I'm crafting a charcuterie board from curly maple and need some advice on the best finish to use. I'm a bit of a newbie with finishes, so bear with me! I want the board to be durable and water-resistant. I've previously used Odies Wax, which I really like, but it's a bit too matte for my taste. I'm not a fan of the glossy look that comes with lacquer. Does anyone have any recommendations? Any help would be much appreciated!
1 Answer
You might want to try using Odies Oil combined with Wax and then buff it to achieve a nice sheen without too much hassle. The tricky part with 'food safe' finishes is that they tend to be absorbent, which means they don’t usually have a high gloss finish. If you're okay with waiting a bit before using your board, you can go for options like General Finishes High Performance Water-Based or Arm-R-Seal after they fully cure for food contact—just not for cutting!

Thanks! I was really unsure about all the choices out there. From what I've seen, it seems like finishes can be pretty personal. I’m aiming for that satin look with a solid touch since maple dents pretty easily.