Oh thank you. I've seen such conflicting views on whether or not to sand butcher block countertops or not. I have them & they need some attention.

thanks for the timely inspiration! I just inherited a big and fabulous butcher block from Aunt that is also old and nasty from sitting in basement for the past decade. Now I feel a little more confident about tackling that project.

Oooh, thanks for this post. Can you believe that I actually put a Boos butcher table out on the curb before this last move? I was sick to death of moving it(across the country 2x!). Not surprising, it was snatched in record time.
Now I have a board that needs some care. Mine has some gaps between the boards and mold spots from using on a counter top. Do you or any readers have any suggestions?

Instead of using palm sander, try a cabinet scraper. Carpenters have used them for centuries to smooth flat surfaces. They have some serious advantages over sandpaper. A palm sander you will create a fine dust that will coat the entire kitchen and fill the pores of the wood, thus blocking the finish you are trying to apply.

Advantages of a scraper:
1. No dust.
2. Re-usalbe unlike sandpaper.
3. Pack of (3) scrapers = $26, Bosch palm sander $66 plus the sand paper.
4. Sand paper will leave bits of aluminum oxide on your cooking surface and when you are done with it, the aluminum oxide goes right in a landfill. Bad for the environment, including the home.

Typical Scraper Set:
www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=54.474&dept_id=13093

In the top image you can see a cutting board in the background, so it is safe to say that this butcher block is used more as a counter, not as an actual cutting surface. If that is the case, use a product like U-30 by Industrial Finishing. It is an oil finish that full polymerizes, aka hardens to a durable finish. Instead of having to refinish the top every 3 months with bees wax U-30 will give you 1-2 years before needing refinishing.

Industrial Finishing: www.industrialfinishings.com/

We have the IKEA butcher block countertops in our kitchen and I use just this technique to keep them nice. One other tip... I've found from time to time that I've gotten stains on the wood that are dark (from a metal can or such sitting on moisture). After sanding the stain remains. I treat the wood with some lemon juice and let it sit over night and it bleaches out the stain.

I grew up with butcher block counters and my mom had them sanded twice in thirty years. Part of the charm of butcher block is that it ages and doesn't look 'like new'.

Thank you so much! Found an Ikea butcher block at a thrift store--now I can shine it up!

If you don't like using mineral oil (a petroleum byproduct), walnut oil is a good alternative (it won't go rancid like most vegetable based oils). I've never used beeswax on my cutting boards, but it would be easy enough to make your own walnut oil beeswax mix.

I'll second the recommendation on using a scraper. The technique is a bit tricky, but it's very rewarding to use a scraper if you give it a whirl.

Also, for the truly adventurous, the word 'block plane' derives from the fact that it was originally intended for use for butcher block. However, this is mostly for use on end grain butcher blocks, which are a little easier on knives than the face grain butcher block show above. I wouldn't advise one to go out and purchase a block plane, as they need to be razor sharp to get a decent thin shaving, but again like the scraper it's a really nice feeling to use one once you get the hang of it.

If you do use a palm sander or a random orbital sander, please try to use the sandpaper that has perforations on the bottom - this will allow the sander to capture a lot of the sawdust. Used in conjunction with a shop vac (hooked up to the sander), you'll have very little dust compared with using the sheet type palm sander shown above.

Once you're done sanding, for finishing you can also use walnut oil that you can find at the supermarket. (Don't use vegetable oil, walnut as well as some other naturally occurring oils work well, while generally vegetable oils don't work well for curing wood.) After you've used the walnut oil and let it soak in, you can apply beeswax as well. The Beesoil shown above will work great - it just might be harder to find at your local shop.

I had Ikea butcher block counters in my last apartment, which I installed new. From the beginning I oiled them regularly. The problem was that they always seemed to retain a very slightly oily surface, even though I wiped away all the oil with a clean cloth after application. If I ever placed anything delicate on them (like tissue paper), the paper (or whatever) would get an oil spot. Eventually it made me want to oil them less, and then they started to dry out.

What was I doing wrong, or is the oil-spot thing just something you have to live with? (I was using the Ikea oil, which I believe was mineral oil.)

Perfect post for me to read today, as we are planning to spruce up our kitchen table, which is a butcher block style. It now has a lot of scratches, stains, and dry spots (2 year old in the house).

http://thesweetest3.com/

I have only had my Ikea butcher counters for 8 months. They were sealed with many coats at the beginning. Already there are two places that have developed cracks. One is where water seems to gather while washing dishes. Although I don't let it sit for more than a few minutes, I feel I am somehow ruining my new countertops! I will follow the instructions with the different grades of sandpaper as well as use the wax. I was using a furniture grade linseed oil.

Does anyone know how the wax is different than the linseed oil?

I have butcherblock in my apartment. How often do I need to wax after I sand? I assume I can also sand and wax the sides of the counter too? Sorry, just new at this home improvement deal.

I bought a Boos block at a restaurant supply a few years ago. They had Boos "Mystery Oil" ($8 for 16 oz.). It is safe for food preparation surfaces.

I actually love the used look of my butcher block. The knife marks and subsequent stains, scrapes and mark ups give it character and so long as it's cleaned properly are safe. I do however seal it every so often with Burt's Bees coconut peppermint foot cream (odd I know) But its really just predominantly coconut oil with a few other oils mixed in. It smells great too and does an awesome job once you buff it off.

I too have big mold spots on my Boos board, thanks to it sitting underneath a wall-mounted dish drainer on my one tiny patch of countertop. (My kitchen is so small my refrigerator is in the dining room.)

Will the sanding/scraping remove the mold stains?

The bees wax and oil combo is good however, I'd recommend oiling the block first with an oil that wont go rancid (few suggestions already) and then using the wax, the wax is good for maintenance purposes, it will help protect the wood from drying, staining, so forth but the oil is what really does the work in getting the wood protected.

After the sanding/scraping (I recommend scraping personally, it adds a very nice charm to the wood when done properly and doesn't require any sanding) then applying a thick coat of oil and allowing it to sit for about 10 - 20 minutes (depends on the oil you use) then using clean clothes wipe up the excess, then give it a really good buff with another clean cloth to just absorb any extra.
Allow the board to sit over night (24 hours is better) then apply the wax it will produce a butchers block with more protection for the longer term and will maintain a nicer "look" as it ages.

Then every 6 months to a year, really clean down the block personally I use a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid, a whole heap of lemon juice and rock salt, scrub it down with a stiff brush, then oil it again, apply the wax and reapply the wax ever 2 to 3 weeks.

My Granddad was a butcher and this is what he used to do at the store and at home, eventually he got to old to look after his block properly so I used to do it for him, the thing was over 90 years old and was 5 inches thick, it looked old, well loved and well cared for.

but I love old, beat-up butcher block! I wouldn't wanna sand it, but try tung oil if you want to take great care of raw woods.

http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/

I'm going to go in a totally different direction - I poly-sealed my ikea butcher-block island and it looks good as new after several years and it being the hangout area of many parties with many spills. No cracks, discoloration, stains, or warping. I clean it with Method or Mrs. Meyers counter spray and it is no-maintenance. I don't chop directly on it, I have a large cutting board that I use.

Just another thought.

There are indeed 2 schools of thought regarding the use of butcher block. Some people prefer the ease of cleaning that a "finished" wood top provides. They get the look of a wood top and all the convenience of something very easy to clean. These finishes are usually a urethane such as Durakryl 102 for Michigan Maple Block co. Other people prefer a working butcher block and for them an oiled top in the top of choice.
In either case rejuvenating a true solid butcher block top is very easy. A finished top can be gently sanded to rough up the surface and a new finish such as “Good Stuff” gel urethane can be applied. With oiled tops I would recommend Emmet’s Elixir which is a mineral oil, bees wax and essential oils of lemon and rosemary. Oiled tops need to be rejuvenated all the time. Oil repels moisture which will swell the wood and cause warp and cracks to open up. Further information can be found as www.mapleblock.com.

Here are a couple of links for cheap, easy DIY food-safe, bees-wax based wood finishes. The basic formula is 5 parts oil (suggestions vary from mineral oil, walnut oil, etc. to olive oil) to 1 part bees-wax. Mineral oil has the advantage of not spoiling or going rancid, and it's cheap and readily available.
http://www.humblebeeandme.com/?p=1255
http://www.greenleafgoods.com/blog/2011/04/homemade-beeswax-furniture-polish/
http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=26893