Replies

1. 
   Gretchen | Aug 17, 2009 03:07am | #1

   I'll be real honest with you. I try really hard to keep food off my countertops!!  It makes a mess, and Idon't tend to eat "spilled food".  That is one thing. This is not being used as a chopping block so food is not going to be in contact with it.

   The other thing is that cured finishes are food safe. Put a VERY durable finish on it and enjoy.  It needs to withstand "wipeups" with a dish cloth, of course.

   Gretchen
1. 
   BrentD | Aug 17, 2009 03:18am | #2

   I have used this from Leevalleyon cherry bowls. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=45105&cat=1,190,42942

   It is food safe but not terribly durable.  You can wipe down periodically with a fresh coat from time to time. I don't think I'd go for a durable finish that I would expect to stay bullet proof for any great length of time. 

    

   Brent

    

    

2. 
   kenzen | Aug 17, 2009 03:21am | #3

   Thanks, your comments are pretty much in line with what i thought

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 17, 2009 05:34am | #4

   Red oak isn't a very good choice for a kitchen countertop being very porous.  But, if you are not using it as a chopping board, or near sink or stove, it can mostly be thought of as a kitchen table.  I certainly wouldn't recommend a cutting board finish of mineral oil or mineral oil/paraffin. 

   You have to decide about the look, and how it will be used.  For a natural look, I would use about 3 coats of Waterlox original/sealer, treated more as if it were an oil/varnish rather than a wiping varnish.  (Ie. wipe off coats after application so you don't build much of a film.)  The first few coats will require lots of diligence to catch any varnish that creaps back out of the pores.  That would look about the same as an oil/varnish but be more resistant to water.  But, you would still have mostly open pores, not such a good thing around food.

   You could go whole hog with a fully filled film finish, rather like a bar top.  That would require pore filler to fill pores (probably a couple of coats) and then about 4 or more coats of a good varnish, such as Behlen Rockhard.  (It has phenolic resin that is tougher than alkyd resin varnishes)   This would look great at the beginning, but when scratched will begin to look ratty. 

   But there is zero need to worry about incidental food contact on any clear finish sold to consumers in the US.  All are safe when cured.