Second endgrain board for the same lady

[Crazyraceguy]

There was nothing specific about these, other than similar sizes, but not identical.
I changed this one up a little, with thinner, wider blocks. It's all off-cuts of White Oak that have been under my cross-cut bench for a while. One strip was from some exterior location, where it aged/oxidized on both sides, very deep, and it still shows. I cut the finger relief notches with a cove bit this time, so the radius goes both directions.

 

[Cheese]

I'm still not convinced there is a drastic health benefit to be gained with endgrain cutting boards...but they sure are a lot prettier. Nice job... [big grin]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I've never heard is posed as a health benefit? As I see it, the real benefit is that the knife does not cut into the fibers, like it would in cross grain boards. Not only does cutting into it look bad, it has the potential to release these fibers into the food. That is certainly not as bad as it would be with plastic, but it does increase the maintenance required.

 

[Rick Herrick]

This one looks pretty nice especially as it looks like you arranged the pieces carefully.  I have made a number of boards but no end grain ones.  Did you use a drum sander to finish this off or ?  I know most don't like a planer for end grain but I have seen folks do it on YT.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I don't have access to a drum (or wide-belt) sander anymore. I do these buy using cauls, to keep the piece as flat as possible, during clamping. Sometimes I get by with just sanding. The RAS115 and some 60 grit can take down a slight discrepancy without introducing waves. Then I follow up with an 8" geared orbital sander, to keep it flat.
If there is too much to remove by sanding, I move up to a leveling sled and router. You still have to be careful/aware of the tear-out and act accordingly.
I have seen it done with a planer, there are issues and associated work arounds, but I'm not really interested in the potential failure that can come with it.

 

[Cheese]

I've never heard it posed as a health benefit?

It's claimed that end grain is more resistant to the accumulation of bacteria and micro organisms, which never made sense to me because of the open end grain. I'd think it just sucks up chicken and other meat juices.

If anyone wants to kill an abundance of time, here's a paper I ran across published by the MDPI group in Switzerland. MDPI was originally known as Molecular Diversity Preservation International...until they changed their name in 2010 to Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute...thank goodness. [smile]

The title of the paper is "Wood Cutting Board Finishes and Their Effect on Bacterial Growth" and it does get deep into the weeds with the injection of bacteria into the various wood species.
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/4/752

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Yeah [member=44099]Cheese[/member] it seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Some species of wood are better than others at rejecting that kind of thing, and water in general, in the first place.
But a paper titled  "Wood Cutting Board Finishes and Their Effect on Bacterial Growth" looks like they are confused about what variable then are looking into? How does grain orientation figure into that title?
Not that I don't believe them, but it looks funny.

For what it's worth, I thought the recommendation is to cut meat on plastic boards and save the wood for vegetables? Although butchers have been using wood for centuries....so, I don't know?

 

[luvmytoolz]

[member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] The bulk of the studies published seem to consistently conclude that plastic in any form used for preparing any kind of food, holds bacteria for significantly longer than wooden boards do. Especially so for meats when they're badly scratched up. But not all woods are equal in how fast the bacteria dies or is rendered to insignificant levels.

 

[usernumber1]

fascinating study conclusion thank you for sharing.

i definitely did not expect what they found and they address it specifically : "Scientific studies aside, the results presented herein are in direct contrast to popular/internet knowledge"

I also have to ask: before you guys commented, it really sounds like you didn't read the paper maybe just skimmed through?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=75933]luvmytoolz[/member] the plastics thing has me a bit concerned as of late anyway. The more I read about the recyclability (or lack there of) the worse it gets. I was aware that it was essentially a lie/scam for years, but not to the extent that is becoming more evident.
The last article I read said that the average person eats approximately 5grams of plastic every month (unknowingly) That's about the size of a credit card. However, this article made no claim one way or the other about the effect on the people, just stating it. Seems like it has to be bad though, doesn't it?

I just assumed that the popularity of plastic cutting boards was because they can be "disinfected"?
(Soaked, dishwasher (high heat) or even chemically) Personally, I don't like them, the feel of end grain is just so much better.

 

[Cheese]

I got rid of my HDPE cutting boards about 5-6 years ago. A white one for chicken & fish, a red one for beef, lamb & pork and a light green one for vegetables. Good riddance…

They were really tough on Shun knives with the narrower bevel on the blade. They still dulled Wusthof knives but not as quickly.

 

[luvmytoolz]

[member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] The degree to which microplastics have risen to "acceptable" levels in foodstuff is pretty scary. There's videos of various foods, especially pet foods, being reduced through various methods so there's just the plastic left in. It's definitely eye opening, and reinforces again it's all about gross profit at just about any expense.

Especially so in the pet food market.

 

[Rutabagared]

Love the look of those.  The white oak gives it a great look as well as the radius of the corners.  The wider pieces make for an appealing, less chaotic look compared to the typical end grain cutting board.  I also prefer the way you cut in the handles.  I've made them that way and the other way of channeling them in the sides.  The way you cut them is much easier to use, especially with wet hands.  Were you able to maintain minimal RAS smoothing violence?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Love the look of those.  The white oak gives it a great look as well as the radius of the corners.  The wider pieces make for an appealing, less chaotic look compared to the typical end grain cutting board.  I also prefer the way you cut in the handles.  I've made them that way and the other way of channeling them in the sides.  The way you cut them is much easier to use, especially with wet hands.  Were you able to maintain minimal RAS smoothing violence?

I have done side handles in several different ways. This one feels really nice.
As far as RAS violence, very minimal. It really just needed some squeeze-out removal, then smoothing with the big 8" pneumatic sander.
This seems to be stirring some interest in with the office people, which confuses me to no end.
These guys have seen me build the most ridiculous stuff, why would a cutting board be hard?

 

[sawdust-samurai]

I made my first and only cutting board a few months back and it was an end grain board.  It was a house warming gift for my step-daughter and her new husband's first home.  I considered adding side hand holds on it, but did not want to change messing it up.  I really like how you have done these handles. 

Did you simply route the edges from the bottom until you got to the depth you wanted?

 

[Michael Kellough]

CRG, I like the integrated patterns, the grid of the stock and the herringbone/crosshatch of the rift sawn grain and  medullary rays.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Thanks, I do too, but that one seems to be the least popular, at least around the shop. Everybody seems to love the chaos, though some call it confetti.
I'm currently working on another one, but it will be much different. I have done more cuts to it after being glued-up as end grain. The others have had more cuts as long-grain strips, which gets more tiny pieces, but they are all rectangular. The only real angularity comes from the grain itself. This one will not be like that.