Christmas Project with the Family

[Aegwyn11]

So my wife, her mom, and her sister are planning to make candles for Christmas (yuk, I have a strong aversion to anything that smells too strong). So I was thinking of doing some kind of project downstairs with the boys (her dad, brother, and her sister's husband). I don't want to do something TOO complicated...something that we can start one afternoon and finish another. I'd also like everyone to have a chance to use each of the toys in question. We inherited a large amount of scrap wood from Tanya's grandfather who recently passed (he was a woodworker). A bunch of it is black walnut. There is also a smattering of other random woods. I was thinking that making butcher blocks might be fun and easy and allow everyone to personalize their own. Here's my idea for steps.

1) Choose wood.
2) Face joint and edge joint pieces, plane to slightly large thickness on the jointer/planer
3) Rip pieces to correct widths on the Unisaw
4) Glue up and let sit (would pipe clamps work okay?? I've only got 2 parallel clamps but I guess I could get more for this if needed)
5) Face joint/edge joint once more, plane to final thickness
6) Use the OF1400 to roundover edges if desired
7) Use RO150 to sand smooth
8) Apply finish (what finish??)

Make sense? What am I missing?

 

[jeffinsgf]

In the history of woodworking in the second half of the twentieth century far more butcher blocks were glued up with pipe clamps than with anything else. Parallel jaw clamps are wonderful, but I wouldn't run out and buy more just to glue up some butcher blocks.

While face joining the finished block would be the more precise way to do it, you will of course be limited to the width of your jointer.  I would be more inclined to carefully run them through the planer, flipping every other pass until uniform cuts are achieved.

A friend made us our most attractive cutting board by using contrasting woods and using widely varying and random tapers, instead of perfectly parallel lines.  On the other hand, while the random tapers are attractive, my wife's favorite board to use is glued up from precisely cut one inch sections.  She uses the sections as a guide when chopping.  Cherry and walnut work well together, offering subtle color contrast once the cherry has aged a bit. 

Skip the finish.  Oil them with mineral oil.  Give everyone a bottle to take home and repeat the application once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for the life of the board.

 

[sw1211]

Here's an article discussing finishing options, cutting block finish

 

[Aegwyn11]

Here's an article discussing finishing options, cutting block finish

Thanks for the article...makes sense and helpful!

In the history of woodworking in the second half of the twentieth century far more butcher blocks were glued up with pipe clamps than with anything else. Parallel jaw clamps are wonderful, but I wouldn't run out and buy more just to glue up some butcher blocks.

While face joining the finished block would be the more precise way to do it, you will of course be limited to the width of your jointer.  I would be more inclined to carefully run them through the planer, flipping every other pass until uniform cuts are achieved.

A friend made us our most attractive cutting board by using contrasting woods and using widely varying and random tapers, instead of perfectly parallel lines.  On the other hand, while the random tapers are attractive, my wife's favorite board to use is glued up from precisely cut one inch sections.  She uses the sections as a guide when chopping.  Cherry and walnut work well together, offering subtle color contrast once the cherry has aged a bit. 

Skip the finish.  Oil them with mineral oil.  Give everyone a bottle to take home and repeat the application once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for the life of the board.

Good to know...I think I've got enough pipe clamps to do this. Worst case, pipe clamps are cheap As for face jointing the final blocks, I'm pretty sure I can do this. I can joint 12", so unless someone wants to make a huge block, we should be okay.

One thing - Steve-CO's article makes mention of avoiding open-grained wood. Wouldn't walnut fall into this category? Should I avoid using the walnut for this project?

 

[jeffinsgf]

Walnut isn't as tight grained as maple, but it is much more tight grained than oak or ash. 

The linked article took a very professional point of view toward the board i.e., daily heavy use.  For boards that you're likely to use as much as a presentation board as a production board, I wouldn't shy away from walnut.

A true professional chef's cutting board would be made from end grain hard maple.  However, that's hardly a family two afternoon project. 

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Should be a fun project.  Keep it simple, don't worry about butcher block (short grain faces up, its 'self-healing' - knife cuts close up by themselves, but its a hassle to machine).  Mineral oil (or corn oil or olive oil or...) is a fine finish.
Walnut works great.  I make cutting boards about once a year from whatever scraps are available, usually maple and walnut.

Since the board will be washed, use a waterproof glue such as titebond 3 or gorilla glue.

Any clamp wide enough to cover the distance will work fine.

Encourage the gang to experiment with different combinations of woods in different sequences - lots of fun.

Hope  you will post a picture or two!

 

[Aegwyn11]

(short grain faces up, its 'self-healing' - knife cuts close up by themselves, but its a hassle to machine)

Can you explain a little more? I'm confused what you mean by 'short grain'. Does that mean that the grain runs perpendicular to the length of the rips instead of the grain running with the rips?

 

[jeffinsgf]

Don't get caught up in this Nick.  Steve is saying the same thing I was, which is that professional boards have the grain running perpendicular to the cutting surface (end grain).  It is a nightmare to machine, planing equipment can't be used (everything has to be sanded instead), and it creates about a thousand more glue joints than you want to do.  Just do a normal flat grain glue up and have a ball with it.  You're right on track.  It's a perfect project to get non-woodworkers involved in the shop and all the wives and girlfriends will love the boards.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

What Jeff said!  Sorry to muddy the issue.  Keep it simple, have fun!!

 

[JJ Wavra]

I was reading up on this a while ago and Titebond II is recommended if there is food to be involved.  Also,  I like to idea of mineral oil being used, I put 2 parts mineral oil, in a double boiler type of set up, with one part pure bees wax.  The double boiler is important so the oil does not get too hot.  In addition, if you go with this recipe it comes out like a paste so I would not use a good pan something like a pie tin that you can throw away at the end would be best and with this combo a little goes a long way.  I will just mention in case mineral oil is a laxative and is sold cheap in the drug store so don't feel like you have to go buy it from a wood working store.  Also, if you have a surplus of the oil left over that is the main ingredient in honing oil so you can also use it on oil stones

Sounds like a great project! Happy holidays
JJ

 

[tbellemare]

I almost hate to introduce a "cheap" sounding addition to this thread, but here goes...

I was GC on some projects where we used Boos hard maple countertops. There are naturally going to be off-cuts and sink-cuts. I've been turning them into gift cutting boards and the recipients are quite happy with them, including a recipient in my own household.

I've just tried to personalize the products. One person had a small kitchen so they got an "over-the-sink" cutting board that nestled right in (plus a cheese board). Another liked something she saw on TV that had a "junk well" on one end - that's what she got.

BTW: a bottle of mineral oil goes out with each one.

What can I say, I live in Austin. We try to use and reuse everything. We don't like to waste anything so it won't show up  in our Springs later.

Tom

 

[mwhafner]

This really sounds like a cool idea.  I have been looking for a good project that my nephew and I can do, and you have inspired me.  

corn oil or olive oil

While I don't have any practical experience to back it up, I have always heard that both of these products will eventually turn rancid.  I have used mineral oil on all of my butcher blocks, maple counter tops, and cutting boards, and haven't had any issues.  Some have been in service for 20+ years.  

JJ Wavra's suggestion of two parts mineral oil - one part wax is probably a good one, especially for straight grain applications.  I have always just used mineral oil, but the addition of wax may help seal the grain and prolong the need for future oil applications.  

For just mineral oil applications, I follow a pretty simple plan.  Oil the project once a day for a week.  Then oil it once a week for a month.  Then oil it once a month for a year.  After that, usually one application every 3 to 6 months is plenty.

 

[Aegwyn11]

I almost hate to introduce a "cheap" sounding addition to this thread, but here goes...

Tom, thats actually a really good idea for making gifts! The issue is that this is intended to be an activity to do with the guys. Plus, if I can use some of Tanya's grandfather's walnut scraps in this project, the sentimentality level goes way up...

Thanks for the kind words everyone! I was a bit concerned that this might be too simple a little project, but from what everyone's saying, I'm feeling pretty good about it! I'll have to make a little prototype this weekend just to make sure all the steps flow well. I'll be sure and post pics after the activity.

Oh, and how fine should I go with the finish sanding?

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Aegwin11,

I did not have time to do a tutorial on making to-dye-for cutting boards before Christmas but will post one on in the tutorial section of my web site in a week or two.  Basically the technique involves either using 1.5"+ thick or laminated maple slabs as the cutting surface (burled is best) with sliding dovetailed arms and feet to keep the cutting surface perfectly flat for the next several hundred years.  Contrasting wood like Cherry, Walnut or Bloodwood work well.  Use your band saw set at a sharp angle to cut graceful curves into the edges of the board with the bottom of the board larger than the top.  Now take your RAS115 and use it as a carving tool to alter the angles of the band saw cuts and to create graceful curves and arcs in the handles so they are no longer flat or rectangular or regular.  Sand everything really smooth (up to 4000 grit) and soak it in mineral oil or raw walnut oil.  Never use any other form of organic oils other than raw nut oils or you can create a smelly mess.  After about 20 minutes of soaking, remove the cutting board, wipe it down with paper towels and let the oil dry for a couple of days.  NOTE:  spread the paper towels out on the edge of an outside garbage can to make sure there can be no spontaneous combustion!!!!  Now wax your prize with a combination of bees wax and hard carnuba wax and you will be a hero.  I sell these for $200 to $300 each and they always sell out this time of year.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

So my wife, her mom, and her sister are planning to make candles for Christmas (yuk, I have a strong aversion to anything that smells too strong). So I was thinking of doing some kind of project downstairs with the boys (her dad, brother, and her sister's husband). I don't want to do something TOO complicated...something that we can start one afternoon and finish another. I'd also like everyone to have a chance to use each of the toys in question. We inherited a large amount of scrap wood from Tanya's grandfather who recently passed (he was a woodworker). A bunch of it is black walnut. There is also a smattering of other random woods. I was thinking that making butcher blocks might be fun and easy and allow everyone to personalize their own. Here's my idea for steps.

1) Choose wood.
2) Face joint and edge joint pieces, plane to slightly large thickness on the jointer/planer
3) Rip pieces to correct widths on the Unisaw
4) Glue up and let sit (would pipe clamps work okay?? I've only got 2 parallel clamps but I guess I could get more for this if needed)
5) Face joint/edge joint once more, plane to final thickness
6) Use the OF1400 to roundover edges if desired
7) Use RO150 to sand smooth
8) Apply finish (what finish??)

Make sense? What am I missing?

 

[Aegwyn11]

Jerry,

You are an inspiration!! Thanks for the tips. Sounds like the Platin2 I just got will come in handy dandy for this little project.  I'd love to see a picture of one of these beauties! A tutorial would be amazing...

Nick

 

[Jan_Simon]

Hi there

Since Christmas is over i hope the project went well

One little thing about finish of Butcher blocks. You can use olive oil, but it smells. so if you use some other Vegatable oil make sure its a none smelly one... And just go with the cheapest one you can get.

I have a Mahogany Kithcen Table and has used Grape seed oil on this for the last 10 years and i works like a charm...

Sincerely

Jan Simon

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Jan,

Most sources recommend not to use any kind of vegetable oil as it can go rancid.  Grape seed oil is likely the best among the vegetable oils.  Mineral oil or uncooked nut oils are usually preferred.  Some attack the mineral oil because it is petroleum derived but it is the principal ingredient in most all of the things called salad bowl or butcher block oils.  It is food safe (buy it at the drug store as it is far cheaper there) and easy for anyone to apply.  The downside is it will darken and amber most woods.  Stay away from any of the oil finishes that use metallic dryers as they often contain heavy metals that would be harmful to humans.  Bees wax also works well.  It is edible without harm for most.  There are those with bee allergies who should not ingest it in any quantity, but normally the small quantity that might transfer to a food stuff that comes in contact with the cutting board or salad bowl won't set off any but the most severe allergies.  Best to ask about allergies before using bees wax.  It does leave a lovely appearance and hand on the piece and is easily renewed. 

Jerry

Hi there

Since Christmas is over i hope the project went well

One little thing about finish of Butcher blocks. You can use olive oil, but it smells. so if you use some other Vegatable oil make sure its a none smelly one... And just go with the cheapest one you can get.

I have a Mahogany Kithcen Table and has used Grape seed oil on this for the last 10 years and i works like a charm...

Sincerely

Jan Simon

 

[jeffinsgf]

One finishing option I've not seen mentioned in this thread is buffing.  The Beall Buffer (and its like) put down a beautiful finish that is more or less nothing but the wood.  The Beall final step, if desired, is carnauba wax, which is what they use to make apples shiny at the supermarket.