# Sycamore Chopping board Oil?



## DnAvanlife (18 Jan 2019)

Hi my first post 
I've made a chopping board from sycamore and I've put 2coats of raw linseed oil and the board has gone yellow in colour and looks not very nice 
I've got some Danish oil 
Is there anything I can use which is food safe to darken the wood up ? 
Thanks Dave


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## thetyreman (19 Jan 2019)

I would go with pure tung oil instead, less yellowing, sycamore especially in sunlight is going to yellow though over time, nothing you can do about it, linseed has a more strong yellow tint than tung oil from my experience.


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## DnAvanlife (19 Jan 2019)

Thanks I'll try some tung oil


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## Jacob (19 Jan 2019)

You don't need a finish of any sort on a sycamore chopping board. I'd just leave it as is and wash it between uses.


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## CHJ (19 Jan 2019)

If you have already applied an oil there is not much you can do to recover it other than wash it in detergent to remove surface oil. Applying a polymerising oil will only result in a surface skin forming that will cut up and shed when using knives. I don't know of any stains that would be tested to be food safe in this application, spirit stains are usually cleared to be child safe when overcoated with a sealing finish but I doubt they have been tested as food safe in the raw so to speak. (Terry Smart , a forum member, at Chestnut Finishes may have a definitive answer)

As Jacob says nothing wrong with leaving it unfinished, wood is naturally anti-biotic and just needs a swill in clean water.

If you want to reduce the water absorbency then use a food safe mineral oil (Liquid Paraffin BP) such as This Light grade version or Ikea SKYD or get a slightly thicker version from your local pharmacy or equine store, just make sure the latter is to BP standard.

We've been using Mineral oil BP on wet salad bowls and chopping boards for years and they are just wiped with damp kitchen roll paper or swilled under a tap, don't use a detergent. The odd stain from the likes of beetroot fades with time and they get recoated every other year or so when they look like they could benefit from a freshen up.


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## Terry Smart (21 Jan 2019)

Hi

Chas is correct, I wouldn't use any stain in a food situation. Even sealing it in is open to potential problems and it's just not worth it.
Child safe and Food Safe are entirely different things, with different tests each looking for different things.


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## SkinnyB (22 Jan 2019)

I make End grain chopping boards, I use Mineral Oil and chopping board wax. Check my signature link for more info.


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## Sheffield Tony (22 Jan 2019)

I think the oil is a good idea for end-grain boards. I have first hand experience of what happens to an end-grain carving board when you stick a hot, moist roast chicken (or whatever) on top of it for an hour or so. All that end grain drinks up the warm juices, the board bulges upward, and eventually cracks at the edges, letting all the juices collected by that carefully carved groove run all over the table. Oiling might just help a bit.


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## Phil Pascoe (22 Jan 2019)

All that end grain drinks up the warm juices .......... making it rather unhygienic for future use?


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## Sheffield Tony (22 Jan 2019)

What doesn't kill you does you good


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## That would work (22 Jan 2019)

How about using a food oil? I believe that out of all food oils, walnut oil dries the best. But if it did not does it matter? I use olive oil on chopping boards and just let a good pool of it soak in.


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## Phil Pascoe (22 Jan 2019)

Olive oil is usually thought to be the worst as it's the most likely to go rancid.


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## woodbloke66 (22 Jan 2019)

Jacob":11ygh9yo said:


> You don't need a finish of any sort on a sycamore chopping board. I'd just leave it as is and wash it between uses.


Spot on, nothing needed on a sycamore chopping board. If you really need to use something, a wipe over with (food safe) liquid paraffin is all you need - Rob


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## disco_monkey79 (28 Feb 2019)

phil.p":bbrv62o4 said:


> Olive oil is usually thought to be the worst as it's the most likely to go rancid.



I've seen this mentioned repeatedly, but I have used olive oil on at least a dozen boards with no ill effect.

Not trying to pick a fight or be argumentative - I was wondering if this has happened first-hand to a member, or is it purely annecdotal?


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## Jacob (28 Feb 2019)

disco_monkey79":1at2io6b said:


> phil.p":1at2io6b said:
> 
> 
> > Olive oil is usually thought to be the worst as it's the most likely to go rancid.
> ...


A bit of a myth.
We have a walnut and an elm salad bowl both in use for many years. Regularly awash with olive oil, garlic etc. If not used for some time they may smell slightly un-fresh but not anything to worry about once the new salad stuff is in.


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## Chris152 (11 Mar 2019)

Terry Smart":2cg6x3nu said:


> Hi
> 
> Chas is correct, I wouldn't use any stain in a food situation. Even sealing it in is open to potential problems and it's just not worth it.
> Child safe and Food Safe are entirely different things, with different tests each looking for different things.



Has anyone experimented with using food colouring to stain wood? I had a couple of goes but wasn't impressed with my efforts. Then a food-safe finish?
edit - I rough turned some contours into a bit of beech and wiped in black food dye on this





Soaked in ok where I had tearout and the grain was open, but not elsewhere.


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## W666 (23 Dec 2019)

IKEA do a good clear, food safe oil that I use on my boards. Worth look.


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## That would work (23 Dec 2019)

I'm not getting all these 'what finish on a chopping board' stuff? Leave it bare or if you want rub some food oil on it? Really really does not matter!!! :roll:


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## Trainee neophyte (23 Dec 2019)

That would work":363u098t said:


> I'm not getting all these 'what finish on a chopping board' stuff? Leave it bare or if you want rub some food oil on it? Really really does not matter!!! :roll:


But oiled up it is so much prettier! The wood looks nice, too.


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## That would work (23 Dec 2019)

I agree. I've just made a couple of cheese boards from waney edged ash... I slopped some Danish oil on them for that very reason :roll: 
Such a hypocrite I am :lol:


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