De-greasing butcher block?

[CadillacJack]

I have a nice hunk of butcher block (24" x 52") that I rescued from a closing restaurant. I'm trying to sand it smooth(er) in anticipation of oiling, but the sandpaper keeps getting clogged with what I assume to be (cooking?) grease. Then, the greasy sandpaper makes streaks all over the wood.

So...what would you use to de-grease butcher block before sanding?

Not sure of the wood type, but it's the typical light-colored (and heavy as sheet) butcher block you see everywhere. I'm planning on turning this into a work-bench top, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but the black streaks are pretty disappointing to look at.

 

[rburke65]

Don't know.....what about Dawn liquid dish soap?

 

[trainer]

Butcher blocks often have some sort of sealer on them. When we had one we coated it with parrafin wax to seal it. You may try planing it rather than sanding.

 

[ZRX61]

Scolding hot water, Chlorox/Formula409/Formula 815MX & scouring pads. It's probably Maple.

 

[CadillacJack]

Butcher blocks often have some sort of sealer on them. When we had one we coated it with parrafin wax to seal it. You may try planing it rather than sanding.

This one is fairly well-worn. The wood appears bare. I think it's safe to assume there is no sealer left.

 

[MEatVT]

run it through a wide enough planer to resurface both sides.

 

[rlitman]

Salt.

NEVER sand a butcher block. The grit can get embedded in the wood, and mess up your knives.

1) use a board scraper to remove anything other than wood

2) Pour on a mound of kosher salt, and apply just enough vinegar or lemon juice to make it into something the consistency of moist sand. Then rub this in until the salt looks grey, and the wood looks like new.

 

[CadillacJack]

run it through a wide enough planer to resurface both sides.

A) Sell car.

B) Buy a wide enough planer to accept a 24" slab of butcher block.

 

[CadillacJack]

Salt.

NEVER sand a butcher block. The grit can get embedded in the wood, and mess up your knives.

1) use a board scraper to remove anything other than wood

2) Pour on a mound of kosher salt, and apply just enough vinegar or lemon juice to make it into something the consistency of moist sand. Then rub this in until the salt looks grey, and the wood looks like new.

Hmm...never heard of that. I won't be using this for cutting/preparing food. It's just a workbench top.

But...it can't hurt.

Soap, bleach, salt...we'll see what works.

Thanks, all.

 

[d.mcfarland]

The woodworker people that restore stuff recommend using GoJo by hand then stiff bristle brush with soap. After it dries use oil to give it what it needs...

 

[JMartel]

run it through a wide enough planer to resurface both sides.

Definitely not.

http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/end-grain-through-the-planer/

You will damage your butcher block, yourself, the planer, or any combination of the above.

 

[rlitman]

There's a lot of bad advice here.
Is this what people call butcher block but is really long grain jointed wood, or true end grain butcher block?

End grain butcher block cannot be planed. You can re-level the surface with a router and a sled setup, if you really want to get aggressive, but that was not your question.

I would advise against using soap, or any water based cleaning agents. It raises the wood grain, and displaces the oils that you want in the wood fibers.

Bleach does this, but worse. Do not use bleach on wood, unless you are specifically trying to bleach it (there are better ways) or are removing mold (again, there are better ways).

So, you're looking to remove gummed up grease. I would still start by scraping down to the wood. If it still feels gummy, then Gojo is a good degreaser for a workbench. It is NOT food safe (some people need to be reminded of this). Clean the Gojo off with acetone or odorless mineral spirits (again, not food safe). Just do not clean with water.

Once that dries off, have fun with re-oiling. You will not need to use a beeswax or wax fortified finish, because clearly there is plenty of wax already in the wood. Just plain cheap mineral oil (Swan is what they have here at Ace hardware) is a third the price of butcher block oil, and is just as good.

 

[aardquark]

I recommend using a simple scraper with a turned edge that you create with a burnisher. I always use this technique instead of sandpaper to provide a fine wood surface prior to finishing. This is the sort of scraper I mean: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Scrapers/Scraper_Blades.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=868

 

[CadillacJack]

So, you're looking to remove gummed up grease. I would still start by scraping down to the wood. If it still feels gummy, then Gojo is a good degreaser for a workbench. It is NOT food safe (some people need to be reminded of this). Clean the Gojo off with acetone or odorless mineral spirits (again, not food safe). Just do not clean with water.

Once that dries off, have fun with re-oiling. You will not need to use a beeswax or wax fortified finish, because clearly there is plenty of wax already in the wood. Just plain cheap mineral oil (Swan is what they have here at Ace hardware) is a third the price of butcher block oil, and is just as good.

Great. Good advice. I've got a gallon of GoJo and a quart of left-over Ikea butcher block "oil".

But, no sanding? There's a couple of gouges/dings/roughness that I'm trying to remove.

 

[trainer]

A good sharp hand plane. Work from the outside in, and work the plane at a 45 degree angle so it has more of a slicing action.
Another method would be to make a sled jig and use a router to flatten the surface. Again working from the outside in to avoid splintering the edges.

Years ago there was a guy around here who made a device with a flush cutting circular saw that would trim a bit off the top of a butcher block to restore it's surface.
He paid for a cross-Canada trip by stopping at grocery stores and butcher shops along the way and restoring thier blocks.

 

[ZRX61]

There's a lot of bad advice here.
Is this what people call butcher block but is really long grain jointed wood, or true end grain butcher block?

Nice to see I'm not the only person in the entire US who knows this.

I would advise against using soap, or any water based cleaning agents. It raises the wood grain, and displaces the oils that you want in the wood fibers.

Bleach does this, but worse. Do not use bleach on wood, unless you are specifically trying to bleach it (there are better ways) or are removing mold (again, there are better ways).

It's a work surface for his bench, not an original Rembrant He asked how to remove the grease, not restore it to brand spanking new condition.

 

[ed_h]

End grain butcher block cannot be planed.

Au contraire. I and others have done it many times. There are a few caveats, though. It takes:

A sturdy machine--I wouldn't try it on a lightweight benchtop unit,
A longgrain attachment to the trailing edge to prevent tearout,
Sharp knives,
Light cuts, and
Some experience.

As with any machining operation, it you don't think you can do it safely, don't do it.

An alternative to planing to level the surface is a router sled.

As for cleaning, the block has likely seen a lot of soap and water, so water won't hurt it. Scrub with a stiff brush and detergent to remove grease.

 

[jake00]

Where are you located? I've got a planer with 24" capacity.

 

[CadillacJack]

Where are you located? I've got a planer with 24" capacity.

Florida. PM me your address and I'll overnight it!

 

[zkling]

Start with scraping it, then chalk it with whiting. Kinda slow but it will pull the oil out of the block without damage to the block itself. It's a technique I use to fix oil soaked wood, primarily for old gun stocks. Works very well.

 

[CadillacJack]

Start with scraping it, then chalk it with whiting. Kinda slow but it will pull the oil out of the block without damage to the block itself. It's a technique I use to fix oil soaked wood, primarily for old gun stocks. Works very well.

What is "whiting"?

 

[CadillacJack]

Is this what people call butcher block but is really long grain jointed wood, or true end grain butcher block?

I'm using "butcher block" as a generic term. It's the stuff you get from Ikea. Light-colored wood, strips appx. 1.75 x 1.75, joined together lengthwise. Probably not true butcher block.

 

[zkling]

What is "whiting"?

A delicious fish. I prefer it plain or lightly breaded then drizzled with fresh lemon. A side of plain rice and you have a very healthy, delicious and economical meal.

 

[jake00]

We did a few hundred edge grain workbenches for a company that were pretty grimy. We used our floor sanders, ( belt sander on roids). Started with 16 grit.

 

[zkling]

On a serious note, here is a pretty good writeup on whiting use.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/how-can-i-clean-oil-soaked-wood-140075/

Basically you are using chalk mixed with a solvent to dissolve and then absorb the oily junk that is stuck in the wood.

 

[Monkey Milk]

Where are you located? I've got a planer with 24" capacity.

Florida. PM me your address and I'll overnight it!

That made me

 

[BP80z28]

Back when I was a apprentice meatcutter we had wooden blocks.WE would cover the block with fresh sawdust and use a stuff wire brush.Then when done with that wiped down with mineral oil.

 

[Scout Driver]

WD-40 and a putty knife works well. Let the WD-40 soak for awhile and gently peel off the grime with the putty knife.

Scott