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[Sooner]

What about covering it with or layering it with sawdust?  It might let the wood smell permeate back into the wood.  I also like the idea of putting itin charcoal!  Maybe put a thin dish cloth around it and layer it in charcoal.

No idea what I 'm talking about--just ideas!  

[Tinkrbl44]

@Oznell 

Why not cover the surface with baking soda and let it sit by a window for a day or two?   

In my experience, baking soda does wonders for removing smells from ...  just about anything.  

[Oznell]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your continued brainstorming on this issue!  So far, in keeping with my go- slow-and-conservative-approach, and in addition to the things I tried at first, like food grade mineral oil, etc.,  I've gone with the baking soda, and baking soda, salt and lemon-half suggestions.

The odor has retreated, somewhat-- even my husband noticed that!   So now,  I'm deciding if that level is liveable for me or not.   After all, I've never planned to use it for food (even though, for possible future users, I don't want to use anything that might be toxic on it).   @ciao_bella ,  that food grade, citrus oil infused wax sounds promising, for my purposes, and I'm considering that.

That orange-scented food grade wax sounds so good, it might be really nice on other wood objects...  

[gardenman]

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@kindred cats wrote:

Personally, I would never put poly anything over those vintage cutting boards.  To me, it would ruin them.

Do you like coffee?  I would buy a big can of cheap ground coffee and cover the cutting board in it sealed up for a few days.  See if that natural process works for freshening the wood up.  Maybe add some baking soda to the mix as well.

@Oznell ... I'm totally guessing about this, but it may be worth a try. 

I'm basing this on getting rid of bad odors in a refrigerator.  It works.

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A matte poly is largely invisible and unnoticeable on old wood but would seal and protect the boards. The sealing part is what you're looking for when it comes to containing the odors. The odor of wood comes from terpenes (something like an essential oil) that lingers for decades in wood. Think of a cedar-lined closet for example. The only real way to totally eliminate the scent of wood is to seal it or completely dry it out. Completely drying it out would largely ruin the piece, so sealing it is your next best option. You can seal wood with waxes or other means, but they tend to be somewhat permeable to the vapors given off by the terpenes. A thick enough coating of wax to block the terpenes is likely more noticeable than a thin coat of a matte poly. 

The issue is preparing the surface for the poly. You want a clean, dry surface for the poly to adhere to. You don't want to sand the surface of decorative, aged cutting boards, and they've had oil or oils applied to them already. A good cleaning with something like mineral spirits might give you a good enough surface to apply the poly (either oil or water-based) but there would be no guarantees. If sealing in the smell is the goal without altering the appearance too much, a clear, matte poly is arguably the best option. Everything else is just masking the smell or a very temporary solution of drying the terpenes closest to the surface but the terpenes will continue to emerge.

[ciao_bella]

@Mom2Dogs  Thank you!  My son did pick up a few of my husband's talents with crafting wood.  My son said, working with wood tends to be a calm, relaxing type of hobby.

[RedTop]

What about using fine grade sandpaper to lightly sand the surface of the cutting board?

[ECBG]

@Oznell 

I know I'm late to the party, but just happened to think.....

Our first American Bull dog got sprayed by a skunk!  We washed the pup in tomato juice as advised, and were told to put charcoal around the house (the odor was horrid!!!).

I wonder if you put charcoal in an enclosed area (trash bag) for about a month if it would work.

[Oznell]

I so appreciate the ideas rolling in --  you guys are the best!