I bet most of us have, and will again make a cutting board. I made this one about 6-7 years ago, it gets regular use. Still as flat as the day it was made. All end grain. I use both sides of this board. I have made others, end and edge grain. And I have questions.
I'm gearing up to make a thick endgrain board. I want to cut an 8" bowl into 1 side, so I'm thinking 3" thick, with a 1 & 1/2" deep bowl. I'm worried the bowl might weaken it , that's why 3" thick. Would 2" thick with a 1" bowl be better?
Here's my stock. Hard maple and walnut. Maple is 2" thick, walnut 1 and 1/4". Longest board is 62" and it has defects to work around.
I want a big board, 18" x 18" x 3" would be great if possible. I don't want to plane the maple down to the thickness of the walnut. My plan is to cut the maple into strips the same size all around. Glue it up, cut it up and make a square end grain board. Then cut the walnut into strips to make end grain strips the same thickness as the maple square. These will be glued onto the perimeter of the walnut. This will be long grain to long grain.
When I get a maple square with walnut perimeter board I'll mount it on the lathe to cut the bowl. At least I have that all worked out.
I'm worried about the perimeter. I think this will work because it's a long grain walnut to long grain maple. 2 opposite sides will be longer and the other 2 will fit into these on the ends. That will be 1 glueup for all 4 sides onto the maple.
Is this making sense? I admit there's a lot I have to learn about cutting boards.
Would edge grain be better? I can't figure how to glue a perimeter onto an edge grain board, 2 ends will be long grain to end grain. I don't think that will work. Without the perimeter, the edge grain would be the easy way, with all long grain to long grain joints.
I have time on my side, this is for next Christmas.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on cutting board construction. I'd like this to be 1 stop shopping for cutting board help.
I'm probly going to let you down but, I swear I won't keep you down. John Hiatt
Hello. My name is Ryan, and I’ve never made a cutting board. Hi Ryan.
I don’t know why I haven’t made a cutting board. Something about seeing so many of them made and already having three in the kitchen. Although one of them is cracking our and I’ve already repaired it twice so maybe I do need to make one….?
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
Last time I made a cutting board was in High School, a flat piece of Oak.
You have your work cut out for this one, and it's going to be heavy. The bowl sounds interesting.
What about using miters on the corners for that perimeter, you will get the long grain to long grain (if I am understanding correctly). Then for the bowl part, would it not be better to use a router and have a flat bottom. I have always had a difficult time turning end grain. As for the thickness, if you don't go past the center point it should be fine. That's my thoughts.
Just thinking ‘bout it, for simplicity, I’d probably built it solid, the use forstner bits to cut out the center of the bowl, then gouges to shape the sides.
What I’d actually do is cut concentric rings out with z-axis steps using the Shaper Origin, then use gouges to smooth it all together…but I know that requires a specific tool…so forstner bits work for the bulk of it!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I've only forced myself into glueup for 1 cutting board in my life. It was made before I moved to downtown Churchill over 13 years ago. It was just a plain straight grain 19mm x 52mm pine... Its only accoutrement was a box to house it under when not in use, and a pull hole to fish it out. I recently started to prop it up on bench cookies, no more slipsies and since then I've never had to engage its reverse gear to park it under the box,
It might be time to either wash it, flip it or give it a back rub with my drum sander.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Hmmm. That picture in the OP looks kinda familiar for some reason...
I've only made a handful of cutting boards so I can't offer a lot of experience-based advice. I will say that the nice thing about making endgrain boards is that you always have long grain glue joints.
I got lost somewhere in the middle of your description somewhere about here:
Then cut the walnut into strips to make end grain strips the same thickness as the maple square. These will be glued onto the perimeter of the walnut. This will be long grain to long grain.
Could you add a sketch.
I don't think it would make any difference if the thickness was 3" with a 2" bowl or 2" with a 1" bowl.
