I'm so smooth!

Many customers remark about how smooth some of my Chopping and cheese boards are and ask how do you do it?  Is it a Special wood polish they ask? Simple really, 'no polish just hard work' would be an easy but not very informative response.  So my process whilst some might call labour intensive is pretty straightforward.  You start with a low number sandpaper i.e. 80 grit and move up the numbers till you get the finish you desire (I occasionally go to 2000 grit!)  Some timbers grain pops up after an initial sanding and still leaves a rough finish, to speed this 'popping up' I spray the surface in between sanding grits with either water or Methylated spirit (Meth's evaporates quickly and leaves no residue or smell and is actually food safe) the damping effect speeds up the grain popping ready for the next grit sanding.  I occasionally spray with water but take care if doing this as water on some woods leaves a stain, it also takes longer to dry out before you sand again. I also use an Orbital sander for the low grit numbers and usually finish by hand for the higher grit paper.  If its a board for food product I then use several coats of natural mineral oil (again sometimes the grain pops and you need to sand again once the oil has soaked up and dried!)  The last stage is to use my own recipe of Wood Food which you can buy in the store!  There is something quite satisfying when you hold a new piece up to the light and see the shine.