bread board finish

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Farm Labourer

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I've started to transform an ash off-cut from my bench into a traditional breadboard with rebated end caps.

I would normally finish with olive-oil but wondered if you experts had better ideas.

Thank you in anticipation.
 
Nothing at all.
I own two wooden kitchen boards, one elm, one maple. I can't find the maple one, I have no idea how one loses a breadboard, I think it must have disappeared when I refitted my kitchen last year :(
But I still have my elm one. No breadboard ends, so it's a bit wonky, quite bleached from being in the dishwasher regularly, but apart from its 3D surface, it's as good as the day I planed it up. I don't know when that was, but it was in A Previous Life, so at least ten years ago.
 
I tend to put a finish on end-grain chopping boards, but not on long grain boards, such as breadboards. I've got a beech breadboard here which must be 30 years old. It's never had a finish on it, and although it's a bit thinner than it was, it is otherwise perfect and likely good for another 30 years.
 
If you’re just using for bread no need for a finish.

For a general purpose board I soak in mineral oil and then use a home brew mix of beeswax and mineral oil. Once the surface gets scored up, I’ll scrape it smooth, reoil then rewax.
 
Olive oil tends to go rancid. Rapeseed oil and sunflower oil are better. I use orange oil for my wood turning bits that are used for foodstuff.
 
I also would say leave it bare. Been using a bit of oak board for over 40 years as a chopping board. Gets washed with the dishes and dried on the dishrack. Has been in the dishwasher a few times but that makes it a bit furry so it's also had a couple of defurrings with a plane.
Regards
John
 
chestnut make a food safe oil that looks decent, not used it myself but I may get some soon and give it a try.
 
I was going to suggest flaxseed oil, which is just food grade linseed. I've not used it on wood, but it seasoned my cast iron pans a treat.
 
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