# Great Cutting Board Finish!



## sbryan55

Zindel, I have been meaning to try this out but have not gotten around to it so thanks for the review.

It does appear as if it is simply an oil base wipe-on poly mix to me, after looking at the MSDS.


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## Raspar

Thanks for the review. I need to give this a try.


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## RandyMorter

Thank you for the review. I've used one of their other finishes (Arm-R-Seal) and really like it. I'll have to try this. I'm making a toy airplane and want a non-toxic finish.


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## stefang

I'm not surprised your happy with it, as General Finishes is known for their quality products. I also agree that it must be some kind of poly to remain waterproof for so long a time. I have also read info on finishing that claims that most (all ?) poly finishes are non-toxic after the solvent part dries out. Surely true of many other finishes as well, including BLO.


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## Ken90712

I have used this on over 100 boards. I have found though, mixing it 50/50 with mineral spirits and apply 5-8 coats give the board an amazing shine and durability! ( Marc aka (Woodwhisper) suggestion )...

On another note for those that live in the state of California like me, with Stupid A rules, you can no longer buy it because of the VOC content….Go figure,,, its food safe when cured but can't buy it. They had put it back on the shelf then took it away again. So I have to have family from out of state buy it and send it to me. Sometimes you can mail order it and if the shipping dept is not paying attention they will ship it to you even though it states not avail in California!!!! I have 4 quarts coming from a store tues.

Ok done venting, thank-you…. Nice board you have made as well.


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## zindel

Thanks for the tip ken i will have to give that a try.


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## Rob_G

This stuff is excellent - it goes on very thing, so on an end grain cutting board, it soaks right though. I usually go with 3-4 4 heavy coats on each side, then sand off the excess. After I'm back down to bare wood on the cutting surfaces, i wipe on a thin layer to take out all the scratches. I'm a little leery of leaving too much on the cutting surfaces because a lot of use with a sharp knife may cause the finish to flake off into your food.


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## zindel

Not a bad idea…I always just cloth on about 4 or 5 coats and make sure that i get the wood a little wet with a cloth first before my first coat. This way the wood pores open up and really soak it all in. After each coat i take some steel wool to it to smooth it out.


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## TechRedneck

I watched Marc's video and decided to purchase this for some cutting boards this Christmas. I diluted the first two coats and went with two thin full strength coats. They turned out great. The wife used the cutting board for dinner tonight, we've been using it daily for a couple months and still looks good.

I would agree, this is a good product. I may use it for some other children's toys I am working on.


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## wseand

Nice review and a great Cutting board.


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## jat

I have used this finish on quite a few end grain cutting boards. However, recently I have switched to butcher block oil. When you first apply salad bowl finish, it causes the wood fibers to rise requiring you to sand in between each coat; that doesn't happen with butcher block oil and so no need to re-sand. Also, as someone said, the poly in the salad bowl finish can accumulate on the surface if too much is applied. I do like the shine with salad bowl, which you don't get with butcher block oil. I wonder if you could finish a board with just a very light coating of salad bowl finish after using butcher block oil for the first few coats?


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## Ken90712

Hmmmm not sure on that one, I have had some cutomers order they're boards finished with the Butcher Block Oil only. They did not want a glossy finish. I have a board that is 3 yrs old with 8 coats of SBF and I have no flaking so far and we abt the poor thing. Problem we all have is when you make the boards to nice no one wants to use them. LOL


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## dirtybandaid

great idea, i read the woodwhisperer's article too and will most likely try this out.

My only question is that if I finish a board with salad bowl finish how long will it go before it needs some maintenance. I have some ideas to give boards to non-woodworking folk and I really like that they can just re-apply mineral oil when they need. It is seriously promising to hear that it's been used for 3 yrs with no problems!

I cant wait to try it out!


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## bvdon

I do the 50/50 mix of Salad Bowl Finish and mineral spirits. Typically, I sand to 320, then give about three coats… wait a few weeks to let the mixed woods adjust, re-sand and just add a coat or two to finish it off.

Since the board is washed with soap/water (then quickly dried), it does need a little butcher block oil every few weeks, but it keeps the boards looking like new even after a lot of use.


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## REK

Nice board, GF makes some great finishes, I love there stuff!!!!


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## Ken90712

Yes as bvdon stated, the only mx I do or tell customers, is to apply some butcher-block oil every 2 weeks & to dry the water off immediately. I also have them mix a 50/50 spray bottle of white vinegar and water to spray the board to sterilize after such things as raw chicken. The oil is very easy, just wipe on and leave for 10 min and wipe off…..


I have found that instead of paying $8.99 for the butcher-block oil I got to wallmarts or the drugstore and buy their food grade mineral oil in with the Laxatives. Its 1/2 the price or less for double the amount.
Hope this helps.


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## stevenhsieh

I love this marketing hype. 
Food Safe, Child Safe, cat safe, pig safe,

General Finish's "Salad Bowl Finish" and "Arm-R-Seal" are the exact same finish
It's varnish with urethane resin. Thin it down its now wipe on varnish.


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## stevenhsieh

*ken90712*

Due to AQMD
All solvents will be banned before March 31st in California
I have already re-stocked
Not surprising acetone isn't one of them\

lacqaure thinner, denatured alchohol, paint thinner,retarders


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## Ken90712

Steven H,

I weill be going to the store tomarrow to stock up… You have a list of what they're taking off the shelf? I hadn't heard this. You can still buy MEK at Home Depot but not Salad Bowl Finish, go figure. Anyone that has worked with MEK knoew it is bad stuff. Got to love this backwards state I live in… LOL

Arm-R-seal is exactly the same as Salad Bowl finish?


> ?


 I'll have to look at the MSDS on that one I never heard that as well.


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## Wolffarmer

I used this on some cutting boards in 2009, six coats. The board I kept for myself. ( the worse one of the lot of course ) is still going strong. No need to refinish it yet and still water proof.


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## Bigrock

I am sorry to say that when you look at the MSDS from General Finishes web site the two products are not the same. I am not employed by General Finishes, but a woodworker like you. For me, I have not found many finishes that are is nice to use and I know what the project will look like when done.


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## stevenhsieh

Arm-R-Seal is just thinned down more with mineral spirits.


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## stevenhsieh

Thanks to Steve Mickley, he saved me from typing.

If you print both documents and then compare the information contained in Section 2 (Information on Ingredients) you will notice that the two documents are remarkably similar, right down to the CAS# which defines the chemical signature of each ingredient. Until the August 8, 2008 revision of the Arm-R-Seal MSDS the two documents were line for line identical. With the revision to the Arm-R-Seal MSDS GF has slightly scrambled the ingredient order and removed the "Proprietary" mystery resin that comprised 0-25% of the product volume. (Hum…I wonder if this ingredient has actually been removed, or if it was never there in the first place.) The point, of course, is that there is no material difference in these two products. Neither, in all probability, is there any real difference.

Aside from the confusion generated by the MSDS, what conclusion might we draw from these two documents? Might it be reasonable to conclude that the two, Arm-R-Seal and Salad Bowl Finish, are the same thing? They are just packaged in different cans with the intent to create the preception in the mind of the consumer that Salad Bowl Finish is "safe". Certainly in terms of the prominent ingredients, both products are the same even if we are charitable enough to allow for slightly different proportions, which of course would make no sense from a "safety" perspective. How can it be, then, that Salad Bowl Finish is presumed to be "Food Safe" while Arm-R-Seal is not? Further, how is it that Salad Bowl Finish typically sells for $2.00/quart more than Arm-R-Seal?

In fairness to GF, these same observations could be made by delving into the MSDS of other so-called "Food Safe" finishes. GF simply makes the task easier by packaging two products that are essentially, if not precisely identical. Since they are marketed as distinct products GF is required to produce MSDS documents for both. Also in fairness to GF, the words "Food Safe" have been removed from Salad Bowl Finish labels now being produced. The label now proclaims simply that Salad Bowl Finish is "Non-Toxic When Cured". Certainly, this is a true statement and is consistent with the information contained in Flexner's article. But, none of this alters the fact that implied in the separate packaging is the "safety" of one product for food contact while somehow the other is not "safe". The very same phrase could accurately be added to the Arm-R-Seal label, and indeed to the label of any other finish in use today. "Food safety" of modern finishes simply is not an issue.


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## stevenhsieh

*ken9071*

If you download the pdf file you will see what will be banned
http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1143.pdf


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## dbray45

I am keeping my beeswax and mineral oil finish, its easier.


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## SawDustnSplinters

Yea me too, beeswax and mineral oil finish…phew..yea and it just even sounds more natural…hehe


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## Ken90712

Thx Steve H for both bits of info, I have started reading this tonight.


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## HighRockWoodworking

You guys have posted some great information here. I have heard for sometime that there is really no difference in the Salad Bowl Finish and Arm-R-Seal but this has helped to clairify. Thanks to all!


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## ComradeNorgren

Is there a nice alternative for us California residents?


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## Ken90712

I get mine sent in to california from my pops. Food safe but can't buy here in cal, but yet you can still buy MEK at home depot and that stuff is brutal!


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