Basic Cutting board

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • nicer20
    Established Member
    • Sep 2007
    • 365
    • Dublin, CA
    • BT3100

    Basic Cutting board

    Hello Friends,

    Just finished making this basic cutting board. I am not a pro and just a beginner as many of you know. So this may not be a big achievement. But I learnt a lot making it - especially while cutting the juice grove. Now I know how easy it is to burn maple . And the importance of making a jig for routing the juice groove in future instead of just using a straight edge.

    Thanks for all the help and advice I get here - priceless !!

    NG
    Attached Files
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2

    Looks good! Was the board a glue-up?

    Yeah, maple burns real easily. The more careful you are and the slower you go, the more burn you get when you slow down and take it easy. Kinda got to man up and do it with confidence and purpose! No dawdling. Throw caution to the wind.

    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • nicer20
      Established Member
      • Sep 2007
      • 365
      • Dublin, CA
      • BT3100

      #3
      Originally posted by LCHIEN
      Looks good! Was the board a glue-up?

      Yeah, maple burns real easily. The more careful you are and the slower you go, the more burn you get when you slow down and take it easy. Kinda got to man up and do it with confidence and purpose! No dawdling. Throw caution to the wind.
      Thank you LCHIEN . Yeah because I was just using a straight edge and I don't have a plunge router, I would have to stop short of the end of the run and then switch off the router. That delay was enough to burn the maple. Also, because I didn't want to overshoot, I would have to clean the chips and then restart a few mm back in the groove and inch forward. That also meant more burns where I start.

      BTW, I used the recently bought and restored bench sander to sand those outer corners. As you and many other veterans here said in the advise over buying it, I now know what I was missing

      - NG

      Comment

      • twistsol
        Veteran Member
        • Dec 2002
        • 2893
        • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
        • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

        #4
        Nice job; it looks really good. Maple is as big a pain to work with as it is good looking. In addition to burning if you move to slowly, it splinters easily when edge routing if you move too quickly.

        I don't think I would have been brave enough to try to route that groove without a plunge router. My limitations are many and and I would have definitely screwed it up.

        Chr's
        __________
        An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
        A moral man does it.

        Comment

        • nicer20
          Established Member
          • Sep 2007
          • 365
          • Dublin, CA
          • BT3100

          #5
          Originally posted by twistsol
          Nice job; it looks really good. Maple is as big a pain to work with as it is good looking. In addition to burning if you move to slowly, it splinters easily when edge routing if you move too quickly.

          I don't think I would have been brave enough to try to route that groove without a plunge router. My limitations are many and and I would have definitely screwed it up.
          Thank you. Will keep these points about routing Maple in mind.

          I guess I didn't know better hence took upon it. Guess ignorance is bliss sometimes

          Comment

          • atgcpaul
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2003
            • 4055
            • Maryland
            • Grizzly 1023SLX

            #6
            I think it turned out very nice. The finish looks smooth and the burning isn't too bad.

            I didn't use a jig when routing juice grooves either. I used my router table and fence. I marked start and stop points on the fence and slowly lowered the board onto the spinning bit, pushed the board as far as I needed, then lifted the board off the spinning bit. I also didn't route to full depth in one pass even though the groove isn't that deep. I made a large batch of boards (walnut, softer than maple) and for any that had burn marks, I raised the bit just a tad to do a cleanup pass.

            You definitely want to practice this maneuver. I do a dry run with the bit below deck to ensure my piece doesn't hang up anywhere and that I have an idea of where I want my hands during landing and takeoff.

            Paul

            Comment


            • nicer20
              nicer20 commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks !!
              Dry run is a good practice - I have encountered those situations where I would run into an obstacle or some hinderance :-( Thanks for reminding. Got to get some of these practices ingrained I guess.
          • Black walnut
            Administrator
            • Aug 2015
            • 5438
            • BT3K

            #7
            Nicer20 it looks great. Please remember that you will be your own worst critic. Flaws happen on every project. Some folks pay a premium for flaws or distressed work. Maple and cherry are sensitive to feed rate. A scraper will remove burn if its not too bad or dark. Be deliberate but safe in the shop. hesitation is dangerous to the work and you IMHO.
            just another brick in the wall...

            Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.

            Comment


            • nicer20
              nicer20 commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks !! will keep in mind that Cherry might be another wood to be careful about.
          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #8
            There are work arounds for problems like the juice grooves. IE, make the cutting board without the juice groove, then make the juice groove on a separate piece of wood and add it to he cutting board sides like a picture frame. I have a strong dislike tor cutting round grooves with a router. Cutting end grain usually ends in a disaster. By cutting the groove in a separate piece of wood you can use a router table with the bit raised high and cut into the side of your add on board. This will also eliminate the need to cut across any grain.
            Last edited by capncarl; 08-26-2021, 12:25 PM.

            Comment


            • nicer20
              nicer20 commented
              Editing a comment
              Hmmm interesting idea. Guess another skill to acquire. Thanks !
          • Black walnut
            Administrator
            • Aug 2015
            • 5438
            • BT3K

            #9
            Originally posted by capncarl
            There are work arounds for problems like the juice grooves. IE, make the cutting board without the juice groove, then make the juice groove on a separate piece of wood and add it to he cutting board sides like a picture frame. I have a strong dislike tor cutting round grooves with a router. Cutting end grain usually ends in a disaster. By cutting the groove in a separate piece of wood you can use a router table with the bit raised high and cut into the side of your add on board. This will also eliminate the need to cut across any grain.
            Think breadboard ends. Much more work, much more time invested in the overall project but the end result should be well worth it .Miter the corners but don't glue them, to allow for wood movement
            just another brick in the wall...

            Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.

            Comment


            • nicer20
              nicer20 commented
              Editing a comment
              Oh I see - but if one doesn't glue the miters would that cause leaks through them? Or may be I am not visualizing this properly. Thanks.
          • LCHIEN
            Internet Fact Checker
            • Dec 2002
            • 20914
            • Katy, TX, USA.
            • BT3000 vintage 1999

            #10
            Originally posted by Black walnut

            Think breadboard ends. Much more work, much more time invested in the overall project but the end result should be well worth it .Miter the corners but don't glue them, to allow for wood movement
            I don't see where miters come into a breadboard end cutting board. Bread board ends are square and perpendicular to the boards of the main board. Where are miter angles involved?

            Second cutting boards are often wet... washing and in use. The differential rates of cross grain and with grain expansion would tear such a board apart over time and repeated use. however, you cannot use loose joints like a table to allow for expansion since a cutting board should be well sealed to prevent entry of bacteria and such.

            Am I missing something?
            Loring in Katy, TX USA
            If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
            BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

            Comment

            • GrumpyDad
              Established Member
              • Jul 2020
              • 163
              • Midwest
              • Ryobi BT3100, BT3000, Sawstop PCS

              #11
              ***Opinion***

              Loring NEVER misses anything and more often clarifies.

              Prove me wrong
              Harumpf!
              GrumpyDad

              Comment

              • Black walnut
                Administrator
                • Aug 2015
                • 5438
                • BT3K

                #12
                Originally posted by LCHIEN

                I don't see where miters come into a breadboard end cutting board. Bread board ends are square and perpendicular to the boards of the main board. Where are miter angles involved?

                Second cutting boards are often wet... washing and in use. The differential rates of cross grain and with grain expansion would tear such a board apart over time and repeated use. however, you cannot use loose joints like a table to allow for expansion since a cutting board should be well sealed to prevent entry of bacteria and such.

                Am I missing something?
                perhaps and perhaps not. Breadboard ends are butt joints with a pinned tenon. I was thinking out loud of ways to be able to mill a grove along the edge of the field and then glue edges on. So as to make it easier to use a router table or even a handheld fixed base.

                FWIW many bread boards are used as cutting boards and yes they have a non glued joint and even though they should be finished with something there is still the issue of possible bacteria contamination. Keep in mind that many woods are great s cutting boards for the exact reason that they contain something that inhibits bacteria growth. Think of a butcher block. End grain. Not much is more porous than end grain and yet butcher blocks, often used for raw meat are end grain. Then there is also the school of thought that sterile environments are not healthy either as we humans need our immune systems stimulated by bacteria. We build a natural resistance to most, but then there are some that we don't.

                In wood movement size matters. In spite of a frequent wet-dry life I have a couple wood cutting boards that have lasted for decades. One is still flat, one is cupped a bit. Both are pine. I am thinking that a chicken sized or small roast sized cutting board say 8x10 is not going to move much in width. The parallel grain field and sides should be quite stable and well finished with mineral oil. If you did breadboard ends that had mitered ends it might just work. Usually I start a project as a proof of concept, probably not this time as I have a bit of a full plate right now. Frankly Loring try it and see. Prove that your theory is correct.I agree with you that conventional wisdom says this will not work. Not much in this world is absolute. Back to my example of a medium sized cutting board, 8" wide with a 1" edge on each side gives you a field of 6" that might move over time where the start of a miter would be. A quick search gives a value of rule of thumb of 1/16" per foot. half of that is 1/32" and half of that is 1/64". So if you pin the center bottom, and slot the tenon near the edge of the field, also pinned from bottom of the breadboard end and miter the ends you might see a 1/64th inch gap. I have seen plenty of poorly glued up cutting boards with that much gap along a glue line after some use. I am just offering alternatives. They may or may not work.
                just another brick in the wall...

                Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.

                Comment

                • LCHIEN
                  Internet Fact Checker
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 20914
                  • Katy, TX, USA.
                  • BT3000 vintage 1999

                  #13
                  I guess I don't understand miters here. I googles cutting board with mitered ends and this is what it showed me.

                  Click image for larger version

Name:	il_570xN.2440551958_9xc8.jpg
Views:	308
Size:	32.1 KB
ID:	845047

                  But to me that looks like breadboard ends with tongue and groove breadboard ends. Pinned in the middle with dowels perhaps to allow movement.

                  I don't call tongue and groove a miter joint. Does anyone else?

                  Or show me a picture of a cutting board with miters.

                  Maybe you mean a mitered frame around a center? Not what I'd call a breadboard end.

                  Click image for larger version

Name:	?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F0a%2Fc4%2F452e90344742ba6026071c7e0cb2%2Fmiters.jpg
Views:	275
Size:	42.1 KB
ID:	845048
                  Where the objective is to cut the juice groove with the grain all the way around?
                  Loring in Katy, TX USA
                  If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                  BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                  Comment

                  • nicer20
                    Established Member
                    • Sep 2007
                    • 365
                    • Dublin, CA
                    • BT3100

                    #14
                    Ok now I am understanding the concept with these last two sketches. Thanks Loring.

                    Nonetheless from a construction point and avoiding all concerns about joints, bacterias etc, I say that cutting the juice groove the way I did in the "uniform" board wasn't that bad or difficult. Even for a newbie like me. I was handling Maple for the first time, don't have a plunge or variable speed router. I think for a veteran woodworker who has skills and such tools, it should be far easier than requiring such composite construction method. Just my $0.0002.

                    Oh and BTW, I might try building a quick guide for routing in one continuous motion for the entire periphery next time and hopefully alleviate most of the issues of not having plunge feature.

                    Comment

                    • capncarl
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2007
                      • 3564
                      • Leesburg Georgia USA
                      • SawStop CTS

                      #15
                      Nicer20
                      Today I was looking at some nice cutting boards in a gallery where some of my tiny trees and tables are sold, and none had a juice groove. I can’t recall seeing them in other boards I’ve seen recently either.
                      I suggest that maybe you are complicating your cutting board build by adding features that you do not have the tools for. Build basic boards until you master them and figure out techniques to add the new features. My wife always says that I am my own worst critic, no one will ever notice the ill fitting piece.. or lack of a juice groove.

                      Comment


                      • nicer20
                        nicer20 commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Thanks capncarl. Yeah you are right - we are our own worst critic as we know where the flaws are. And I have an OCD to top it off.

                        Anyways, regarding the juice groove I agree it is not a must have thing but it was my opportunity to learn and practice some skills. After all it is a board I was building for my own use.
                    Working...