get it from Williams-Sonoma (a cooking store common in fancy malls).
What I also like about this is when I give the cutting board to someone I
can tell them a place to get more oil for it without sending them to a
specialty woodworking store they've never heard of.

Bringing out the grain is in pretty futile in a cutting board because if you
actually plan to cut on it you will quickly dull the surface of the board
anyway. I've had people "complain" that my cutting boards looked so nice
they did not want to cut on them, so bringing out the grain too much can
inhibit people from using the board for it's intended function!


"RnJPhoto" wrote in message
...
I've just finished sanding a 12" x 12" x 1/2" piece of mesquite that I
want to
turn into a cutting Board. Would Tung oil be safe to use as a finish.
Tung
oil would certainly bring out mesquites unique grain pattern.

Ron in Hereford, AZ