Overheard a guy at the lumber yard say 'shellac is just for antiques' and it got me thinking about modern uses

3 comments

3 Comments

Alright, hold on. So we're sealing a cutting board with bug juice now? I get that it's natural, but it melts if you put a hot bowl on it. For a food-safe finish, mineral oil does the job and you don't have to mix it from flakes. Seems like a solution for a problem that was already solved.

brooke_carter25d ago

I read an article about using shellac as a natural sealer for food-safe projects like cutting boards. It's not just for old furniture.

jamie_allen915d ago

The French have been using shellac on cheese boards for centuries, it's not some weird new thing. Mineral oil needs to be reapplied constantly because it never actually dries. A good shellac finish cures hard and seals the wood grain from meat juices and bacteria. It's also super easy to repair if it gets scratched, you just rub on some alcohol and fresh shellac. For a board that gets washed a lot, that's a real advantage over an oil that washes out.