Hi All,
I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
TIA
Kevin Daly
http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
Kevin Daly
Mattatuck Astronomical Society
http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/index.html
Did you miss the recent thread of cutting boards? Covers finishes,
grooves etc.
rhg
Kevin Daly wrote:
> Hi All,
> I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
> their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
> good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
> there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
>
> TIA
> Kevin Daly
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
> Kevin Daly
> Mattatuck Astronomical Society
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/index.html
Did you miss the recent thread of cutting boards? Covers finishes,
grooves etc.
rhg
Kevin Daly wrote:
> Hi All,
> I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
> their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
> good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
> there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
>
> TIA
> Kevin Daly
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
> Kevin Daly
> Mattatuck Astronomical Society
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/index.html
> I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
> their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would
make
> good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size
(if
> there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
There are many sizes, shapes etc. Just make it big enough for your needs :)
I finish them with non-toxic mineral oil.
--
Regards,
Dean Bielanowski
Editor,
Online Tool Reviews
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com
Over 60 woodworking product reviews online!
------------------------------------------------------------
Latest 6 Reviews:
- Festool CT22E Dust Extractor
- Fasco GN-40A Brad Nailer
- Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture & Cabinet Construction
- Milescraft SignCrafter
- Ryobi EMS1830SCL 12" SCMS
- Bessey K-Body Clamps
------------------------------------------------------------
On 15 Nov 2004 11:59:01 GMT, [email protected] (Kevin Daly)
wrote:
>Hi All,
>I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
>their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
>good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
>there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
>
>TIA
>Kevin Daly
>http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
>Kevin Daly
>Mattatuck Astronomical Society
>http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/index.html
Check out a baking catalog and note the dimensions in there
for cutting boards and pastry boards. Use mineral oil. Lay it
on until it can't absorb any more and then wipe it off.
Thunder
There are really no standar sizes. Common sizes are 9x12, 10x14,
12x12, 12x18.
Regarding finish, you will find some controversy around her regarding
that. I recomend mineral oil. You can buy "wood block" oil at culinary
shops like Williams Sonoma or Crate and Barrel. Some of these formulas
include other items, such as wax or other oils.
The mineral oil does not spoil or go rancid as food oils will. It is
essentially used to keep moisture and food based oild from getting
into the wood.
Most mfg's have a little idiom that says apply it once a day for a
week, once a week for a month and once a month for a year. That's
about right I guess. Once you have it pretty well penetrated, just
alwasy rince it with hot water and just a bit of soap and let it air
dry well. When it looks a dry (whitish) hit it with a fresh slap of
oil.
P.S. You can also get pure mineral oil in some drug stores, they sell
it as a laxative. It will cots about $2.00 for what would cost about
$20 at a culinary shop.
[email protected] (Kevin Daly) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi All,
> I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
> their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
> good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
> there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
>
> TIA
> Kevin Daly
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
> Kevin Daly
> Mattatuck Astronomical Society
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/index.html
On 15 Nov 2004 11:59:01 GMT, [email protected] (Kevin Daly)
wrote:
>I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash
(For English Fraxinus excelsior anyway), ash is a lousy wood for
kitchenware. It's highly ring porous, so you're going to make a bug
factory with it.
I really like ash, but I wouldn't use it for a cutting board. Maybe
just for bread, but certainly not anything wet, damp, or likely to
encourage bacterial growth. I have made a knife block from it, and
I'd happily make something like a breadbin.
--
Smert' spamionam
Nutshell, don't use woods with open pores or of splintery habit. Avoid
tropical stuff or wood known for its durability - what you smell is
insecticide.
Make two boards, of distinctive appearance. Use one for raw food, one for
food which will be cooked, and avoid cross-contamination and the Pepto.
Best to leave them unfinished, because what kills the bacteria is the
detergent or bleach in your wipe, and if it has to emulsify a bunch of
mineral oil to get to where it can emulsify them, it'll take a while. If
you want "pretty," use a curing oil like walnut, or a thinned varnish which
you can wipe off the surface after it's penetrated. Sort of a "Danish oil"
treatment. It'll help reject water without harboring, or collecting dirt
like non-curing oils.
"Kevin Daly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >I really like ash, but I wouldn't use it for a cutting board
>
> Thanks for the heads-up on the ash. I figure being as hard as it is it
> would've worked. Oh well, guess I'll make an ash coffee table or
something.
>
> Kevin Daly
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
Just one man's opinion. I use cherry because I like the color. I think
you can use anything if you use something to seal the pores in the wood.
You could use cyanoacrylate if you wanted to spend some bucks. If you
use alkyd, poly or whatever, thinned so it really soaks in, and keep
applying until it won't take any more and let it dry, I think you can
render a board, any board, more or less impervious to meat juice.
Turners use PEG to reduce shrinkage, impregnating the wood with the
stuff. Do the same thing with a resin. Maybe this qualifies as a
plastic block with wood embedded in it but it still looks pretty much
like native wood. I'm not talking about casing wood in a plastic coat
such as applying thick poly varnish to the surface. I'm talking about
saturating (with thin stuff) and wiping off excess until the wood won't
take any more. I'm talking about several applications with
polymerization in between. Not weeks or months but several days. Give
it a try. How much have you got wrapped up in enough ash for a cutting
board?
bob g.
Kevin Daly wrote:
>>I really like ash, but I wouldn't use it for a cutting board
>
>
> Thanks for the heads-up on the ash. I figure being as hard as it is it
> would've worked. Oh well, guess I'll make an ash coffee table or something.
>
> Kevin Daly
> http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
On 15 Nov 2004 11:59:01 GMT, [email protected] (Kevin Daly)
wrote:
>Hi All,
>I've recently come into possession of a bunch of Ash (it seems Sears packs
>their snowthrowers in boxes reinforced with 1 X 2 Ash). I figure it would make
>good material for cutting boards. My questions are what's a standard size (if
>there is one) for a cutting board and what do you finish them with?
>
>TIA
>Kevin Daly
Cutting boards come in all sizes. I guess when it gets too small, it
becomes a cheese board. A dimension of 18x9" sounds about right, but
I'd figure out where it will be stored before making one. Finish with
mineral oil.