End grain butcher block issues...

[Tha Baron]

Hey Fellas-

I purchased a hard maple end-grain butcher block (15 x 20 x 3 in) from overstock (link here) a month ago and have oiled it a few times weekly with a liberal amount of oil each time. There are about 10 cracks developing at the seams and about 3-4 cracks within the wood grain, which are fairly small now. I can only assume this will get worse - quickly.

Did I do something wrong here? It seemed to dry out fairly quickly and I kept adding more and more oil, which must be about 10 ounces by now. I live in the humid midwest, so I can't imagine this was caused by the environment. Never submerged in water or used more than a damp cloth when cleaning it...

I can only hypothesize that the board sat in a warehouse for months/years in shrinkwrap without any hydration??

I am going to email customer service to see if I can return it since all the other reviews do not mention this problem.

Any insight you could give would be great and any suggestions for a replacement board... I've been drooling over the 'Boardsmith' products, so chime in if you can recommend those and any care tips you have...

Thanks!!

 

[dawgfan13]

I have a boardsmith board and I love it! I also bought one for my dad and he feels the same way. If you go to www.knifeforums.com and go to the "In the Kitchen" section and do a search you will find tons of info about Boardsmith boards. The board will come with care instructions and reccomendations. I oil mine about once a month and then use his board butter product for additional protection. I have used other end grain boards, but his is by far my favorite. Good luck!

 

[Jim]

I would think thats an excessively thirsty board- send it back.

 

[JBroida]

i like my boardsmith board

 

[homebrewer]

I'd try to send it back as well... Those cracks will absolutely get worse over time.

This is also one of those "investment" products that I wouldn't buy at a discount. That is a phenomenal price for an end grain block of that size. honestly, it should be about triple that price. I'm always a bit skeptical of buying from the "overstock" or "factory second" places, for this exact reason. Hope that you get everything worked out!

 

[CMATakashi]

Is the board properly sealed? How does the finish feel without oil?
Lowes sells a butcher block finish, I can't see why the wood when properly hydrated could give you some issues.

Maybe it has a nasty poly coat on it and it isn't allowing water or oil for that matter to penetrate. Perhaps you could sand down, hydrate, and reseal properly.

Tell you what, get a damp cloth or sponge, wring it out and put it in an enclosed space with the butcher block (like a closed cardboard box) for a day. Make sure the cloth isn't laying on it, but essentially you are putting it in a high-humidity environment. I do things like this to re-hydrate guitars.

 

[Tha Baron]

The only thing I can suggest is that is was severely dry when I received it... after the first few days it felt somewhat rough and dry. Not the least bit reflective of light or did it have any "sheen".

Either way, Overstock.com just approved my return and paid for return shipping, so I'm only out the trip to the UPS store. Not bad I guess considering the alternatives.

The positive here is that I will now pull the trigger on a block from the boardsmith... can't decide between the lumber choices, but I am leaning towards the walnut. Any suggestions? I rent, so I wouldn't necessarily be concerned with matching my decor...