# Wood for cutting board



## ja2066 (Apr 19, 2008)

I am looking to make a end grain style cutting board I haven't found the right size for my needs. and it sounds like a fun project to keep me busy for a while. I was looking to use maple and cherry for the cutting surface, then wrap a black walnut trim around it. I have been looking online and can't find a good source for info on which woods would be a good fit. I'm pretty sure these are ok, just wondered what choices were out there so i can get the look I want.


----------



## Wart (Apr 19, 2008)

Try Googles archives (?) of the rec.woodworking newsgroup.

THIS LINK will take you to a quoted search for cutting board.


----------



## buzzard767 (Apr 19, 2008)

ja2066 said:


> I am looking to make a end grain style cutting board I haven't found the right size for my needs. and it sounds like a fun project to keep me busy for a while. I was looking to use maple and cherry for the cutting surface, then wrap a black walnut trim around it. I have been looking online and can't find a good source for info on which woods would be a good fit. I'm pretty sure these are ok, just wondered what choices were out there so i can get the look I want.


 
The combination of the three very different woods should be both striking and beautiful. 

Contact David Smith here. He'll be able to answer any questions you have.

Good luck - sounds like a fun project.

Buzz


----------



## mcnerd (Apr 21, 2008)

In years past I knew people that made cutting boards from a horizontal slice of a tree trunk.  Edging was the original bark.  I still have one inherited from my grandparents.  A couple small rubber feet on the bottom protected the counter top and make it easier to grab.


----------



## Jeekinz (Apr 21, 2008)

The three woods you mentioned work fine.  Most tight grain hardwoods will work.  Read up on grain direction for a stable work surface.


----------



## CharlieD (Apr 22, 2008)

I asked the same question a while ago, and in the end I figure out that it was not worthe my time. By the time I would buy material and special glue, whuich you have to make sure to get food proof glue, it was going to be too much money. How ever if you need special size it might be the right project for you. Just make sure to get the right glue. Wood, you can choose any hard woods, and spend as much money as you can afford. The stronger tha better.


----------



## Wart (Apr 23, 2008)

Far as the glue, Titebond II is "FDA approved for indirect food contact (cutting boards)" (ref: The back of the Titebond bottle).  I think I paid $4.50 for a quart, may have been more, it's one of those things that if I forgot to take it with me and I'm 10 miles from home but 5 miles from Lowes I just go get another bottle.

OTOH, with a glue with as short of set time as Titebond your into some serious 'speed layup'.

The cost of the glue is inconsequential when compared to the cost of the wood.

And cutting boards are one of those things which require woodworking equipment. {details and opinions on which equipment omitted}

An idea I've been toying with is to acquire several edge grain cutting boards, cross cutting them into  wide strips and gluing those strips together in an end grain configuration. Problem is getting edge grain cutting boards at a good price.


----------



## DrThunder88 (May 2, 2008)

Video: This guy is pretty funny.


----------



## buzzard767 (May 2, 2008)

DrThunder88 said:


> Video: This guy is pretty funny.


 
Whoa! Good stuff! Now I know why a good end grain board costs so much. Thanks for posting that link.


----------



## DrThunder88 (May 2, 2008)

From that video, it doesn't look like it's that hard to do.

Of course, when they go to put words on my tombstone, they will be, "It doesn't look like it's that hard to do."


----------



## buzzard767 (May 2, 2008)

DrThunder88 said:


> From that video, it doesn't look like it's that hard to do.
> 
> Of course, when they go to put words on my tombstone, they will be, "It doesn't look like it's that hard to do."


 
What I meant was that I didn't realize how many steps are involved. The process is more time consuming than I had previously thought.  

One college summer I worked for a Wisconsin millworking company glueing 1" x  1" x whatever making 3' x 7' slabs for solid core doors. Once the glue dried the slabs were went to huge milling machines and were then cut to correct length and width. Total time was almost nothing except for waiting for the glue to dry. The best part of the job was having my nose over the glue pot all day long....


----------



## CharlieD (May 2, 2008)

Well you don't have to do all the cutting like he did; it could be simple, same size boards. I would recommend that for the first time anyway. What he did was a professional job. One thing I did not like was the finger grip idea. By doing what he did you basically loosing one side of the board. I would recommend making grove in the edge of the board. Then both sides are totally equal. Also I would recommend making the board thicker; of course it would be more expensive.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 2, 2008)

Another idea would be to use his already suggested technique of purchasing different types of cutting boards, cutting them to the appropriate sizes, and gluing them together in designed patterns.  The cutting boards at places like WalMart aren't very expensive, but come in a suprizing variety such as hard rock maple end cut, bamboo, and oak.  By mixing the three different woods, you could come up with a visually striking, and highly useful end product.  Also, by using ready made boards as the basic building material, you could change the thickness of the end product by simply laminating another board on top of the first board.  I believe this sould also inhibit warping by creating a laminate joint on the horizontal plane relative to the board., or, better yet, glue and end grain board to a horizontal board to give it structural integrity in two planes.  Of course, the end-grain board woult have to be on top.

Just an idea.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## buzzard767 (May 2, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> Well you don't have to do all the cutting like he did; it could be simple, same size boards. I would recommend that for the first time anyway. What he did was a professional job. One thing I did not like was the finger grip idea. By doing what he did you basically loosing one side of the board. I would recommend making grove in the edge of the board. Then both sides are totally equal. Also I would recommend making the board thicker; of course it would be more expensive.


 
Good ideas for sure. My wife uses this end grain walnut board but instead of letting the board rest on the counter top it has feet to help prevent moisture accumulation.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 2, 2008)

Goodweed of the North said:


> The cutting boards at places like WalMart aren't very expensive, but come in a suprizing variety such as hard rock maple end cut, bamboo, *and oak*.


 
Oak is a hardwood, but it is open grain.  Lots of little places for bacteria to hide.

If you don't have the appropriate tools, your local mill will cut the pieces for you.  You can turn square stock into blocks on a miter saw, glue up your design, then bring the board to a cabinet shop or equivalent and have the run it through their belt sander.

Use slow setting glue.  You can get some more ideas and instructions looking for game board plans (like checkers/chess)


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 2, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Oak is a hardwood, but it is open grain.  Lots of little places for bacteria to hide.
> 
> If you don't have the appropriate tools, your local mill will cut the pieces for you. You can turn square stock into blocks on a miter saw, glue up your design, then bring the board to a cabinet shop or equivalent and have the run it through their belt sander.
> 
> Use slow setting glue.  You can get some more ideas and instructions looking for game board plans (like checkers/chess)



Ahh.  Thanks for the oak info.  My dad had a cutting board made from a solid oak slab that he used for years.  I inherited it when he passed on.  I have it attached to a card table to give me something to connect my fly-tying vises and other tools to.  I also have a hard rock maple butcher's block table in my kitchen and various wooden cutting boards.  I do like the sound and thought of bamboo cutting boards.  I checked out some at a local store and they look and feel great.  One day, I'm gonna have to get one.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## The BoardSMITH (May 4, 2008)

I am a new member, just joined today 5/4/08. 

There is a ton of advice about how to make a good cutting board. The vast majority is awful advice that has little if any basis in fact or reality. Hard maple is the best material for a board, glass and stone are the worst materials. Plastic is little better and bamboo is, no matter how you package it, still grass. Very hard, made with tons of resins and other things and finished with who knows what type of finish that may or may not be food safe. The general rule of thumb is to use a wood from a tree that has an edible nut. The major exception is oak, far to porous. And a lot of the exotic woods are highly toxic. If the bugs won't eat it, stay away from it. Locust wood is a prime example of a domestic wood to avoid. I have heard of a little locust killing a mule.

Another consideration is the machinery used. You can't make a quality board with homeowner type tools, to flimsy and inaccurate. I have been making blocks and boards for 16 years and would welcome any questions that anyone may have.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 4, 2008)

The BoardSMITH said:


> Another consideration is the machinery used. You can't make a quality board with homeowner type tools, to flimsy and inaccurate. I have been making blocks and boards for 16 years and would welcome any questions that anyone may have.


 
Just elaborate a little on the machinery/tools please.  If someone, like the original poster, wanted to construct their own personal board, what would you recommend for them?


----------



## The BoardSMITH (May 4, 2008)

The first challenge is to size the stock. This takes a good table saw and a better jointer. Flattening the stock on a jointer is critical as everything else depends on that flat surface. Sharp blades and square fences will make the final result better. 

Glue is another critical area. Yellow carpenters glue and the type 2 glues aren't adequate. Polyurethane glue is waterproof but not food grade. And it stains the wood.  A type 3 cross-linked polymer glue that is rated food safe is the best choice.

To try to put an end grain block through a planer is a huge mistake. Very hard on the machine, the blades and the stock. The only way to flatten an end grain board is on a wide belt sander. The best and most economical way is to rent time on a commercial sander, more than worth the time and expense. I normally haul a load weekly to a commercial shop. The $50 per hours is a great investment that saves me hours of tedious sanding.

Sanding after the wide belt sander can be a chore. Light weight homeowner tools just can't do the work adequately. This is where the dollars invested in tools equals the work value received. (A $50 belt sander can't do the same work as a $250 belt sander and won't last as long.)

Last but not least is the choice for seasoning. Vegetable and olive oil are the choices for the unknowing and uninformed. They will go rancid. Either use nothing or use mineral oil.

Cutting boards are a good project for someone with a lot of time to experiment with. But for someone who is serious about the results, the labor involved may be a deterrent.

What tools to use - No suggestions other than to purchase the best you can afford and don't skimp on quality.


----------



## CharlieD (May 4, 2008)

Exactly my original point. That is why I gave up on that project.


----------



## buzzard767 (May 5, 2008)

The BoardSMITH said:


> I have been making blocks and boards for 16 years and would welcome any questions that anyone may have.


 
Hey David. Welcome a_board.  

Buzz


----------



## The BoardSMITH (May 5, 2008)

Hi Buzz,

I have heard about this forum, read it and decided to join.  I even put a link on my web site for this forum.  

BTW  Thanks for the wonderful photos you posted.  I enjoy seeing one of my "children" in their new home.

David


----------



## buzzard767 (May 5, 2008)

Glad you're here. It's an excellent forum and not so unidirectional as "in the kitchen". My wife LOVES your cutting board. What a show piece. I have been relegated to a Sani-Tuff because I have become the mad chopper man.


----------



## The BoardSMITH (May 5, 2008)

My customers seem to be everywhere and on many forums.  I suppose I couold sit back and do nothing but I enjoy the information and seeing what others say and think.  If I keep my eyes open I can learn a lot.  I'm still learning here and hope to be a regular reader in the future.

David


----------

