Stained cutting board

[ck1999]

I am making a couple more edge grain boards. One is cherry and maple. I treated with mineral oil and then a combination of beeswax and mineral oil. The maple has some black splotches in it now. I do I not notice it before using the bees wax. Is the bees wax mixture alkaline cxuaong this staining?

Chris

 

[smallboat]

bees wax is typically regarded as having a pH of 7. which makes it neutral.
depending on the level of refinement it may contain various contaminants.

 

[ck1999]

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Am I Being to picky?

Chris

 

[tarheelz]

Yes.

It's beautiful.

 

[Jeff]

Yes, +1 and well done.

Maple is notorious for blotching but that behavior is more often associated with uneven absorption of dyes/stains, etc. I don't think that the beeswax/mineral oil is a problem like the bicarbonate discussion earlier.

The casual observer won't even notice it!

 

[blakeyon2asd]

change the name of the characteristic from stain to PATINA and everyone will understand the artisanal value.....:gar-Bi

That's the right idea! lol

 

[SubGuy]

I do a lot of work with hard maple and have noticed similar results. I am quite certain it is a feature of the wood that you did not notice prior to finishing. Maple often has dark (relative to the wood) spots that occur naturally but aren't apparent until a oil based finish is applied. Most of the time they are pith flecks from scarring of various insect larvae or some sort of mineral/sap concentration in the wood. Pith Flecks are common in birches and maples. Sometimes it's just the natural variations of color in your wood and the grain direction as it changes through the plane your wood was machined on (straight cut with a machine doesn't follow the grain when it bumps out or shifts in some way). I can't really tell from the pictures. But all in all, pretty cutting boards. I would appreciate what nature gave you as I would all but guarantee (barring the addition of another chemical not disclosed) that's how it was supposed to look.

I am making a couple more edge grain boards. One is cherry and maple. I treated with mineral oil and then a combination of beeswax and mineral oil. The maple has some black splotches in it now. I do I not notice it before using the bees wax. Is the bees wax mixture alkaline cxuaong this staining?

Chris