wood whisperer cutting board

[HowardH]

Started a few new projects since I got my new Hammer K3.  

Had some maple and purpleheart laying around so I started with this.

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Started by milling the 8/4 down to about 1 5/8" and then ripped to 2.25", 1.75", 1.25" and .75 from each species.

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then you alternate each direction and then glue up.  This is the first glue up.  Still a flat grained board at this point.

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After the clamps are removed, I run it through the planer.  Got to be careful not to make the board too wide or it won't fit until I can buy a wide board sander.

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A quick trim on the slider to true up the edge and it's time again to start slicing 1.25" pieces for the next stage.  A very nice feature of the slider is the ability to also slide the fence down so the cut offs don't get trapped between the fence and the blade.

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then you lay out the pieces and turn them 90 degrees so the end grain is facing up.  Then flip either other piece to create the pattern.  

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A healthy amount of glue and then back into the clamps.

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Here's where it gets a bit tricky.  After I remove them from the clamps, I have to flatten again.  You could use the RO but even using Cristal 40, it still takes awhile.  End grain on hard wood isn't easy.  The other more expedient answer is to the planer again.  I know, I know, it's dangerous to run end grain through a planer and the chip out can be bad on the tail end but I do very, very light passes and it seems to work ok.

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this thing is heavy! Hand holds need to be routed into the bottom and the MFS is perfect for the job.  It makes very short work of the process and it can be repeated very easily.

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Not quite finished but we are getting there!  I put in a chamfer bit into router table and put an edge around the top and a slightly smaller edge around the bottom.

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At this point I pour the sandpaper to it using the RO 150 through 180 grit.  It is so smooth it's almost beyond belief.  It's like glass.

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You have several finishing choices.  Marc Spagnoulo, the wood whisperer, likes using salad bowl finish but I use butcher block oil which is really nothing more than mineral oil.  Repeated flooding through the end grain does a nice job and it only needs occasional retouching.  All in all, it's an easy project.

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One very important note.  The wood must be prepped perfectly square or the flipped pieces will not line up!  I have learned this the hard way.  Take the time to face joint and then edge joint before running it through the planer to final dimension.  I also recommend using a Grrriper tool to assist during the ripping stage.  It can make a potentially very dangerous ripping operation very safe.  I have made several of these and given them out to friends and family.  The material cost is about $35 to $40 and I think i could sell them for $150 if so desired.  However, no one I have ever given one to ever uses it!  They don't want to mark it up.  This thing is tough as nails and will give someone years of service.  

 

[Les]

Nice job Howard. That end grain is really hard to scratch. What are the dimensions or did I miss them?

 

[woodguy7]

Really nice Howard.  Got a metric conversion for that 

 

[Kev]

Hmm - that's not going to work with my chess pieces, but is does look rather nice  [big grin]

 

[bijeshj]

Looks good. I may try to build something like this.

 

[HowardH]

 

Hmm - that's not going to work with my chess pieces, but is does look rather nice  [big grin]

Actually, you can make a very nice chessboard using this method.  You just cut standard sized pieces and when you flip every other one, it comes out perfect. 

Nice job Howard. That end grain is really hard to scratch. What are the dimensions or did I miss them?

The dimensions are about 16" x 11.5"  The woodwhisperer has a program you can download for free where you can enter in your own design and fool around with the various sizes and it will tell you what material you need.  That end grain is really tough.  It takes forever to sand.  Plus, it doesn't hurt the edge of a knife since its really like cutting into a paintbrush standing on end - the blade goes inbetween the bristles where on a flat grain board it goes across and literally slices into grain. 

Really nice Howard.  Got a metric conversion for that 

you are right on about the metric version.  I also made an Incra style board first and it's much easier using metric since I simply went up 2mm in size for every piece I cut.  My digital scale also shows metric so there isn't any trying to do math about exactly how much an additional 1/16' means.  [crying]

 

[EvilNuff]

Nice job Howard, I have made several myself and mine haven't looked quite as nice as yours.  I really struggle with how to route the hand holds as I do not have the MFS.  Also noticed you're in Plano, I live in Frisco just up the road.

 

[tbellemare]

That's excellent, Howard! It makes the ones I made look shabby.

Are you using the stock knives in your planer?

Tom

 

[HowardH]

Tom, I'm sure you are way to modest. I am using stock knives. I'm saving up my pennies to get either a jet 12" inch combo jointer/planer or the Hammer version. That dewalt is incredibly loud and doesn't like really wide boards. It really is a pretty easy project if you have a good table saw.

 

[HowardH]

Nice job Howard, I have made several myself and mine haven't looked quite as nice as yours.  I really struggle with how to route the hand holds as I do not have the MFS.  Also noticed you're in Plano, I live in Frisco just up the road.

Too bad we have to drive a pretty good ways into Dallas to get decent hardwood.  Woodworld is the closest place and they are pretty expensive.  I like Brazos Hardwoods but they are in Grand Prairie which for all you non-north Texicans is about 45 min away.  If you have a router table, you can accomplish the same thing using a pair of stop blocks to limit the travel on either side of the fence.  The MFS just makes it so much easier.  I need to get some longer profiles at some point.  It's a great system. 

 

[Wooden Lungs]

Was drooling with envy when I saw your Dewalt planer  . In the UK I dont think that version is out yet! Really nice work.

 

[EvilNuff]

Too bad we have to drive a pretty good ways into Dallas to get decent hardwood.  Woodworld is the closest place and they are pretty expensive.  I like Brazos Hardwoods but they are in Grand Prairie which for all you non-north Texicans is about 45 min away.  If you have a router table, you can accomplish the same thing using a pair of stop blocks to limit the travel on either side of the fence.  The MFS just makes it so much easier.  I need to get some longer profiles at some point.  It's a great system. 

Check http://www.mckinneyhardwoods.com/ he's a great guy and sells hardwood out of his garage essentially.  He is about 15 minutes from my house and will meet me on Saturdays by appointment.  If he has what I need, I buy from him.  Brazos is a long ways off for me, especially since I have a hatch back not a truck so wood purchases stick out the back.   Also they are not open on weekends as I recall.

I will definitely try it on the table next time, to date I have only tried clamping various stop blocks to the board itself.

 

[HowardH]

Here is another variation I finished today.  Sorry about the photo, I used my iphone instead of Mr. Nikon.  I did my final sanding with brilliant 320 and it's as smooth as glass.  The darkest wood is mahogany, the next darkest is cherry and then beech. 

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[builderbob]

Here is another variation I finished today.  Sorry about the photo, I used my iphone instead of Mr. Nikon.  I did my final sanding with brilliant 320 and it's as smooth as glass.  The darkest wood is mahogany, the next darkest is cherry and then beech. 

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Is that new cutting board the same size as the one you originally posted?  I'm only curious if you used the planer in the same fashion!  These are really inspiring me to do one of these!

Bob

 

[HowardH]

go for it, Bob!   [big grin] It's about the same size. I try to make them about 11 by 16, give or take an inch on the length.  This particular one is about 1.125" thick vs. 1.25".  I started with 4/4 instead of 8/4 which would account for the boards being narrower than the first one.  It takes a 24" initial length for the first glue up vs about 16" using 8/4 in order to get to the final overall length. The planer was used only for the first clean up pass after the initial glue up.   I had to be careful to take off only the bare amount necessary to clean it up since I started with 4/4 to start with.  Looking back, now I understand the initial thickness doesn't matter.  You can compensate by making the blanks longer to about 26-28".  It's just more to glue up.  Rockler, for example, mostly sells s3s boards which are already .75" but they are ready to go.  I was pretty careful to make sure the second glue up resulted in a flat surface that I could clean up with my RO150.    I'm running out of people to give them to!   [embarassed]

 

[tiralie]

 However, no one I have ever given one to ever uses it!  They don't want to mark it up.  This thing is tough as nails and will give someone years of service.  

Howard:
That's a nice board and I would be seriously pissed if I gave it to someone and they didn't use it.
I have a BOOS bros. board, and it cost 160.00 and it's not half as nice as that one.
Tim

 

[waho6o9]

CB's are fun to make.[attachimg=#]

 

[Nick2cd]

Love the board, Howard!  im also a big fan of the wood whisperer and these cutting boards.  just like you, ive made several for friends and family......and just like you, i find that no one will use them for their intended purpose.  everyone just leaves them out on display.  they are made for abuse and i encourage it but most don't listen.  here is my most recent board.  the woods are wild cherry and black walnut.