Wood Care
Here is the lengthy process we use to finish our pieces in the workshop, so you can use them right away when you get them home.
After carving a piece, we buff it with 150 grit sandpaper. We immerse it in water and allow it to dry. Next we buff again with 220 grit paper and wet again. We sand the piece once more with 220-grit sandpaper.
We do this because wetting wood raises the grain (that awful fuzzy feeling). Raising the grain twice, and sanding it off, makes each piece super smooth! Finally, we finish our work with two coats of pure boiled linseed oil. *
After carving a piece, we buff it with 150 grit sandpaper. We immerse it in water and allow it to dry. Next we buff again with 220 grit paper and wet again. We sand the piece once more with 220-grit sandpaper.
We do this because wetting wood raises the grain (that awful fuzzy feeling). Raising the grain twice, and sanding it off, makes each piece super smooth! Finally, we finish our work with two coats of pure boiled linseed oil. *
Washing & Oiling your Woodenwares
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Take a look at our video to learn how we wash, dry, and oil our woodenwares.
You really CAN keep them looking and feeling as lovely as the day they were first finished. All wood gains a distinctive patina over time. That's part of its charm. We use spoons and cutting boards passed down from Meb’s grandmother daily. With proper care, your woodenwares should shine for many generations. Never put woodenwares in a dishwasher. Heat and water are enemies of wood. |
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Meb’s quick version: Under 5 minutes working time.
1. Use a soapy green scrubby (in the sponge section at the grocery) to clean. Rinse. 2. Towel off, then let air dry. 3. Use a dry scrubby to remove the leftover fuzz. Rub in the direction of the grain (along the lines) so you don't make scratches. 4. Then rub on your choice of oil,* let it penetrate, wipe off well and let air dry overnight. Do this whenever wood gets dull-looking or gets that fuzzy feeling after many uses and washes. If your woodenwares are kept smooth and shiny, then you can dish out blueberry pie or borscht with no worries! |
Recommended Oils
* In the workshop we use a pure boiled linseed oil. The heating process (polymerization) makes the oil harden when left to dry. Unlike the stuff from the hardware store, our oil has no chemical dryers. At home we usually use walnut oil (find this in the salad oil aisle). If you don’t have nut allergies, nut oils work best, since, like our linseed oil, they harden. However, if you or someone in your family has a nut allergy, use canola or grapeseed oil. Olive oil tends to darken the wood and can get sticky. Why Not Use Mineral Oil? First, because mineral oil is a chemical byproduct of petroleum manufacturing. Second, it doesn't penetrate the wood grain and gets rinsed away each time you wash your piece. |
For a High Gloss Shine
If you want an impenetrable hand-rubbed oil finish with a deep-down luster, do the following:
Put oil* on the wood. Rub briskly with your hands till the wood heats up. That helps the oil penetrate into the grain. Keep rubbing continuously, adding more oil as you go. Do this until your wrist is thoroughly exhausted!
Allow the piece to air dry.
Hand-rub and oil:
-Once a day for a week
-Once a week for a month
-Once a month for a year
-Once a year forever
If you want an impenetrable hand-rubbed oil finish with a deep-down luster, do the following:
Put oil* on the wood. Rub briskly with your hands till the wood heats up. That helps the oil penetrate into the grain. Keep rubbing continuously, adding more oil as you go. Do this until your wrist is thoroughly exhausted!
Allow the piece to air dry.
Hand-rub and oil:
-Once a day for a week
-Once a week for a month
-Once a month for a year
-Once a year forever
Germs and Bacteria – Wooden Cutting Boards are Good
People often ask about germs on wooden cutting boards. Here's a quote from one of our favorite books:
"It was once believed that nylon or plastic cutting boards were preferable to the wooden variety. Since then, research has indicated that wood is probably better after all.
Researchers have discovered that when cutting boards are contaminated with organisms that can cause food poisoning, almost all the bacteria on the wooden boards die off within three minutes, while almost none die on the plastic ones.
For added security, you can wash your wooden cutting board periodically with hydrogen peroxide and water or a bleach-and-water solution. The ideal solution is to use one cutting board exclusively for vegetables and one for meat."
- From Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Balch & Balch
Periodic Maintenance Notes from Meb:
1. Washing with diluted vinegar works well, too.
2. Salt rubbed into a board with half a lemon does a good job, and makes your hands smell great.
3. Sometimes you can remove stains on your woodenwares with a gritty liquid cleanser, like “Soft Scrub”. Rub the cleanser in the direction of the grain. Rinse well, then start over again with the seasoning process.