# Cutting board food safe fillers



## LoneTreeCreations

I am v carving names and engraving designs into cutting boards as gifts.
I would really like to fill the cuts with a food safe filler that will hold
up to hand washing and not poison my family. (Most of them anyway =) )

I have used a colored wood filler for other projects but always sealed it
up with enamel or clear coats. I can't do that with a cutting board.
I tried to just use vegetable oil on them and it looks ok, but not the
2 color smooth effect I was after.

I've heard that you can color Titebond II and III or use food coloring
in a two stage epoxy and it will be safe after a 24 hour cure.

Any suggestions would be great. I'm thinking a dark brown color would
be fine. I've also heard of using original Gorilla glue, but it foams up and
I don't want bubbles in it as I can't clear coat a cutting board.

Thanks in advance!

Pete


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## Gene01

The epoxy will work fine. I use artists acrylic paints to color it.


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## LoneTreeCreations

I just went out and bought some 2 stage epoxy and food coloring. I'll try it on a scrap. I'm not going to eat it though!


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## Gene01

Once cured it's inert. Safe for food. Hard to digest, though.
I use System lll, and their syringes. Great for getting epoxy in small places like letters. Far less over spill mess and far less sanding, too.
Four routing letters…not carving…I lay down a piece of clear packing tape and rout through it. Then, leave it in place till after the pour. Just an idea.
Do keep us informed of you progress and experiences with the project.


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## LoneTreeCreations

System III? Where can I pick up some of that? I like the tape idea as the 
mill won't even notice a half a thousandth or whatever it is. Engraving
would make a difference as I move in .001" increments. VCarving wouldn't
matter.


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## Gene01

Pete, 
I mentioned System III because that's what I used last. I also use West Systems Epoxy.
Both are fine products. 
Here are their sites.
I order online. Fort Collins, being a larger city than Snowflake, AZ, may have a retailer that stocks one of those products.

System III
West System


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## Gofor

Coffee grounds mixed with the epoxy make a nice dark filler . It looks better shaved off than sanded. Try on test piece first. I have found sanding, even with fine grit leaves a grayish cast. Have not tried wet-sanding with 1000 grit, etc though.

Best to shave off any excess after it has set but before it fully cures (i.e, I use this for filling knot-holes, etc using Loctite 5 min epoxy. I shave off excess at the 10 to 15 minute mark, depending on temp. Slower setting epoxy will mean longer time before shaving.) A sharp card scraper works for the final couple of passes. For heavy excess, I use a sharp wide paring chisel. If you are worried about gouging the surrounding wood with the chisel, use the chisel bevel down and rock it forward until you get the right angle .

I also second the clear packing tape masking. That is what I use also, but have to cut out the hole with an exacto knife.

Go

PS: The Loctite brand may be a bit yellow instead of perfectly clear, but isn't noticeable for my use.


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## LoneTreeCreations

Thanks Gofor. I just tried the 5 minute epoxy with brown food coloring in it.
I panicked a little as it was setting up and removed the excess with Acetone 
as recommended. It filled pretty well the first coat. I will let it set up 24 hours
and apply another coat. I would really like to sand the inlay perfectly flat with
the surface and not have any cavity in the vcarved text. I'll see how it goes.
I don't want the epoxy to set up so hard on the surface that sanding it
will remove the surrounding wood before the excess epoxy. Looks pretty
good so far though. I will try the coffee ground method as well, thanks.


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## LoneTreeCreations

Thanks Gene. Spent many years in Prescott, Phoenix, and Flagstaff before moving to the Fort.
Mom and brother still live in Prescott, sister, son and daughter still live in the valley.
I really like Snowflake and that area too. I probably would be living there now if I could
have found work there. Great place to be retired.


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## Gene01

Yes it is, Pete. And, we are.
Funny, though. When we were scouting out our retirement retreats, we looked at some land just outside of Ft. Collins. South on 19, IIRC. We really liked the area.


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## LoneTreeCreations

Well come on up! There are a lot of retired folk in that area. More land, horses, etc.
Lot's of crafty artsy people here too. Not as bad as Sedona, but pretty cool.


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## Gofor

Hey Pete, while you're at it, beings you are in the Ft Collins area, could you swing by the NIST antenna station and ask them to boost their power? Its a pain having to set my "atomic clocks" out on the deck at night to get a signal to update the time. LOL

Go


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## LoneTreeCreations

I will let them know, they should have it powered up for by morning.


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## TJ65

Another way would be to inlay/ or similar with wood, If you are going to all that trouble anyway.


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## LoneTreeCreations

I know TJ, I'm not to the point of pocketing for the letters and then cutting them to fit. Close though.
I've been wanting to try that, but I have to do a bunch of Christmas gifts, ornaments and such first, and fast.

I did use the epoxy and I have great results, thanks everybody for your input.
I will post a photo of the project as soon as it's done. 2 days more because of curing time.


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