Hello,
At a recent crafts fair I saw a couple of people making kitchen cutting
boards using Baltic birch plywood. They glued up the boards so that the
laminated edges of the ply were facing up and making very interesting
patterns.
Has anyone tried this? Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food
safe? Any info will be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Roy Fek
Duane Bozarth wrote:
>Yes...they're heat-cured adhesives that are quite stable once cured. I
>would assume there's a finish over them, anyway so the finish would be
>the material in contact w/ the food.
Hi Duane,
Cutting boards are typically finished with a food safe oil, such as
mineral oil, walnut oil, ect. or maybe even bee's wax. I can't see
using a film building finish, like a poly or epoxy, because after a few
uses you would cut through the finish. This could trap moisture and
bacteria under the finish and lead to wood rot or chips of the hardened
finish will start flaking off and could end up in your food.
Robatoy wrote:
> Well... interesting question. What kind of controls are there in the
> manufacturing of Baltic Birch? Which Eastern European chemical plant
> produces the adhesives?
> I'd want to know what is in the glue before I put any of it in my mouth.
Good point Robatoy!!!
Roy Fek
Duane Bozarth wrote:
> Roy Fek wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > At a recent crafts fair I saw a couple of people making kitchen cutting
> > boards using Baltic birch plywood. They glued up the boards so that the
> > laminated edges of the ply were facing up and making very interesting
> > patterns.
> >
> > Has anyone tried this? Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food
> > safe? Any info will be much appreciated!
>
> Yes...they're heat-cured adhesives that are quite stable once cured. I
> would assume there's a finish over them, anyway so the finish would be
> the material in contact w/ the food.
One assumes the act of cutting woudl cut through the finish, if any
on a cutting board. At least one person posting here related how
he finished his cutting boards with shellac and refinished them
frequently. I still think the food was frequently exposed to the
wood.
--
FF
Roy Fek wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> At a recent crafts fair I saw a couple of people making kitchen cutting
> boards using Baltic birch plywood. They glued up the boards so that the
> laminated edges of the ply were facing up and making very interesting
> patterns.
>
> Has anyone tried this? Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food
> safe? Any info will be much appreciated!
Yes...they're heat-cured adhesives that are quite stable once cured. I
would assume there's a finish over them, anyway so the finish would be
the material in contact w/ the food.
"Roy Fek" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Duane,
> Cutting boards are typically finished with a food safe oil, such as
> mineral oil, walnut oil, ect. or maybe even bee's wax. I can't see
> using a film building finish, like a poly or epoxy, because after a few
> uses you would cut through the finish. This could trap moisture and
> bacteria under the finish and lead to wood rot or chips of the hardened
> finish will start flaking off and could end up in your food.
Moisture and bacteria are easily trapped within and beneath oil finishes _of
any sort_ at all. The indigestible plastic chips you mention pose much less
of a danger than those bacteria.
Surface of a chipped-up board would look like crap, but any dirty board
could give you the craps.
Greetings and Salutations...
On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:57:37 -0400, "George" <George@least> wrote:
>
>"Roy Fek" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Hi Duane,
>> Cutting boards are typically finished with a food safe oil, such as
>> mineral oil, walnut oil, ect. or maybe even bee's wax. I can't see
>> using a film building finish, like a poly or epoxy, because after a few
>> uses you would cut through the finish. This could trap moisture and
>> bacteria under the finish and lead to wood rot or chips of the hardened
>> finish will start flaking off and could end up in your food.
>
>Moisture and bacteria are easily trapped within and beneath oil finishes _of
>any sort_ at all. The indigestible plastic chips you mention pose much less
>of a danger than those bacteria.
>
>Surface of a chipped-up board would look like crap, but any dirty board
>could give you the craps.
>
>
I would agree about the finish. For that matter, I would not
recommend using anything but Mineral Oil on it.
As for the bacteria...The fact of the matter is that following
the basic rules of sanitition and cleaning the board with a bleach
solution quickly after use will eliminate the dangers of any critters
growing that would make your next meal a memorable event. Actually,
got to remember that bacteria are "vewy, vewy small" and so would
LOVE to have a film finish to run under and hide from the cleaning
supplies...yet another reason for an oil-based, penetrating finish.
The good news is that wood is hard on bacteria, so the ones
that manage to avoid the cleaning supplies are likely to die off
fairly quickly.
Wood is good.
Regards
Dave Mundt
"Dave Mundt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greetings and Salutations...
>
> On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:57:37 -0400, "George" <George@least> wrote:
> I would agree about the finish. For that matter, I would not
> recommend using anything but Mineral Oil on it.
> As for the bacteria...The fact of the matter is that following
> the basic rules of sanitition and cleaning the board with a bleach
> solution quickly after use will eliminate the dangers of any critters
> growing that would make your next meal a memorable event.
Also want to remember that mineral oil never dries, and so, until there is
sufficient surfactant to emulsify and wash it away, will become a water-safe
haven for bacteria. The lipid bilayer is oriented with the
water-hating/oil-loving side out.
Go bare. Also go separate easily distinguishable boards for things to be
cooked and things which will not be.
In article <[email protected]>,
Roy Fek <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>At a recent crafts fair I saw a couple of people making kitchen cutting
>boards using Baltic birch plywood. They glued up the boards so that the
>laminated edges of the ply were facing up and making very interesting
>patterns.
>
>Has anyone tried this? Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food
>safe? Any info will be much appreciated!
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Roy Fek
>
I don't know about food safe, but in at least some of the BB ply that
I've used, the adhesive was not waterproof.
--
Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]
On 13 Aug 2005 10:24:11 -0700, "Roy Fek" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food safe?
Well the food is safe from the plywood,
but I can't imagine it is the other way around.
In article <[email protected]>,
"Roy Fek" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Has anyone tried this? Is the adhesive that bonds the laminates food
> safe?
Well... interesting question. What kind of controls are there in the
manufacturing of Baltic Birch? Which Eastern European chemical plant
produces the adhesives?
I'd want to know what is in the glue before I put any of it in my mouth.
.............call me cynical.