This is a project that I did for my mother. She had gotten a good deal on a it at an action, and thought it would make a great addition to her kitchen.
We were not sure what kind of wood it was made from at first, but you could tell it was a hardwood due to the weight of it.
I removed the paint with chemical stripper and an old wood chisel. I sanded it with 80, 120, and 240 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper.
It turned out that the whole thing was made from beautiful white oak.
For a finish I used "Min-wax polyshades" polyurethane with a light pecan stain mixed. It worked really well for my first time trying a poly-stain mix.
For the cutting board top I used regular mineral oil from the drug store, and rubbed it in with some high grit sandpaper.