Resurfacing an Edge Grain

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bprescot

Founding Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
677
Reaction score
27
Location
Berkeley, CA
With a new Boardsmith on the way, I wanted to ask about resurfacing my old Boos block edge-grain board. I've read that you can just sand them down, but to get out some of the deeper scarring, would take hours by hand. And I seem to recall others recommending against a belt sander, though the reason eludes me. Since I don't have a planer, does this mean I'm doing this by hand or are there other options?
 
Check with a local cabinet maker. I'll bet they'll do it for a few bucks.
 
Ben, Sanding a board that has been oiled can be a nighmare. The oil in the board will mix with the dust to make a gooey substance. This will require constant cleaning of a belt sander belt. The cleaning can be accomplished with a large eraser stick.

You can look for a cabinet shop to have it sanded in a wide belt sander but their belt will clog just as fast and not be as easy to clean. You can also use a cabinet scraper to resurface the board. Cabinet scrapers are available at any woodworking shop.
 
The danger with sanding the board is that grit from the paper can become imbedded in the wood. A low angle block plane is a good tool to use for this, but it may be a bit of of stretch for someone not into woodworking!
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advice. Yeah, I tried using my finishing sander and realized how quickly an oiled board will load sandpaper up. I'll give the scraper's a try, though I've never attempted to use them to remove this much material. I'll post some before and after pics for anyone contemplating doing the same.

Thanks again!
Ben
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advice. Yeah, I tried using my finishing sander and realized how quickly an oiled board will load sandpaper up. I'll give the scraper's a try, though I've never attempted to use them to remove this much material. I'll post some before and after pics for anyone contemplating doing the same.

Thanks again!
Ben

I have sanded an oiled board with a palm sander. Be prepare to have sheets upon sheets of sandpaper on hand, as it will clog up fast. I would start with 60-80 grit and move up to 150 (80-100-150). You can use a cabinet scraper, but it takes a nicely burnished scraper and a good technique to produce a good result. Try it, and if it doesn't work well, use a palm-sander.

M
 
Ben, Sanding a board that has been oiled can be a nighmare. The oil in the board will mix with the dust to make a gooey substance. This will require constant cleaning of a belt sander belt. The cleaning can be accomplished with a large eraser stick.

You can look for a cabinet shop to have it sanded in a wide belt sander but their belt will clog just as fast and not be as easy to clean. You can also use a cabinet scraper to resurface the board. Cabinet scrapers are available at any woodworking shop.

Can you do the salt treatment before hand to reduce the gooeyness of the board?

k.
 
Back
Top