Grain Raising after finished!!

Grain Raising after finished!! · 12-17-2009, 10:51 AM

Ok... Well I finished a Solid Maple Food Prep Table with Mahoney's Walnut Oil and Mahoney's Wax Finish and I don't know why the grain is rising. I cut some tomatoes and some onion on the table and the wet spots just jumped alive. What can I do to salvage this? I know it's probably a newb questions but I really never done "Natural" finishes before. Thanks.

Zach

Bas · 12-17-2009, 11:08 AM

Unlike a varnish, a "natural" finish (oil/ wax) won't completely seal the wood. I had the same scenario with some long-grain oak cutting boards that were finished with mineral oil. Just give the table a light sanding with 180 or 220 grit to knock off the fuzz (don't over sand), reapply the finish, and you should be good to go. That's the nice thing about oil/ wax finishes, they're really easy to repair.

SubGuy · 12-17-2009, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Bas

Unlike a varnish, a "natural" finish (oil/ wax) won't completely seal the wood. I had the same scenario with some long-grain oak cutting boards that were finished with mineral oil. Just give the table a light sanding with 180 or 220 grit to knock off the fuzz (don't over sand), reapply the finish, and you should be good to go. That's the nice thing about oil/ wax finishes, they're really easy to repair.

Should I try to raise the grain on the whole table and then reapply? Would 320 be to fine a grit? I also thought about buying some pure beeswax and melting it to make a more...Resistant(?) finish. Good idea? Sorry to be asking so much but I really have no idea. Thanks Bas!

Zach

Jeff Mills · 12-17-2009, 11:35 AM

What you've done is created a high maintenance kitchen item. Botcher block are normally coated with food safe mineral oil.

My mistake with cutting boards:
I made the wife some long grain oak cutting boards several years ago. Just used vegetable oil as a finish. But some here said it may turn rancid. Because of some on this site and after a couple of spins in the dishwasher I coated with mineral oil.

Yes my wife washes these cutting boards regually in the dishwasher along with the dishes. I have had zero problems with them and used titebond 3 for glueup. When the board starts looking like it needs some help, I'll apply another coat of mineral oil but it ain't very often. Cutting boards are made to well be well cutting boards they are going to get cut with knives and occasionally whacked with a meat cleaver.

I think the same would apply to a cutting table

SubGuy · 12-17-2009, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Jeff Mills

What you've done is created a high maintenance kitchen item. Botcher block are normally coated with food safe mineral oil.

My mistake with cutting boards:
I made the wife some long grain oak cutting boards several years ago. Just used vegetable oil as a finish. But some here said it may turn rancid. Because of some on this site and after a couple of spins in the dishwasher I coated with mineral oil.

Yes my wife washes these cutting boards regually in the dishwasher along with the dishes. I have had zero problems with them and used titebond 3 for glueup. When the board starts looking like it needs some help, I'll apply another coat of mineral oil but it ain't very often. Cutting boards are made to well be well cutting boards they are going to get cut with knives and occasionally whacked with a meat cleaver.

I think the same would apply to a cutting table

I'm not really worried about cutting marks (However, wife did need some coaxing to use it for that). I just want the surface to be smooth enough to roll dough and such things.

Zach

Bas · 12-17-2009, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by SubGuy

Should I try to raise the grain on the whole table and then reapply? Would 320 be to fine a grit? I also thought about buying some pure beeswax and melting it to make a more...Resistant(?) finish. Good idea? Sorry to be asking so much but I really have no idea. Thanks Bas!

Zach

Two thoughts on that. Yes, you can raise the grain on the whole table to "get it over with". Just use a spray bottle of water, let it dry thoroughly, sand, and finish. That's probably your best bet. But, cutting boards/ tables need to be periodically renewed anyway (I oil mine once every 2 months or so), so you can also do this as-you-go as well.

Sanding with 320 grit should work. The main thing is to not over sand, because then you not only take off the "whiskers", you expose a new layer of wood that will raise again when wet. With 320 grit, I tend to go too heavy because it doesn't feel like anything is coming off

But that's me. I'm not sure meting wax into the top will help a lot. It wouldn't penetrate very deeply anyway. I found that with an oil/ paraffin wax mixture, the wax eventually just floated on top and solidified. If anything, I'd add more oil.

Expectations matter a lot. My mother-in-law didn't use her cutting board for about a year because it was just too pretty to use. Finally, she broke down. It will get scratched, develop dull spots, show wear etc. That's the nature of the beast.

fergy · 12-17-2009, 01:36 PM

You can also raise the grain and then wet sand it with the oil you plan to use. That will really clean up the surface, and massage a little more oil in to the wood. But, this is a functional item, so I'd just get over it.

Jeff Mills · 12-17-2009, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by fergy

You can also raise the grain and then wet sand it with the oil you plan to use. That will really clean up the surface, and massage a little more oil in to the wood. But, this is a functional item, so I'd just get over it.

+1