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18 months ago, we made a large kitchen island with several sections of purchased oak chopping block. Wiped on mineral oil for several days in a row, then one a week for the next two weeks. Nothing since. The oil soaks in, but we rubbed off the excess after 30 minutes.
Still has an even tone, no dry spots, and is fully water-resistant. We don't do heavy cutting on it, but we're not afraid to use a sharp knife. When it looks necessary, we'll just wipe on another coat.
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That is really nice! Did you rub out the finish or how did you get the gloss to look so clear?
Eric Bruns
Licensed Psychologist
Aspiring amateur woodworker
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Waterlox is my choice, and treat it like a countertop, not a cutting board. Why be worried about scratches and refinishing a nice piece of furniture? Use a cutting board when you need to do food prep.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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[url=https://www.bona.com/en-US/United-States1/BonaSystem/Coatings/Finishes/Bona-Traffic-HD---New/]https://www.bona.com/en-US/United-States1/BonaSystem/Coatings/Finishes/Bona-Traffic-HD---New/
Don't know about on a counter . Just throwing out there.
If it can't kill you it probably ain't no good. Better living through chemicals.
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Different opinion here.
I cook and recently replaced our counter tops from Formica to granite. (Payment from wife for wood shop. Easy decision..) I look for minimal maintenance on things. The Formica was fine, just a few dings after 15 years of use. I am REAL careful with the granite, don't want to drop anything on it.
When I do pies, I use a large pastry board. When I cut stuff up, I use a wood or plastic cutting board. (I could NEVER cut on those beautiful arty boards some of our members showcase on this forum.) Stuff spills, pies bubble over with hot sugary juice, grease drips out of things. You will have to clean this up from a wood surface.
Yes, wood looks great, especially cherry. But cherry is soft and will get dinged up over time. But your maintenance time will be way more on wood than other tops, especially over time. Your choice.
I see some of the home improvement shows where the couple want a huge kitchen so they can entertain - when both are working and don't seem to know how to hold a knife. Maybe to set take-out on??
Good luck in your choice...Tom
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We used mineral oil so that the repairs, if needed, would be just more mineral oil. Maple countertop is 3 feet by 6 feet. First several coats soaked in, next several coats partially soaked and got wiped off. It s been two years now. Waterproof, stain proof (so far) beautiful as can be. Yes, we are careful with it, and use cutting boards for heavy work, but we often do light cuts on it, as well as use it for a general work bench. We recommend MO.
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I did our island top in maple about 5 or 6 years ago and used Watco teak oil (was out of danish). Its holding up great. There are some light scratches now but no peeling finish. Will probably do a light sanding and re-coat next spring.
