Bob Pastorio > wrote:
>Without knowing how badly it's scarred, I can suggest sanding it to
>smooth it out and then oiling generously with any sort of kitchen oil
>(I don't like the smell that develops with olive oil, but I know
>people who use it). Let the oil soak into the wood for an hour or two
>and wipe clean. Do that about once a month with normal use.

I have a mahogany board (soft, yes, but beautiful, and my
knives love not fighting hardwood) that I "made" by having
a droid at Home Depot slice me 18 inches off a 1x12 in the
fancy wood section. That was more than a dozen years ago.

I oil the top (the bottom is dry and I don't use that side
for cutting; it sits on a sheet of that nubbly rubbery
shelf liner stuff so it never slips) once or twice a year
with a little mineral oil, and after that I bake the board
in a 150-200F oven for 20 minutes.

I'm not sure whether the baking actually does anything
useful, but I imagine it opens the pores in the wood and
lets the oil soak in deeply to seal the surface better
than it would otherwise.

>The board can be washed with soapy water, rinsed and air dried. When
>it looks like it needs it, reoil.

I don't use my wooden board for cutting sloppy or
dangerous stuff. I keep several sizes of plastic boards
(the softer kind are better, IMO) for that, and wash them
thoroughly every time they're used.

--Blair
"Maybe that's why it's lasted so long."