It is important that you oil your cutting board on an ongoing basis. Do not use oils such as olive oil as they will go rancid. Warning: When finishing your cutting board project use mineral oil or salad bowl oil. Oak is an open grain wood species and hence, food can become embedded in the grain. Note: You want to make cutting boards from closed grain wood species such as maple. Save your kitchen countertops with your own handcrafted cutting board made from one of these cutting board plans.