cheese board

[lisashaw]

hi, well i have agot a cheese board that i am in the middle of doing atm and i had a thought.

what willi finish it with? can i use varnish since its going to be a cheese board and maybe used for food or is there something better? first time ihave done anything kitchen-ish so wasnt sure.

thanks :confused:

[krafty1]

Any wooden cheeseboard I've ever had has always been plain wood, don't think I've seen a varnished one so not sure if there's a reason for that, maybe the varnish would not be safe to put food onto, not sure.
Would the varnish crack if it was constantly cut into and also hold up to being washed up? :)

[autumn rose]

Im not sure I would go with varnish, oils would be my first thought.

[sparkysdad]

A Cheese board doesnt get the same hard use as a chopping board, but there is a risk that varnish could chip or flake over time, so if it is an item for use as well as display I would use a good quality beeswax finish which could be buffed back up from time to time, or as suggested before, a teak or Danish oil - the kind they sell for protecting wooden worktops.

The oil needs applying 2 or 3 times, but on a worktop it only needs recoating every 3 months or so, a cheese board would probably last years before needing to be done again.:)

[Scorch]

Varnish can chip & flake off. Go for a food-safe wax or oil, to avoid toxic and funny-tasting cheese! Teak oil and danish oil aren't food-safe. Chestnut and Liberon sell oils that are, or use a food oil like olive, or nut oil of some sort. Or mineral oil (sold in chemists as a cure for constipation!) is completely non-toxic and doesn't go rancid.

I now use stuff called "bowl wax" or "bee's oil", which is a non-toxic mix of mineral oil & beeswax, and that works great for me...

[lisashaw]

Varnish can chip & flake off. Go for a food-safe wax or oil, to avoid toxic and funny-tasting cheese! Teak oil and danish oil aren't food-safe. Chestnut and Liberon sell oils that are, or use a food oil like olive, or nut oil of some sort. Or mineral oil (sold in chemists as a cure for constipation!) is completely non-toxic and doesn't go rancid.

I now use stuff called "bowl wax" or "bee's oil", which is a non-toxic mix of mineral oil & beeswax, and that works great for me...

OLIVE OIL!? really? what do i do just brush on or rub on with a cloth?

[autumn rose]

Yes any good salad oil will do, work into the wood in a circular movement with a soft cloth

[Scorch]

Yup, that's it! Though I'm told it can go rancid, (I don't know if it's true)so I don't use it myself.

[janicejan]

It's a very bad idea to Varnish something that you will use for foods..
I second Scorch's suggestion.. its the best way to avoid chemicals to get in our body..