Need advice on making cutting board

[Pez]

I want to make a cutting board for a friend that is getting married. I would like to make a checkedboard pattern using two or three types of wood (cherry, maple, and possibly one more) and could use some help. I am rather new to woodworking so I am having a hard time figuring out just how to go about it.

For starters I should ripcut strips of the wood and then glue cherry, maple, cherry, maple, etc (assuming using just two types of wood). Because I want a checkboard pattern I imagine I would have to start with one type of wood and then end with the other. Once the glue up is dry would then I crosscut strips to a desired thickness and then flip these strips 90 degrees to get a an end grain on top and glue up again? Hopefully you can follow that.

All the plans I have found on the internet so far are just for different stips in the cutting board and not a checkerboard pattern. Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

[mspaugh24]

This is not really my expertise, but if you only want the pattern on one side,you can do an inlay. I don't have experience with inlays, but i'm sure some guys here do. I have a cutting board made from Barzilian hardwoods. My dad made them for Christmas last year,and it's holding up very nicely.:D
I could post a pic if you are interested.
Hmm..just had a thought. LOL If you do it like my dad did, you can put little feet on the bottom,so it stores nicely,and doesn't touch the countertop. This would help with an inlay on one side of the board.

[jbergstrom]

Pez this link may help ->

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=89

To make it "checker board" just make sure all your strips are the same width...
That way when you flip every other one the squares will line up ;)

[Pez]

mspaugh24:

I dont know much about inlays but I would like the pattern throughout. The feet are a good and plan to do that. A friend of mine had a cutting board I really liked and am trying to duplicate it.

jbergstrom:

Thanks for the link, excatly what I was looking for. I may have come across that at work but was blocked (fairly strict net policies).

Thanks!

[mspaugh24]

Man that is a nice cutting board! :)

[BHD]

If you have access to a planer it will make the job much easier,

I would glue strips up and then plane them flat, then saw them across the strips, to the thickness you want your board to be, and then stagger and re glue, them up and then trim them square and sand it smooth,

IF you need some way to keep ever thing flat use some wax paper to set it on then you can keep it flat on another flat surface while your gluing it up,
finish it with mineral oil.

basically follow this plan,
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Build/ButchBlock
but after making the first board cut it across the strips, and glue it up again, staggering the blocks so there checker board or at least staggered.

use a water resistant glue, that is food safe,

[Pez]

[quote=BHD;106378]If you have access to a planer it will make the job much easier [quote]

Going to get one this weekend, just need to decide which. Thinking about the ridgid 1300, delta, or craftsman.

[jbergstrom]

[quote=BHD;106378]If you have access to a planer it will make the job much easier [quote]

Going to get one this weekend, just need to decide which. Thinking about the ridgid 1300, delta, or craftsman.I would seriously consider the Dewalt 735 (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuideProduct.aspx?id=5712) 13" 3 knife cutter head planer...

[Pez]

I would like the Dewalt but its a little more than I want to spend. The ridgid 1300 is the right price and have read good things about it. I am not going to be using the planer a whole lot otherwise I would definately get the Dewalt. But I can be easily swayed to give more thought to the dewalt

[Wood_Junkie]

I would like the Dewalt but its a little more than I want to spend. The ridgid 1300 is the right price and have read good things about it. I am not going to be using the planer a whole lot otherwise I would definately get the Dewalt. But I can be easily swayed to give more thought to the dewalt

I had the same dilemma when I purchased a planer about 18 months ago.
I wound up getting the Ridgid, based on the following:
- Extra blades
- Included stand
- In & Out feed trays are integral
The DeWalt has none of the above. Figure adding about $150 on top of the purchase to get blades, a stand, and the in & outfeed tables (which I've read are really a necessity). And the Ridgid costs less than the DeWalt, to boot!

Reviews and quality of cut for the Ridgid were excllent and I've been very happy with it.

Now, the new Ridgid model planer has features more in-line with the DeWalt: 3 blade cutterhead and four-post support for the cutterhead mechanism. There aren't enough reviews to allay my anxiety over a new-to-market machine. So you have a choice: find a TP1300, which is a tried and true machine, or get the newer 1303(?) and perhaps its just as good if not better.

Good luck shopping!

With regards to your cutting board, here's another alternative approach: http://woodstore.net/encubo.html
These really are easy to make once you have a planer. And making two is only slightly more work than making one.

Oh, one last thing. Unless you have a sizeable shop, the planer is a great tool to have on wheels (e.g. it doesn't suffer from any slight instability). Rockler has mobile bases on sale VERY cheap for the next two days. Check out their Santa deals. Woodcraft also has or had their mobile base kits on sale.

[BHD]

on the wood magazine unit they jsut alternated the re glue of the strips, put one one direction and then the next strip the other way, thus the pattern, no off setting of the re glue to get the checker boarding look,

[Pez]

wood junkie - i was in HD today and all they had was one 1300. I decided to get it as I dont think the 4330 comes with a stand. And I was to late about the mobile bases, just bought a Herc-U-Lift on ebay (and paid to much) and then went to rockler and noticed the sale.

Why did ridgid discontinue the herc-u-lift? Every place I contacted today said they could easily sell 10-15 a week. Maybe they are coming out with an updated version.

[Wood_Junkie]

wood junkie - i was in HD today and all they had was one 1300. I decided to get it as I dont think the 4330 comes with a stand. And I was to late about the mobile bases, just bought a Herc-U-Lift on ebay (and paid to much) and then went to rockler and noticed the sale.

Why did ridgid discontinue the herc-u-lift? Every place I contacted today said they could easily sell 10-15 a week. Maybe they are coming out with an updated version.

Ah! Nice purchase, though. The Herc-U-Lift really is a great system. Nothing projects outside the legs of the stand. Congrats on your planer! It's a fine machine, IMHO. :cool:

[FSK]

Pez this link may help ->

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=89

To make it "checker board" just make sure all your strips are the same width...
That way when you flip every other one the squares will line up ;)

That's nice. He mentions that the types of wood to use are non-oily and not open grained. What common woods make not so good cutting board material? I'm guessing stay away from mahogany, walnut, and oak. Is that corrrect?

FSK

[BHD]

black walnut is used often, to get a nice contrast with maple.
maple, cherry, birch, walnut are the normal woods I am aware of that are used,

I have never seen oak or mahonagy used,

[Wood_Junkie]

black walnut is used often, to get a nice contrast with maple.
maple, cherry, birch, walnut are the normal woods I am aware of that are used,

I have never seen oak or mahonagy used,

BHD has the right of it with the woods he named. You probably could also use white oak, but rock maple would be a better choice for a "blonde" color.

I made some of those cutting boards shown in WOOD as gifts and used maple, walnut and Brazilian cherry (that stuff is HARD). This last is slightly open grained and normal cherry might be a better choice, but it turned out great nonetheless.

[jbergstrom]

Tight grained woods are better then open grained woods ie: maple is better than oak etc. You also do not want any woods that could impart tastes or odours to food in any way. Some open grained woods could harbour bacteria etc. and are harder to keep clean (oak, ash, mahogany etc.). End grain is better than flat grain.

Maple is probably king of butcher blocks and cutting boards. Walnut is used often as an accent colour like BHD says but you have to be careful with walnut as some people are allergic to it or its oils.

Mineral oil and bees wax for seasoning and vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or bleach for disinfecting.

[Pez]

Thanks to everyone for providing a lot of good info. Once I finish the board I will post some pics.

[athuswal]

There is an excellent article in Wood magazine showing you how to make an end grain cutting board from walnut, cherry, and maple. I believe Oct 2006 is the issue. See also this link:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/800