A lot of people have shared really beautiful cutting boards that they have built. Many look more like pieces of fine furniture that should be displayed as a wall hanging or a coffee table item. I cringe at the thought of someone taking a knife to them! I want to share a cutting board design that is sufficiently plain that you won't mind attacking it with a knife. I got the design from a friend around 1968 so it has been around a long time. I presently have three of them in the kitchen and it is common to use two of them when preparing a nice meal. The sketch below gives typical dimensions that can be easily modified to suit your needs; the stock thickness can be in the range 1/2"-3/4". The three piece glue up evolved from the desire to make use of scraps and also minimize machine operations. The photo of a cutting board with curved joinery was the most elaborate one I have built; the two woods are cherry and maple. Curved joinery with a router is a topic for another thread. I have lost track of how many I have made and given to friends and family.
Or polyurethane. I’ve been laying a bead on and then spreading it with a plastic paddle from Lee Valley and using the paddle to scape off the excess and transfer it to the next piece. Very little squeeze out that way and the p u glue goes on thinner so I think cost is similar.
Thanks for posting that design. It is quite utilitarian, I like the long grain cutting boards, and they are easier to make, I use Titebond II and never had a failure. The end grain boards are more for chopping,and the long grain ones are good for slicing. I have made several to span a single or double sink and have a hole in them for catching the scraps in a container in the sink.
When you make the dark/light boards do you make a dark one and a light one and lay one on top of the other to do the curved cut? Then swap pieces to get 2 dark / light colored ones, only opposites?
HErb
Herb: The technique I learned does not make light and dark boards, band saw them and then switch parts. That approach might have the potential for minimizing waste. Instead, I made a template from 1/4" melamine or MDF that has the curved edge. This same template and a flush trim bit is used for cutting the curved (mating) edge of the light and dark woods. Hence you can get a (near) perfectly matched joint between the light and dark woods. At some point I will put together a document that goes into the details.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Router Forums
747K posts
128.1K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to router and woodworking professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about different types of routing and routers, shop safety, finishing, woodworking related topics, styles, tools, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!