It seems that at one time or another, all woodworkers try their hands at making an end-grain cutting board. It's easy to understand why: cutting boards are useful, durable, allow you to really get creative on the design, and are simple to build.
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| Built by Mike D. (RetiredCoastie) on LumberJocks.com |
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| Built by Jeff (jonasramus) on LumberJocks.com |
Wood cutting boards, on the other hand, will last nearly forever. The end grain of wood is very forgiving on knives and is actually more sanitary to use. The wood tends to heal itself. And if, after a lot of use, it starts to look really ragged and scratched, you can renew it just by resanding the surface.
I wasn't sure what more I had to offer in the way of a video, though. There are lots of cutting board videos. If you decide to make one, you definitely want to check out The Wood Whisperer's video. He really takes you through every last detail and consideration.
Cutting Board Designer
Last month, Jeremy Greiner sent me a copy of a program he developed called Cutting Board Designer. After playing around with it for a while, I discovered how handy it is. It lets you lay out some complex patterns and get a good indication what your board will look like before you cut any wood. Check it out!
My first cutting board:
HI STEVE NEVER MADE A CUTTING BOARD ANY ADVICE
ReplyDeleteHey Steve!
ReplyDeleteLast year I was building cutting boards. When it came time to finish I didn't know what to use. The stuff I used is made by General Finishes and it's called "salad bowl finish." You should really try it out! It costs about $16 and is quite durable. The best part is that you don't have to re-apply every couple months like mineral oil and it is entirely food safe.
Thanks for the video,
Alan Duke
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000752/9151/General-Finishes-Salad-Bowl-Finish-Quart.aspx
Using a tripod? Its like I dont know you anymore. (-: Great production values though, good work!
ReplyDeleteHaha...well, this is all an evolution.
ReplyDeleteSteve:
ReplyDeleteI am interested in the sofware by Jeremy Greiner, but there is no way of getting an email to him, at least that I was able to locate on his website.
I will be obtaining an apple computer in the near future and want to know if this program will work on that unit.
Hi Steve, does it work on a Mac?
ReplyDeleteVery Cool. Have you thought about using a cove bit in the router to make a recessed handle to make it easier to lug that around the kitchen? I really like that pattern!
ReplyDeleteHi guys, Jeremy is considering a Mac version if there is enough interest...as there seems to be. I'll keep you posted.
ReplyDeletecool....
ReplyDeleteSteve to solve the alignment issue you had, I clamped a pair of cauls along the ends of the boards, similar to the ones you added across the top and bottom to keep them flat. In this way, the final glue-up is clamped in 3-d (no glasses required). Also, you shouldn't really need to sand them after the initial glue up and planing (unless your planer needs new blades?) - in fact I'd say it would risk you getting an uneven surface which would leads to gaps in the glue-up making the glue lines visible.
ReplyDeleteI made a dozen boards two Christmas's ago, and learned a lot from the first couple I did. The first ones have so much glue squeezed out across the face (flat and smooth under the taped cauls) that I couldn't mentally handle sanding them - they're still waiting to be finished one day. Helps to get the right amount of glue figured out, and/or own a drum sander.
Hi Steve, want to know how much cherry and walnut cost?
ReplyDeleteWe want a Mac version, We want a Mac version, We want a Mac version (a little cheering never hurts LOL)
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteGreat Video, have you ever used this software? I saw it on lumberjocks and its a freebie. It doesn't print the detailed instructions, but it lays out all measurements for you based on what you enter for dimensions. My students use it for that basic cutting board that looks exactly the one you made. Its a great tool!
http://www.lastalias.com/cbdesigner/