How To Repair Antique Butcher Block Table Glue Coming Out And Cracking

This story originally appeared on Rodale's Organic Life in August 2022.

Cute vintage wooden cutting boards are a steal at austerity shops and flea markets. The only trouble is, they're sometimes a bit worse for wearable—rough and dry, rather than shiny and h2o resistant. Instead of passing them upwardly for a shiny new model fabricated from virgin timber, though, yous should snap upward those antiques for a song because it's so like shooting fish in a barrel to restore them to their former celebrity. All it takes is a few natural cleaning ingredients and 30 minutes!

What you'll need

Beeswax (small block or a handful of pellets)
Kokosnoot oil
Big drinking glass bricklayer jar
White vinegar
Fibroid common salt
Lemon
Sandpaper: coarse (80-grit), medium (120-grit), and fine (220-grit)
Cloth towel

Step 1: Brand a wood butter

Meghan Caudill

To start, prepare a natural wood butter that volition be used to seal and smooth the cut lath in the terminal step. Place one role beeswax into a large drinking glass canning jar, and then allow the jar sit in a pan of simmering water. Once beeswax has melted, add four parts coconut oil to the jar, and stir until completely melted and combined with beeswax. Remove from heat, and allow to cool and solidify while you keep with step ii.

Related: 8 Kitchen Items Y'all Should Never Buy At The Austerity Store

Step 2: Make clean and disinfect

Meghan Caudill

Use a cloth to wipe downwards the cut board with vinegar. Depending on the land of your board, you may need to soak the board in vinegar for a few minutes to be sure to really disinfect it. Rinse with warm water, and wipe dry. Next, sprinkle coarse sea salt onto the board, and scrub the common salt into the board with a lemon one-half, existence sure to squeeze juice out as you lot scrub. (Lemon juice disinfects while sea salt works out the dust.) Permit the lemon juice and salt mixture sit for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water. Wipe dry with a cloth.

Related: 12 Things You Can Make clean With A Lemon

Step 3: Sand it down

Meghan Caudill

Starting with lxxx-grit sandpaper, sand the cutting board forth the grain to remove deep cuts and dents. Wipe with a damp cloth, and let dry completely before repeating with 120-dust and finally 220-dust sandpaper. The cut board should feel quite smooth at this point and will be much lighter in color.

Related: How To Clean And Restore A Vintage Wooden Salad Bowl

Step 4: Condition with woods butter

Meghan Caudill

Use a clean textile to rub wood butter into the board until well oiled, being sure not to skip the edges and dorsum. Let sit down for a few hours, and so vitrify with a clean cloth to remove any remaining surface oil so the lath is no longer tacky.

Step 5: Continue it looking practiced

Meghan Caudill

To keep your refurbished cutting board in tip-top shape, scrub with hot soapy water later use and wipe dry before storing. Once a month recondition the board with wood butter.

Related: Plastic Vs. Wooden Cutting Boards: Which Kind Is Better?