Cleaning up old stained wood

[PNWDaley]

First post:

I had a very old dresser type deal sitting in my attic for ages made out of Walnut. I just broke it down and planed down all of the finish that was on it and the wood looks great. I would like to use it for a cutting board, but I'm worried the chemicals have leeched all the way through the wood.

Question: Even after planing the stain away, are there dangerous chemicals left in the wood making it not-food-safe?

Thank you,
Drew

[Stwood_]

Good question. Do you have any idea what finish was used on it?

[jteneyck]

Walnut is an open grained wood so it's not a great choice for a cutting board.  I'd suggest you find another project for it.  Then there will be no concern about any residual chemicals that might still be in the wood.   

John

[Gary G™]

We have numerous walnut cutting boards in the family.
My daughter, a professional chef, uses two walnut/black cherry/maple cutting boards I’ve made for her.
No one has ever gotten sick from anything prepared on any of these.
Boos makes numerous premium black walnut cutting boards.

[Stwood_]

We've got one here that a friend gave us about 20 years ago. Still going strong.
Has one small split in a glue joint. Maybe I'll fix it some day.

[2beast]

Prepare  it as well as you can to clean it up.
I would make the cutting board end using end grain.

It is a better board and would diminish any surface exposure.

[PNWDaley]

I have no clue what the finish on it was. It was a hand-me-down antique (but ugly so I didn't feel bad breaking it down).

[hbmcc]

One of the first things I learned in Woodshop, back a few decades, was to use tight grain woods for cutting boards.  As I recall mine was birch. I still have trouble distinguishing birch from maple. Forty years later I threw it away after Mom passed.

Health education and safety standards have never accepted open grain woods such as walnut, or oak in commercial applications cutting boards. They are strongly discouraged, but private citizens can still take chances. If it's fancy or artistic one may hang from my kitchen wall, but I'm not keen on food poisoning guests or myself.

[MichaelMouse]

Question: Even after planing the stain away, are there dangerous chemicals left in the wood making it not-food-safe?

This is not some unnamed wood with a stain applied, but actual walnut?

Easy answer is any wood durable in the ground probably has excellent antibacterial properties, BUT if you let something damp linger on it, some of those extractives may transfer and affect the taste. 

Some oil-stained wood? Once the pigment's gone, should be good as fresh wood, as what's left behind is oil you might use for the board anyway.