# Utilitarian Cutting Board



## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

Some absolutely stunning cutting boards have been shown on this forum. An observation I have made over my 60+ years of tinkering with wood is that some times cutting boards are too pretty to be used. What I am showing is on the opposite end of the spectrum. They cry out with "use me". This design was shared with me by a fellow woodworking hobbyist in the late 1960's. I have lost track of how many I have made for family and friends. My only contribution to the design is that I have tweaked the dimensions to minimize the wasted wood as well as the band sawing. The finished product is sufficiently light weight that it can easily be handled with one hand. The wood is cherry with a Mineral Oil finish. The white object is 1/4" Melamine pattern.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

we really do need to see the "cutting" surfaces


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

John Smith_ said:


> we really do need to see the "cutting" surfaces


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## CarlaRodriguez (Aug 13, 2021)

Gracias.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Nice. You could probably use those to serve a steak or thick pork chop on. An embellishment would be to slightly hollow out one side for serving, the other flat for cutting. Double duty. I like these. Or, how about a set with different sizes. Or sets for serving and cutting, sets in multiples of four, large enough for a baked potato and the meat.

With a CNC, you could likely sell these to specialty restaurants or steak houses. There I go again, marketing is always on my mind. A small CNC or hand made with jigs, could be used. Engrave the restaurant name or a small logo on the handle with a CNC?

I'd check to make sure the wood I used had antibacterial qualities, and the finish should be food safe, and certify that on a label attached to each individual one for single sale. Drill a sizeable hole in the handle and they can be hung on a peg. Make a matching plaque with pegs for that purpose. I could see selling something like this in batches of 20 or 30. Nice little side business to help pay for the CNC. This would make very efficient use of rough sawn hardwood for commercial, bulk sales.

You could probably kick off marketing these by submitting picture and copy to restaurant trade magazines, ads are too expensive. Submit similar copy to foodie magazines, decorator publications, online, etc. Thinking more about it, how about submission to a Bar owner's publication? Many bars serve some food and they like to do it on a single platter...Small baked potato, plus steak or other meat or fish item. I'd also contact Bar supply distributors with an eye to selling the items with a custom logo. The logo takes it out of the Chinese competition that will surely arise. Also quick turnaround, which Chinese makers cannot match because of shipping costs.

Competing on price with Chinese companies would not be practical, but you can always emphasize that these are made in America, from carefully selected food-safe American hardwood and finished with the finest food-safe finish. 

In the PR you could probably mention that with cheap overseas knockoffs, you really don't know what wood or finish is being used. This is a premium item and I would trademark a name so people know it's special, and use a branding iron to burn in the name of the item with a TM mark. 

Here's a hint from a former newspaper and magazine editor. There is always a shortage of photos and art, which are required to break up the type and fill space. So submitting really great pictures with and without food, showing both sides in use-first as a cutting board for a chop, then another with it cooked. There are so many ways to get free publicity and sell goods with minimal cost.

I know some restaurants use wood trays to hold "skillets" with sizzling food. I'd find a supplier of such skillets (restaurant supply houses) and make these just for holding a skillet, plus potato. With the logo option they might sell enough to keep you busy for some time. Again, quick delivery of custom logos would be important.

I wonder what the price point should be, probably around the $20-$25 mark for a individual units in a booth, less for generic for a restaurant, plus extra for a carved name or logo.

If you had a CNC, you could make a jig for the base to hold many pre-cut boards, already rounded over, so the machine is only hollowing out the recess. Jigs are our friend. It would also make it easier to set up logos or type.


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

DesertRatTom said:


> Nice. You could probably use those to serve a steak or thick pork chop on. An embellishment would be to slightly hollow out one side for serving, the other flat for cutting. Double duty. I like these. Or, how about a set with different sizes. Or sets for serving and cutting, sets in multiples of four, large enough for a baked potato and the meat.
> 
> With a CNC, you could likely sell these to specialty restaurants or steak houses. There I go again, marketing is always on my mind. A small CNC or hand made with jigs, could be used. Engrave the restaurant name or a small logo on the handle with a CNC?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions on the marketing aspects of woodworking. At this stage in my life, my tools are paid for plus I don't have to justify tool purchases to anyone. I just make sawdust at my own pace and don't want any jobs with deadlines. If anyone is interested in pursuing your suggestions, I would be happy to supply drawings.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @CarlaRodriguez


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum, @CarlaRodriguez 

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and wood working methods in the Introductions section?


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

CarlaRodriguez said:


> Gracias.


Bienvenida al foro, Carla.
Apareces registrada en España pero tu bandera es Argentina.
Háblanos de tus habilidades y proyectos en carpintería. Nos gustan las fotografías.

*** Welcome to the forum, Carla.
You appear registered in Spain but your flag is Argentina.
Tell us about your skills and projects in woodworking. We like photographs. *


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## bcfunburst (Jan 14, 2012)

bfblack said:


> Thanks for the suggestions on the marketing aspects of woodworking. At this stage in my life, my tools are paid for plus I don't have to justify tool purchases to anyone. I just make sawdust at my own pace and don't want any jobs with deadlines. If anyone is interested in pursuing your suggestions, I would be happy to supply drawings.


I am in total agreement with your work ethics! Once it becomes a job to make sawdust, I get a bad taste in my mouth!! It's a bad idea to turn your fun into work!🙄


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