Food surface question?

[jimmybigfoot]

Hi, I am thinking of making a big chopping board for my mum. Can I make it out of ash and walnut strips or do these woods have harmful fibres and properties which could affect the food?
Thanks
Jim

 

[marcros]

you might find ash a bit soft, but I don't think there is any harmfulness issues with either.

If you havent bought the timber, how about substituting the ash for maple or sycamore?

 

[jimmybigfoot]

Hi thanks for that. I have loads of ash hanging about and I live in France so maple is hard to come by as the few sawmills I know of only sell oak, ash, pine and fir. I think I'll give ash a go.
Cheers

 

[tomatwark]

Ash will be fine.

My parents have one that my mothers great uncle made in the early 19th century, he was a carpenter in the north of Scotland so it is almost 200 years old, they still use it , it has a lovely hollow from lots of use.

No body has had food poisoning from it, I bet that the plastic rubbish that is made in China will not last that long.

Tom

 

[Steve Maskery]

I'd say that the walnut is likely to be considerably softer than ash.

Ash no problem. Walnut probably no problem.

But. If you've ever seen a walnut tree (at least, an ABW tree, I'm not au fait with English Walnut as a specimen) you will know that nothing - I mean nothing whatsoever - will grow in it's territory. The area around the tree itself is totally barren. An ABW tree produces some sort of poison, there is no other word for it, which prevents anything else from growing.

Now I don't know it this something is produced by the roots only or by the whole tree. Even if the wood itself produces this, it may be an advantage in that it will prevent the growth of bacteria on the boards.

Hmm. I'm not at all sure I've added to the debate here, just provided more questions!
S

 

[Richard T]

Sycamore is good as it has anti - bacterial properties (I'm told). Don't know if other Maples have the same.

 

[Grahamshed]

I was under the impression that most, if not all, wood had anti bacterial properties, though I may be wrong

 

[acewoodturner]

Beech is definetly the best for cutting/chopping boards as it is hard and tight grained. Timbers such as ash and oak are opened grained and food particles etc may end up stuck in the grain and cannot be scrubbed out as well as beech. Sycamore is tight grained as well but is a bit softer than beech. I dont know why but walnut wood is poisionous to horses and should never be offered if mixed in with shavings for horse bedding. You can apparently kill a horse if you do. (my sil is a horse rider and told me this although doesnt know much more than this!)

Mike