Grill Cart Ben Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I am building an outdoor grilling cart which I will be mounting my Weber grill into. I am using a 72" X 36" Birch Butcher Block as the counter top (don't worry I will be using a heat shield to prevent the wood from starting on fire). I am trying to figure out the best way to treat the wood to help it hold up to the sun, use, weather, etc. I will have the cart under cover for the most part and don't mind the idea of just using butcher block wax and applying it regularly but I read about and have considered using a diluted salad bowl finish on the block instead as that seems like it might hold up better. Does any one have an experience or advice with an outdoor butcher block and how to finish it? I'd hate to mess up a $200 butcher block by taking the wrong approach here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 are you going to put food directly on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Yes sir, I plan to do most cutting and food prep on separate cutting boards but would like to keep harmful chemicals out of the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I would just use mineral oil or something like Boos mystery oil. Personally I don't like salad bowl finish or things like that because most contain varnish. While varnish is food safe when cured I don't like the idea of cutting up and ingesting microscopic pieces of plastic (cured varnish is basically plastic). Pure oils are easy to reapply and mineral oil does not go rancid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Thanks Mike! I have a bottle of Howard Butcher Block Conditioner. I'll probably just go with that for now then and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Ben, that is a good choice, but will require frequent application. If you can find a similar product (or mix it yourself) with more beeswax, it will last longer between coats. Something more like paste than liquid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I appreciate the pointer. I had selected Howard conditioner over the oil due to the wax in the conditioner, is there a particular product with more wax in it that you would recommend? I'm pretty new to the "butcher block wax game". Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I just bought a brick of beeswax, a bottle of mineral oil from Walgreen's, and experimented. Melt the wax in a double boiler, mix in the oil, and pour into a container. Seems I wound up at about 4 parts oil to one part wax (by weight, not volume), to make a pretty stiff paste. It ain't exactly rocket surgery... I also suggest saturating the piece with just oil, then let it dry to the touch before applying the wax mixture. Works great on cutting boards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Here's the finished product (less a few hooks and knobs to be added this week). I love the way it turned out! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrrhode04 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 That looks great. I would agree with highlander. I make a lot of cutting boards and I give them a good coating of mineral oil and wait a day or so and then add a coat of my board paste and let that sit for a day. After that I wipe all extra off mostly what is left is beeswax so you pretty much just work the beeswax in to the wood. I make my board paste out of mineral oil and beeswax that I get from my bees, a lot of people that buy my boards also get some board paste to go with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Thanks! Yeah after I finish this bottle of Howard's (pretty good stuff it seems) I was going to try the 4 to 1 ratio highlander was talking about and give that a try. Hopefully I find the home made mixture lasts a good long time I imagine that's going to be the down fall of the store bought mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 how did you treat the wood to stop it from catching fire? did you put that on before or after your Howards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 He mentioned a metal heat shield . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 The cart looks great, Ben! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 If that is a store bought top I strongly recommend not leaving it out in the weather ! Even under cover don't close it up beneath a tarp. Space any cover up with something so you don't trap moisture. Left out in the weather it will come apart in a season or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grill Cart Ben Posted April 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Yes, I have sheet metal being cut this week and I will be using spacers and attaching the metal to the wood facing the grill all the way around. As far as storing it outdoors and the cover, I plan to keep it under a covered deck where the sun and any rain/snow would not be able to reach it. I am looking into a custom cover too, good thinking to keep a space in between the cover and cart, I'll have to do that. Thanks highlander, I'm pretty happy with it! Last night was tied up with a hockey game but excited to get in there and start working on finishing touches tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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