I am going to make some end grain cutting boards for Xmas using the "Wood Whisperer" method. I plan on using a combination of soft maple and cherry (this will be aesthetically pleasing according to some). I am asking for comments from those that have made cutting boards through the years so that, perhaps, I can avoid mistakes. I would appreciate any advise from the more experienced than I am.
I've made a few of these. The videos cover most of the important steps. My $0.02
- Be picky in selecting stock. Knots can be very problematic, since a knot on a cutting surface will eventually turn into a hole. I've found this to be primarily a problem with walnut.
- Leave the lumber slightly thicker initially, so that you can plane the board flat after glueup #1. You want the surface to be dead flat.
- Use a crosscut sled with a stop block for the second cutting. Less burning and more consistent thickness
- When doing the second round of cuts, I like to first take off a thin strip (1/8") or so from the leading edge before cutting the actual strips. If anything is off slightly from square, everything will be off the same amount that way and the result will be flat.
- Cleaning up glue is bad. Glue voids are worse. Don't be skimpy with the glue.
- Use a glue roller to apply things evenly. If you don't have one, look at a houseware store, get a narrow roller (3"-4" wide) with a silicone finish, those work great.
- Sanding end grain is about as interesting as watching tung oil cure. Get a friend with a drum- or wide belt sander. When switching to the ROS, start with 60 or 80 grit
- Complete sanding up to 150 or 180 grit before routing.
- Make a template to route the handles. If you make two or more boards, that investment will pay for itself. A template with a guide bushing is much quicker than using an edge guide and stop blocks
- Use good, sharp router bits
- I've tried salad bowl finish, butcher block oil, mineral oil, and mineral oil + paraffin wax. Mineral oil is cheapest, leaves no smell, and seems to work really well. The paraffin wax helps slightly with sealing the wood but it has to be melted and is much harder to apply. I don't think it's worth it.
But, all in all, they're fairly easy to make, and they make great presents.