# Big Cutting Board Question



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I have been asked to quote a big cutting board for a local BBQ cooking team.

Dimensions are ..."about 2 1/2' x 3 1/2 - 4 feet"...big enough to lay out two briskets at a time.

Here's my current situation. My drum sander is currently out of service. A spring broke and I haven't been able to figure out how to get into the machine to replace the spring with a new one I have. It holds tension on the sanding roll.

Clamps? You betcha. I got that covered by at least twice what would be needed.

Work area. Yes, no problem there.

My question is *How would you go about building such a large piece so it would turn out flat?*

I am thinking about making three separate glue ups. I can then run them through my DeWalt planer until they are almost at their final thickness of 1 1/4 inch.

Note: The individual pieces will be walnut and hard maple. Probably 1 1/2 inch wide strips of maple and 1 inch strips of walnut. 

They pieces will be placed against each other and glued into panels. No end grain stuff here. Just simple rip and glue.

I will be buying the lumber in rough stock and mill it my self. Probably 6/4, and hopefully in widths less than 6 inches. My jointer is 6 incher.

Your thoughts appreciated. I know I can do it, just a little skeered!! :surprise::grin:

Something like the pictures, only considerably larger. The pics are from the four I built last year...flat on one side and a juice groove on the other.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I think your idea of 3 glue ups will work fine for you. Under your circumstances that is what I would do. With your talents and abilities you will do a great job.


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## Speyerer (Aug 21, 2009)

What about incorporating breadboard ends into your cutting board?
Breadboard ends


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Speyerer said:


> What about incorporating breadboard ends into your cutting board?
> Breadboard ends


*NO!* :surprise::grin:


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## Tonto1 (Nov 10, 2016)

Agree, I'd be afraid the meat juices would seep into the gap & set up microbial growth as well as discolor the wood.


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

You know what to do . . . just do it. It'll be fine.


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

This is like gluing up a top for a workbench. Doing it in manageable segments is the way to go but in my experience the final glued up piece may not be perfectly flat. I just finished a glue-up for a workbench (not my first) and I was very, very careful but in the end one side came out lower than it should. It was dead flat in the clamps but when the tension was released it changed. The solution was a lot of hard work hand planing and sanding. So all I am saying is be prepared for some final levelling. A router sled is an option instead of hand planing. And ,of course, hand planing requires an excellent plane and some experience. Is there a local mill with a large jointer and planer?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you need to flatten by any significant amount build a large sled and use your router.


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## RJT501Win (Apr 21, 2012)

Hi Mike
What about making smaller boards then fitting them in a frame or making a join to hold them together while being used.
A joint similar to floating floors use would keep them together while sitting flat.
My two bobs worth
Cheers
John T


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

UGH! I called the hardwood dealer where I buy my lumber and asked if their wide belt sander is working. It was broke the last time I asked. The guy said no, they are rewiring the building.

Well, how much? He said, Mike, I ain't going to lie to you, it's $75 set up fee and $3/minute. About the same as the cost of the wood. :surprise::frown::frown:

6/4 maple is $5/bd foot
6/4 Walnut is $9.75 bd foot

At least I have something to work with.
Here is my drawing. It uses 1" wide walnut and 2" wide maple, so that would help keep the cost down.

In fact, I may ask the guy if all maple would be OK. Cheaper still.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

rjtwin501 said:


> Hi Mike
> What about making smaller boards then fitting them in a frame or making a join to hold them together while being used.
> A joint similar to floating floors use would keep them together while sitting flat.
> My two bobs worth
> ...


Thanks John. But I can see the board getting a lot of use, and abuse. Once I finish it, I would hope to never see it again, unless I get an invite to their cook off event. :grin:


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

My local cabinet shop that gives me their Cherry and Maple scraps that I turn into cutting boards has a 48" wide belt sander and while they don't do a lot of outsourcing of their sander it's about $25 flat to do something like that. No setup fee or charge by the minute. Are there other shop you can check with to see if they have a more reasonable rate? If you used a belt sander to level all the high spots so that the wide belt sander only has to take a few passes it would help, more than likely.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

@MT Stringer - Mike - I made 9 end grain cutting boards at Christmas - Cherry and Walnut. They were ~12" by 17" so no where near what your looking at. My first time and I was pleased. I was dealing with end grain and don't have a drum sander, so had to use a belt sander followed by ROS.

You're OK to do partial glue ups at the appropriate width to accommodate your equipment followed by running through the planer, because you're not dealing with end grain.

With your talents there is nothing to fear - dive in and post pictures - we're sure it's going to turn out great.


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Mike I have encountered the same problem. I have the same planer as you so have the same limitations. I break it down into manageable pieces and then glue the pieces together. As others have said, it is probably impossible to get it dead flat on the final glue up so you will still have some work to do. Good luck and let us see how it turns out.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Given the size and the amount of expect abuse, I'd run a couple of flush with the bottom stretchers across the bottom. A little reinforcement and a good guide for your glue up............a little wax paper and a caul on top and use the bottom stretcher as your second caul. Leave it a little proud of the bottom and just plane it away after glue has dried...


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Call your buddy with the CNC -- glue it up and have him "skim" it like a spoilboard.

Another reason to look into that CNC!!


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

honesttjohn said:


> Call your buddy with the CNC -- glue it up and have him "skim" it like a spoilboard.


That thought has crossed my mind also.


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## coxhaus (Jul 18, 2011)

Mike how heavy is this going to be. How many people is it going to take to lift the board when loaded with multiple briskets? I do a lot of BBQ and my board gets fairly heavy when loaded with one brisket and extras. My dad made mine over 25 years ago out of maple. It is about 3/4 inch thick. I am ready to make another one. I just don't have a plan. I was thinking about rope handles like on a large ice chest so each person could grab one.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Just a tip, Mike, and you may know this but use parchment paper instead of wax paper. Glue soaks through and sticks to wax paper but not to parchment paper. I've been using it for several years and have found that I can reuse pieces over and over so while it may cost a tiny bit more than wax paper it lasts through many, many glue ups so it turns out to be a much better deal.

My $0.02 for today - :grin:


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

I would convince the guy to have that board made in three separate pieces that interlock when in use.
Apart from it making your job so much easier, you should ask him how he's going to handle, clean, and store something that big and heavy.
Three separate sections makes it a very easy thing to transport.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

billyjim said:


> Mike I have encountered the same problem. I have the same planer as you so have the same limitations. I break it down into manageable pieces and then glue the pieces together. As others have said, it is probably impossible to get it dead flat on the final glue up so you will still have some work to do. Good luck and let us see how it turns out.




Maybe use something like a Festool Domino or biscuit joiner to help keep the pieces even when you assemble them after plaining them? It might help minimize drama when you have to flatten the larger assembly.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Mike, you're about 5 hours away from me but bring the board to Bossier City and we can do it on my drum sander.

David


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## Everend (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm friends with the owner of DeVos Woodworking in Dripping Springs TX. They do these types of projects every day. Let me know if you want an introduction. 
I stopped in yesterday and saw their finishing room. There was about a dozen slabs there from 2'x2' to a 12'x4' desk top.


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## rrrun (Jun 17, 2014)

Just completed a 30" Lazy Susan which I finished the same way you describe. No problem. Picture below, with a couple of 12" steel rules included for scale.

Each of the 3 pieces were glued up individually, run through my DW 735 planer, and then glued up to final size. I only did hand sanding to smooth the board. I'm sure it's not "dead flat" ... but it's absolutely fine as a Lazy Susan. Glass smooth finish when I sanded it to 320 grit, too.

Remember, you're making a kitchen tool and no one is going to be rolling a quarter across it to check for level. Given that many competitions take place outdoors on uneven ground, your cutting board will be fine.

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about the uneven hardness and porosity of Maple (Hard Maple?) and Walnut. Given the softness of the darker wood, it will sand and wear away at a faster rate than the Maple. FWIW, the FDA says commercial kitchens should use wooden cutting boards made of Hard Maple _or its equivalent_. Black Walnut makes a lovely cutting board, but it is not as good a cutting board as one made of Hard Maple. Dark alternative woods are Jatoba and Purpleheart which are closer in character to Hard Maple. Some recent examples of boards with both woods are below.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

You might check and see if there is a Maker Space or something similar any where close to you. A lot of them just require a one month membership and you can use most of their equipment without supervision or special training. The equipment that does require special training would be things like large CNC machines or metal forging/casting equipment. Membership is cheap and you have really nice machines available.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

*DW 735 use on glue-ups?*



rrrun said:


> Each of the 3 pieces were glued up individually, run through my DW 735 planer, and then glued up to final size. I only did hand sanding to smooth the board. I'm sure it's not "dead flat" ... but it's absolutely fine as a Lazy Susan. Glass smooth finish when I sanded it to 320 grit, too.


A couple of you have mentioned running things through the DW 735 planer to even them out after glue-up... I have a new DW 735 and the snipe on it makes the first 4" and the last 4" on the board just about unusable... It was bad with the original knives, and I converted it to a helical head with carbide cutters (similar to the Shelix head) - and the snipe is about the same. 

Any techniques/tricks to avoid the snipe, or is it just a fact of life? I am redoing some kitchen cabinet faces and doors in hard maple, and it would be great to cut them to just oversize and gang-run them through the DW 735 to get the saw marks off. 

Thanks!

Larry


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Larry; that comes as a bit of a surprise...a lot of the members here have the 735 and have recommended it over other lunchbox planers especially_ because_ of the _reduced snipe_(?).
This should be an interesting thread!
The 735 ain't cheap, compared to some of the competition.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mike; its strictly utilitarian. Forget the complementary wood species. Just go with something like Maple (only).
Doing it in three panels makes a lot of sense, with one final assembly glue up. Still going to be a beast to carry and clean.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

DaninVan said:


> Hey, Larry; that comes as a bit of a surprise...a lot of the members here have the 735 and have recommended it over other lunchbox planers especially_ because_ of the _reduced snipe_(?).
> This should be an interesting thread!
> The 735 ain't cheap, compared to some of the competition.


I had hoped that going to a Helix-type of head would lessen it, but it's the same. I've tried lifting up the end of the wood as it goes in the planer, as well as when it comes out - no discernible difference. This is the Helix-type head, called V-Shear, I went with (simiilar/improved on version of the Shelix): https://mywoodcutters.com/V-SHEAR-H...V-SHEAR-HEAD_for_DEWALT_13_inch_Planer_DW-735
Good support, money-back guarantee... nice finish on funky/exotic woods. I had some Purpleheart that was ruined by the DW original knives - no tear out at all on the V-Shear head. It is the same size as the original DW head/knives, so the measurements (even the digital one!) are right on. The Shelix head is smaller, so the measurements are off (but you can special-order one that matches the DW head).


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## coxhaus (Jul 18, 2011)

Sounds kind of disheartening for DW735 planer. I have one which I have not even unboxed yet.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Mike; its strictly utilitarian. Forget the complementary wood species. Just go with something like Maple (only).
> Doing it in three panels makes a lot of sense, with one final assembly glue up. Still going to be a beast to carry and clean.


Thanks Danny.
I asked about it being heavy and storing and cleaning. They said no problem.
Waiting to hear what the exact dims they want.

I swore when I built the big (and heavy) dining table for a lady. I swore I wouldn't ever do that again, and here we are!

I wouldn't be disappointed if the decide to pass. :grin:


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

MEBCWD said:


> You might check and see if there is a Maker Space or something similar any where close to you. A lot of them just require a one month membership and you can use most of their equipment without supervision or special training. The equipment that does require special training would be things like large CNC machines or metal forging/casting equipment. Membership is cheap and you have really nice machines available.


Well, Krap. Thanks for the idea. Too late.



> Houston Makerspace has closed as of August 1, 2016. We do not have plans to reopen.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

coxhaus said:


> Sounds kind of disheartening for DW735 planer. I have one which I have not even unboxed yet.


I think ALL planers have some snipe. My big Laguna/Robland 12" jointer/planer combo is pretty much useless as a planer - only one speed (FAST!!!), massive tear-out on most woods, and, well, I nicknamed it the SnipeMaster. As a 12" joiner, not bad, though. 

The DW735 has MUCH less snipe, but it is, for me, still quite noticeable - even after replacing the head AND precisely torquing each of the 44 cutters on to the cutter head (pain in the butt).

So - I was looking for feed techniques or encouragement, or something... not meaning to dishearten a fellow woodworker...

Larry


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

LDBecker said:


> I had hoped that going to a Helix-type of head would lessen it, but it's the same. I've tried lifting up the end of the wood as it goes in the planer, as well as when it comes out - no discernible difference. This is the Helix-type head, called V-Shear, I went with (simiilar/improved on version of the Shelix): https://mywoodcutters.com/V-SHEAR-H...V-SHEAR-HEAD_for_DEWALT_13_inch_Planer_DW-735
> Good support, money-back guarantee... nice finish on funky/exotic woods. I had some Purpleheart that was ruined by the DW original knives - no tear out at all on the V-Shear head. It is the same size as the original DW head/knives, so the measurements (even the digital one!) are right on. The Shelix head is smaller, so the measurements are off (but you can special-order one that matches the DW head).


Larry - I use an old Delta 12 1/2" planer and rarely get any snipe. I notice that when I do, I'm taking too deep a pass. I usually only take 1/32" pass. How deep is your cut?


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

I got one all set up -- haven't used it yet, though.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

vchiarelli said:


> Larry - I use an old Delta 12 1/2" planer and rarely get any snipe. I notice that when I do, I'm taking too deep a pass. I usually only take 1/32" pass. How deep is your cut?


The manual for the DW735 talks about 1/2 rotation, which equals 1/32". That would be the MOST I'd have taken off, and that always at the slowest feed rate. 

I'm pretty sure it's user error. Going to play with it a bit more.

I DO like the Wixey digital planer gauge. Easy to install, very accurate. Helps in determining how thick the board is, and how much you're trying to take off at one go.

Larry


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

honesttjohn said:


> I got one all set up -- haven't used it yet, though.


Did you get the stand and table? I missed the deal locally, but found it on Amazon for about the same money with free shipping and no tax. I think the tables are really needed for this beast. The stand is well-made, too.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mike; will this beast always be used in something like a meeting hall?
If so, would mounting it on something like a tea trolley, with two big front wheels, help at all?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Something like this...
But with your solid panel top.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Mike; will this beast always be used in something like a meeting hall?
> If so, would mounting it on something like a tea trolley, with two big front wheels, help at all?


Sometimes indoor, sometimes outdoor. The cookers are usually outdoors with the serving tables under the tents.

The plastic picnic tables seem to be the standard for cutting, serving, etc.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

LDBecker said:


> Did you get the stand and table? I missed the deal locally, but found it on Amazon for about the same money with free shipping and no tax. I think the tables are really needed for this beast. The stand is well-made, too.


Larry,

I got the whole shebang, including xtra blades, outfeed tables, and the stand, all in the original boxes. Got it off Ebay for $500. Turned out the guy was a contractor who bought it for a big job, and never needed it. And he was about 35 miles away so I just drove over and got it.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

*Avoiding snipe on the DeWalt 735 planer*



coxhaus said:


> Sounds kind of disheartening for DW735 planer. I have one which I have not even unboxed yet.


Cohaux - I needed to plane a board down and didn't have an extra 8" to cut off for snipe, so I tried this guy's idea: 




He essentially glues a 1-2" wide, 10" or so long strip of wood on the ends of the piece you're planing. I tried it and it worked really well. ZERO snipe on the workpiece - it all ended up affecting the strips on the beginning and end of the piece, none on the actual board. 

He glues the strips on and tapes them to hold them in place until the glue dries. I tried a couple of dabs of hot glue and held it in place - only had to wait a minute or so for it to set. Don't use too much, or it will pull out the fibers on the good piece (which I did a little). I will use the glue gun on the low setting and just a dab of glue - should work fine. 

The strips have to be the same thickness as the wood you're using - I used cut-offs from the same piece. 

The planer, with the V-Shear head on the it AND on low speed, completely cleaned up the tear-out that was there before and made the whole piece of hard maple usable. Just a few very slight ridges from the carbide cutters (I think this is par for the course with these types of heads) - easily cleaned up with a light sanding. MUCH easier than fixing tear-out!

Larry


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I just finished re-reading this thread. I thought I should update it.

The bottom line is the guy never got back to me with the size they were after, and actually, I'm glad he didn't. It would have been quiet a task to build it. However, now that I know a guy with a CNC that is local to me, I could get him to skim it for me.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and support.

Mike


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Dodged that bullet, eh, Mike? 
I wonder if it's possible to 'weld' normal sized HDPE boards and make a large one?
Or better yet...
Custom Size Cutting Boards - Commercial Quality Custom Sized Boards - CuttingBoardCompany.com


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Dodged that bullet, eh, Mike?
> I wonder if it's possible to 'weld' normal sized HDPE boards and make a large one?
> Or better yet...
> Custom Size Cutting Boards - Commercial Quality Custom Sized Boards - CuttingBoardCompany.com


Shoot. I couldn't compete with that.
15x24x1.5 Bamboo with juice groove for $97...and now sweat on my part! :surprise:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Isn't Bamboo hard on knife edges(?), but then Maple probably is also.


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## LDBecker (Jun 16, 2015)

*Planer snipe solution*



MT Stringer said:


> Shoot. I couldn't compete with that.
> 15x24x1.5 Bamboo with juice groove for $97...and now sweat on my part! :surprise:


As long as we're updating the thread - on another thread here I saw that someone posted a way to fix snipe by adjusting the infeed/outfeed tables so that they are level with the main planer bed but elevated a bit on the outside edges. It worked well - snipe is no longer an issue on my DW 735.

Also, I looked at that cutting board website. Amazing prices - the only advantage you'd have over that is that you could customize with logos, initials or pictures carved into the surface. It might be better to buy a plain one from them and rework it. I don't even know where I could get 1.5" bamboo locally anyway. Build the cost of getting it from them into the final cost with customizing... might work.

If nothing else, that web site has a bunch of ideas for cutting boards...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Glad that was of some help, Larry.
By the time we add shipping and customs brokerage fees to those prices, not to mention US/Cdn currency exchange, the prices up here in Canada aren't all that attractive.


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## rrrun (Jun 17, 2014)

DaninVan said:


> Isn't Bamboo hard on knife edges(?), but then Maple probably is also.


Bamboo is indeed hard on knife edges. The plant is considered a "bulbous grass," but when harvested properly, it does make a hard wood laminate that can be used in cutting boards.

I never recommend using bamboo for a cutting board, though, since it will be destructive to your knives. Hard Maple is not destructive in the same way: steel cuts wood. It's the fibrous nature of the bamboo that is the problem.

And, speaking as a maker of cutting boards, you also need to remember that bamboo must be harvested properly (after 4 or 5 years), and then cut and laminated with the knuckles of the plants providing the hardest surface. If the lamination is done correctly (with what glue? with what labor?) in a third world country, then the cutting board is sold for a small fraction of what hardwood boards made in the US are sold for.

I recommend plastic boards as an inexpensive alternative to bamboo. Plastic is not naturally anti-bacterial as wood is, but does provide a better cutting surface for your knives than bamboo will.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

It seems to me Bamboo cutting boards is just about all Bad Bath & Beyond carries these days - made in BFE!

Personally, I don't care for it. Hard maple is good enough.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I know I'm not supposed to but I put our HDPE boards in the dishwasher. *Guilt*
http://www.ineos.com/globalassets/i...ents/ineos-hdpe-chemical-resistance-guide.pdf


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