# My 1st cutting board



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

I saw a YouTube video of a guy making a very cool
cutting board. I decided to try it myself, here is my 1st attempt. I learned a LOT making this. I learned I need more glue, more wood, more time, more money and more patience, and I learned a little bit of woodworking along the way too! :smile:


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Very nice Jack. Looks good, cutting boards are so much fun to make , you will make another I guarantee. They also hone your woodworking skills and familiarity with the use of tools. Keep them coming we always like to see new ones. You did pick a difficult design to start out . And once you get it down pat you will be able to create your own designs and experiment with different wood grain patterns. You will have plenty of people lined up for your boards too. 
How do you flatten the tops after glue-up? 

Herb


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Herb, these are end grain, (just for the sake of saying so), I just got a Grizzly 20" planer, and though they recommend against it, I ran it through to see what would happen. You're looking at it!


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Jack Wilson said:


> Herb, these are end grain, (just for the sake of saying so), I just got a Grizzly 20" planer, and though they recommend against it, I ran it through to see what would happen. You're looking at it!


You are an adventurous soul, others have done it too and had similar results as you as long as they take minor cuts and don't get impatient.

I have always used my drum sander, with good results. I did have one kick back on me once and flew across the shop and broke.

Herb


----------



## jamminjack317 (Nov 10, 2012)

Outstanding board. You did an exceptional job. Have your eyes straightened out yet?

Very nice work indeed my friend. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## subtleaccents (Nov 5, 2011)

Don't forget that in butcher shops their chopping blocks are end grain. So it can't be all that bad to do.


----------



## Sarge1400 (Apr 13, 2015)

Holy crap that is amazing!!


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

JT, actually it's the preferred method for many reasons, I just wanted to point out that it was the end grain that was going through the planer.


----------



## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Wow. looks like I could stick my finger in to and between the dark brown zigzigs


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Whoa!!!!....
your cutting board is all show case...


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

I admire 3D cutting boards! They are just toooooooooo cool. Not only to build but just to look at. After the first dozen or so folks take a look at this one Jack, I have absolutely no doubt that you will be making more of em. You not only did the design justice, but the execution of the process looks fantastic! 

This ain't you momma's cutting board 

nicely done!!!


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Herb Stoops said:


> They also hone your woodworking skills and familiarity with the use of tools.
> 
> Herb



Absolutely agree!! A great exercise in accuracy............if you want it to be.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Jack:
That pattern is mesmerizing - cool look and great job


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Very nice where did you see this on Youtube? I'd like to make one myself.


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jack, I can see in the background that you are making more! How many steps (setups) does it take to make one?


----------



## Roy Drake (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm dizzy! That is great.


----------



## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

VERY well done! But what do you do for an encore? I've been watching videos and drawing diagrams. I have a design picked out, but first I have to finish my current project. It's currently stalled due to good weather and yard work. But you're an inspiration to get back at it!


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

jamminjack317 said:


> Outstanding board. You did an exceptional job. Have your eyes straightened out yet?
> 
> Very nice work indeed my friend. Thanks for sharing.


I occasionally go to a conference for doctors who work with head injury patients wher patients also show up. If those patients see something like this, they vomit on the spot! You don't wear a repetitive pattern shirt or tie at that meeting.

However, that doesn't change that this is downright spectacular.


----------



## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

Herb brought up a good point. Don't stand behind any piece of material in ANY woodworking machine. A piece of wood firing back from a saw, sander and etc will ruin your day. The work you show is top quality. Your attention to details shows.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Jack Wilson said:


> JT, actually it's the preferred method for many reasons, I just wanted to point out that it was the end grain that was going through the planer.


I totally disagree with that statement, planing end grain in a planer is not a good idea. and I have read of catastrophic incidents.

Herb


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Jack Wilson said:


> JT, actually it's the preferred method for many reasons, I just wanted to point out that it was the end grain that was going through the planer.


I totally disagree with that statement, planing end grain in a planer is not a good idea. and I have read of catastrophic incidents. I would like to hear the reasons for it being "preferred."


Herb


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

An end grain cutting board is the preferred method, as opposed to a long grain cutting board.


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Never said planing end grain is preferred.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Sorry, I misinterpreted what I read, have a bad habit of doing that.

Herb


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Sarge1400 said:


> Holy crap that is amazing!!


X2 . I only wish I seen pictures as it was being built . Looks very meticulous


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Jack, I can see in the background that you are making more! How many steps (setups) does it take to make one?


Good eye! But actually those are cutoffs that were below my threshold of acceptability. However, I did purchase enough black walnut to make a total of 4. I plan to make at least 3 more, if they get easier as I go along I'll make more than that. It depends on how well I learn as I progress. Generally I'm a quick study, but not always. 

How many setups? Well, at least 6 different glue ups, if I'm counting/remembering right. Maybe more, but not many. A lot of ripping and planing, a LOT! I have an unbelievably expensive pile of sawdust and wood chips! :frown::crying:


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Jack and Herb;
more on the end grain planing question, please.
Would that be in reference to a single piece of wood, or would that apply equally to a piece like the cutting board (maybe 12" x 12")...even taking 1/32" or less off at a pass?
Glad you guys brought this up; first time I've seen it mentioned...read 'I did not know this.'


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Jack Wilson said:


> An end grain cutting board is the preferred method, as opposed to a long grain cutting board.





Jack Wilson said:


> Never said planing end grain is preferred.





DaninVan said:


> Jack and Herb;
> more on the end grain planing question, please.
> Would that be in reference to a single piece of wood, or would that apply equally to a piece like the cutting board (maybe 12" x 12")...even taking 1/32" or less off at a pass?
> Glad you guys brought this up; first time I've seen it mentioned...read 'I did not know this.'


Dan, I have read of cases of boards shattering in the planer and raising heck. I know I have had knots come loose either totally or partially in a planer and it is scary.
On the other side I have read that a lot of guys do use the planer to surface cutting boards with good results. But they take very small cuts and a lot of them, not getting ambitious and "hogging " off material. The materials used in the typical cutting boards vary in density and hardness and some are as hard as a knot.
Now Jack has a very good planer,being a 20" machine with a lot of mass to the cutter head and machine itself and I would guess he is an experienced operator to even have a machine like that. But most of the "hobbiest wood workers with these lunch box machines ,that are light duty machines planing end grain are asking for trouble in my opinion. I had a Dewalt 735 at the time I had some knots go airborne. But All my cutting boards were surfaced on my drum sander. If I didn't have a drum sander, I would use my belt sander.
The one board I had kick back out of the drum sander was a finished board that I was refinishing and sanding all the old finish off and the bottom side did not adhere to the feed belt as it was too smooth and the drum grabbed it and shot it out the back and it shattered on the concrete floor. 

Herb


----------



## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

My guess is that running an end grain cutting board through the planer is not so terribly dangerous because the small blocks randomize the prospective failure planes and make it less likely to split a block. Each is supported and strengthened by its neighbors. On the other hand, running an end cut from a single block is likely to be disastrous because it could easily split along any weak line. Once split, the smaller pieces could get caught by the blade and spit out or jam the cutterhead.


----------



## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Herb, I still feel you're taking that quote out of context. I was replying to a statement that "they use end grain cutting boards in butcher shops, so they can't be all that bad" (something to that effect). I do not encourage people to use unsafe shop practices. However, that said, I recognize that people do, and that I do. I won't attempt to list the number of "hazardous" methods I use, but what may be deemed unsafe to one Craftsman may be perfectly acceptable to another. Everything has to go through each individuals screen of cost/quality/time/tools availability/risk. I push my limits sometimes, and occasionally think, "man, I'll never do that again". Other times it encourages me, (right or wrong, good or bad), to continue down this dark path.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Jack, I wasn't criticizing you or you methods. I was just explaining to Dan what I had read and believed as to planing end grain in a planer. Especially the small benchtop planers most folks use including myself now. 

When a cutting board is glued up it is uneven on the top and bottom. The pressure of the rollers and the cutter head down against the board could break a weak glue joint,especially near the edge of the board where less clamping pressure is applied on the glue-up .

That and the rotation of the cutter head way from the board as it reaches the final edge of the board puts a tension on the glue joint to fail.
There is no wood grain to hold only the glue.
Another problem might be tearout along the final edge ,unless a backer board is used. That is only supposition as I have never done it. 

I apologise to you, and realize that everyone has their own way of accomplishing the same thing. You nor anyone else would do anything to harm themselves intentionally. It is just that I thought it was standard procedure to not plane end grain in a planer.

Herb


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sorry guys for screwing up...

I didn't mean to run closed cell cutting boards through my planer at dressing increments......
even though I used carrier runners w/ lead and finial sacrificial material double stick taped to the cutting board which was fed through the planer as near diagonally as possible... 

I promise to do it again as often as required...

but this brings up a question or two...

the glue up...
how is the end grain board glue up any different than a panel glue up???
wouldn't it still be edge/face grain gluing???

w/o knowing the operator/equipment/method/feed rate/depth of cut/etc...

kick back...
wouldn't that fall back to operator error???
as in excessive depth of cut on an unstable/rocking/yet to be flattened board???

broken/shattered in machine boards...
Wouldn't the operator be at fault here too???
as in poor glue up and excessive depth of cut on an unstable/rocking/yet to be flattened board???


----------

