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Old timer at the shop told me to stop scraping my block so hard
I used to go at my butcher block with a scraper like I was mad at it, really digging in to get it clean. This guy Jim, probably 65 years old, watched me for a minute and said "you're gonna sand that thing down to nothing in two years, just use a damp rag and a little salt." I brushed him off at first but after I noticed a low spot forming where I scraped the most, I tried his way. Now the block stays flatter and I'm not replacing it every 18 months. Anybody else had an old timer give them a tip that seemed too simple but worked?
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drews557m ago
Salt and a damp rag is a good trick, but how often do you actually season the block after a wet cleanup? I've seen guys skip that step and end up with cracked wood anyway, so I'm curious if Jim mentioned anything about oiling it after that method. My own block got a little gray and dry looking when I tried just the rag and salt without following up with mineral oil, so I had to learn that part the hard way. Seems like the real secret might be more about the full routine, not just one tip.
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