cutting board

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siguy

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Aug 26, 2006
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this is sortof a bushcraft question...sortof...

i want to make a sort of small wood cutting board to carry with me when hiking and camping, because i don't really feel safe when peeling an apple with my knife coming ever closer to my thumb, and it is sometimes difficult to cut things without some (clean) solid support under it, which can be difficult to find when out back...

so i want to make a small wood cutting board, maybe 6"x6", perhaps 1/2" to 1" thick. this won't be too difficult, except for the real question here...

what sort of finish do i put on it? i want to have something that i can eat off of, so it should be non toxic, but i want it to be pretty waterproof and durable. i also want to use a tradition seal...i was trying to figure out what sort of finishes i have seen on wood cutting boards and i could only ever remember seeing plain wood before...

could someone please help me out?
 
canning/sealing/paraffin wax. You can pick it up at the local grocery store.

Melt the wax in a double boiler then coat the cutting board. When dry, scrape away any excess. Repeat if necessary.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ButcherBlock.htm


For outdoor use, I'd look for one of the Corian cutting boards and cut it to size.
 
My advice would be to find a small plastic cutting board instead of a wooden one. Most department stores (Target, Walmart, etc...) have them. It would be more durable, easier to clean, and less likely to harbor nasties from meat.
 
thanks guys...

rupestris, i will look into both of those options...

kenk, i am looking for a more traditional board, also possibly to be used for historical reenactment. i also use the plastic cutting boards at home...i find that many are made from a very dense, heavy plastic.
 
I've finished wooden bowls for re-enacting by warming the bowl in the oven and then applying as much warm cooking oil as the wood will absorb. Wipe off the excess, let it dry overnight, and then apply a coating of melted beeswax. That's it, I've used them for years with no problem. I'm sure you could finish a maple board the same way.
 
You can get flexible roll-up plastic cutting 'boards' at REI and Mountain Equipment Co-op. That's what I take in my daypack or backpack when we need a clean surface for cooking. Lightweight, cheap, stick 'em in the dishwasher when you get home...
 
My daughter and my wife use Swedish mess kits, the plastic type. One is the new Light My Fire, the other an older type. Both have nice plastic cutting boards that also act as strainers. Well put together kits.
 
Alberta Ed said:
You can get flexible roll-up plastic cutting 'boards' at REI and Mountain Equipment Co-op. That's what I take in my daypack or backpack when we need a clean surface for cooking. Lightweight, cheap, stick 'em in the dishwasher when you get home...
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I agree. I use one in my shorelunch box when I'm guiding fishing clients. Any reasonable flat surface becomes your prep area and you can cut them to any size. I found mine in the kitchen gadget section of the supermarket.
 
Mineral oil works well for wood cutting boards, and it won't get rancid like vegitable oils can. The boards I use in the kitchen came with directions that highly recommended oiling with mineral oil before use. You can find food grade mineral oil in the pharmacy department of most grocery stores. I would second the plastic board option, however. They won't harbor microbes like wood can.
 
Although the bacteria that have disappeared from the wood surfaces are found alive inside the wood for some time after application, they evidently do not multiply, and they gradually die. They can be detected only by splitting or gouging the wood or by forcing water completely through from one surface to the other. If a sharp knife is used to cut into the work surfaces after used plastic or wood has been contaminated with bacteria and cleaned manually, more bacteria are recovered from a used plastic surface than from a used wood surface.

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm
 
Hey Guys...

I made a nice small little cutting board out of .125 Kydex that kits into my mess kit..

Pretty handy when you need a semi clean surface...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
siguy said:
i want to make a sort of small wood cutting board to carry with me when hiking and camping, because i don't really feel safe when peeling an apple with my knife coming ever closer to my thumb,
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:confused: Well, first, I'd suggest practicing more with your knife until you're comfortable handling it in... uhmm... peeling scenarios. :D I can't imagine not feeling safe when peeling an apple. At first, actually, I thought you were joking when I read that line.

+1 on the small plastic cutting board. I fish out of a kayak sometimes, and one part of my tackle is a small plastic cutting board I bought at a Wally World. I can peel an apple with just a knife while out on the water. However, it's a little tougher to make cutbait without something to cut against. Try peeling a fish some time and you'll see what I mean. :D
 
Codger 64. Thanks for the link. I guess you do learn something new every day. And, sometimes in the oddest places. I guess I'll have to break out that wooden cutting board again. I'd still go for the light weight plastic for backpacking and camping, because of the light weight.
 
i have the technique down pat for peeling towards myself, but i think about all the idiots that run thier thumbs down a knife to test the sharpness and end up with a nicely split thumb. i know that it is often difficult to get a knife to cut skin just on a push cut, but i keep my knives sharp and i don't want to take the chance. thanks guys i think i will look into that mineral oil suggestion.
 
If you were skilled with a knife you would find a big tree like a hard maple and with chopping and batoning you would end up eventually with a small cutting board !!!
 
Normark said:
Hey Guys...

I made a nice small little cutting board out of .125 Kydex that kits into my mess kit..

Pretty handy when you need a semi clean surface...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
Click to expand...
great idea i'm going to try that
 
siguy said:
i have the technique down pat for peeling towards myself, but i think about all the idiots that run thier thumbs down a knife to test the sharpness and end up with a nicely split thumb.
Click to expand...

There is a huge difference between peeling an apple and running your thumb down the length of a knife. Now, if you were trying to peel a coconut or something similar... :D
 
ummm i use 3 of those saran flex cutting boards warapped around my http://tinyurl.com/wyazn

that was put into a modified wusthof knife-life protector and rummber banded all in a roll then is put into a gallon ziploc bag the saran cutting sheets are discontinued so im glad i reuse mine and i still have most a 25 pack
 
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