How to finish a cherry butcher block counter top

Bought an 8 foot by 25 inch 1-1/2" thick cherry butcher block. It is unfinished. Want to use it on a kitchen island with a small vegetable sink in it. How should I go about finishing (sealing?) it. There will be food on it but we do not plan to cut/chop on it. Any help and/or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Dick Keats Euless, TX snipped-for-privacy@airmail.net

Reply to
Dick Keats
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Mineral oil. Let it soak in, 24 hours later put on another coat and let that soak and you are good to go. Do not buy butcher block oil as it is mineral oil at a much higher price. Mineral oil is available at Wal Mart or any drug store.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Is it a genuine butcher block construction, i.e., vertical or end grain up or is it simply a glue up of cherry wood planks with face grain? The preferred finish for the two types will be very different. It may be quite enlightening to consult a commercial kitchen specialist. For glued up planks a hard two part epoxy bar finish could give you the results you want.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

Joe

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That would depends on the results he want. Epoxy finish will look good, but is going to get ruined if used as a real butcher block. Oil won't.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

If you were cutting on it mineral oil is right, and may be best maybe not, but mineral oil doesnt cure hard. The butcher block I use mineral oil on ages, stains alot, every maybe 5 years I use a belt sander to remove the stains and aged wood look. How you finish it depends on the look you want and how well you want it protected from different stains and abuse. Oils will be easiest to recoat but in years might need a big sanding, finishes scratch. Tung oil is easy to do and seals, polys protect even more, ive seen the 2 part super thick epoxy used, the finish you see in bars last a long time. It depends on the style of your kitchen, durability you need, and willingness to upkeep and maintain it.

Reply to
ransley

I don't see any point to using an oil finish if it isn't used as a cutting block. If you want a natural looking finish, a matte or semi-gloss finish would be best. Be aware that cherry can be very dark with any clear finish, including oil. Matte can be a little cloudier than semi. A varnish can be stripped easily if it looks scratched, so it is a good finish long-term. I used oil based poly on an oak kitchen table that was the only table for eating and kids' craft work. I cut pastry, the kids painted and modeled clay. When it got too beat up, I stripped it and refinished. For a counter top, I would finish all sides to avoid warping from moisture on a bare surface.

Reply to
norminn

I have countertops made from maple (wife's idea) and we don't cut on them so I used poly. I was skeptical that they would hold up but 5 years later they look great.

Reply to
gfretwell

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