Bigger hardwood furniture jobs always produce scrap wood that I can not bring myself to deliver into the kindling box. I have a little shop, however, so I can not afford to have prized space consumed by little pieces of scrap. So I am often making cutting boards as a means to turn little, mismatched bits into a tasteful kitchen accessory. The best thing about creating a cutting board is the fact that it’s a relatively straightforward and fast project, great for entry woodworkers — especially people with leftover bits from other jobs.
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A few of the tools needed for creating a cutting board are not common household equipment, which makes this a more complex project, but it’s perfect for aspiring woodworkers.
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Materials:
• 3 bar presses
• Belt sander
• Vibrating and/or orbital sander
• Table saw
• Sled or round saw
• Wood adhesive
• Food-safe finishing oil
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1. Pick and put out your timber scraps. I dedicate a hardwood box particularly for cutting board pieces, so when I have a moment to build one, I am not scrounging around for bits. That doesn’t mean you have to get a lot of scraps lying around, however — you can purchase a few feet of preferred lumber and mill it to size. Boards can be made from a number of hardwoods. The decision is yours and so is the arrangement. Symmetrical, asymmetrical or poetic chaos? You choose.
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2. Cut your timber to size. Once the arrangement is completed, it’s time to mill the bits to uniform size. I allow the timber I have on hand decide how big the board instead of choosing specific dimensions.
Scope outside the thinnest piece (heightwise) and run the remaining pieces throughout the table saw in that size so that every bit is the identical thickness. Apply the identical process for length.
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3. Glue everything together. Next comes the gluing. Since cutting boards are vulnerable to moisture, using a waterproof wood glue such as Titebond III is the best option. Going piece by bit, run a bead of adhesive down the bit and spread it evenly with your finger or a brush to ensure a maximum bond.
Often I’ll glue the cutting board in two halves, then glue the two halves together after. This optional process is more manageable due to the short working period of wood adhesive. Ten bits is a lot less of a headache to glue and organize than 20 bits whenever you have a five-minute time period.
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4. Apply pressure. For this project (and many involving adhesive, for that matter) I utilize bar clamps, because they offer the strongest quantity of pressure and they are easy to work with. It’s best to use stickers, which are bits that are put between the clamp mind as well as also the work piece that prevent pressure marks from the clamps.
With the bits glued, organize them in order into the clamp and start tightening the clamps. To block your board from bowing, substitute the straps between top and bottom. Standard boards need only three knobs, as depicted in the photo.
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5. Sand your board smooth. Everybody’s favorite part of a project is sanding, of course, which is great because cutting boards need lots of sanding. Starting with a belt sander as well as using 80-grit paper, sand both sides smooth. Pay particular attention to even sanding — it’s easy to remove too far on the edges with a belt sander, and you’ll get a wobbly board.
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6. Square away your endings on the table saw. Now you have got a fine, flat board, but it’s got a few rough ends which have to be booted up on the table saw. Remember to keep those fingers clear of the saw. Sleds are notorious accident causers due to fingers being put behind the apparently secure sled fence, only to find themselves at the blade’s path. Employing a sled, square one finish. After one end is square, you can use the saw fence for another side and cut into your preferred length. The board in this DIY is 8 by 12 inches.
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7. Add your end caps (optional). The next step is optional but recommended. End caps are bits connected to the end grain of the cutting board. End grain is more vulnerable to moisture and can result in splitting and cracking. End caps help alleviate this issue by sealing the end grain. (The ending caps in these pictures have a natural, or live, border per petition and are not recommended for ease of clamping.)
Mill your caps somewhat thicker than your board so you can sand them flush with the top and bottom of the board after gluing. To maintain your board square, you want to leave both end caps a hair shorter than the board’s width (as shown in this photograph ) and clamp them short of both sides when attaching. After trimming them flush, cut both sides of the outer board flush with the end caps using the table saw.
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8. Do one last round of fine sanding. Moving into the home stretch, use an orbital sander with around a 220 grit to finely sand the board. In case you have a router, you can route the border with the bit of your own choice, or you can hand sand the edges.
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9. Apply a food-safe finish for shine and protection. As soon as you’ve done enough sanding (do not forget those edges!) The actual payoff occurs. Apply a liberal number of food-safe finish such as mineral oil, wiping it on evenly using a rag, a brush or your hands. Stop and admire the color and grain of the timber published by the oil. Let the oil penetrate for 15 to 30 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Repeat the process two to four occasions to get a stronger finish.
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10. Enjoy! The next step is cooking, and that’s from my jurisdiction.