Okay, so I’ve been wanting to make a cutting board for a while, you know, one of those thick, sturdy ones – a real “boss” cutting board. I finally got around to it, and let me tell you, it was a journey!
Getting Started
First things first, I needed wood. I went with some nice, thick pieces of maple and walnut because I wanted that cool contrasting look. Man, that wood was beautiful, even before I did anything to it! I spent way too long just admiring the grain.
The Milling and Gluing Process
- I planed all the boards to make sure they were perfectly flat and the same thickness.
- Then, I fired up the table saw to rip them into strips. The size of the stripes is determined by the thickness of the boards. I just eye-balled it, really, going for a variety of widths.
- Next up was the fun part – arranging the strips. I played around with the layout until I got a pattern I liked, alternating the maple and walnut.
- Glue-up time! I slathered on a bunch of wood glue, making sure to get every surface.
- Then, I clamped the whole thing down with, a ton of clamps, to get everything nice and tight. Seriously, you can never have enough clamps.
- I left it overnight to dry. The wait was killer, but I knew it needed plenty of time.
More Milling!
The next day, I took off the clamps. The board was solid, but rough.
So I ran it through the planer again, little by little, until both sides were smooth and even. This part took a while because I didn’t want to take off too much at once.
Shaping and Sanding
- I used a router to round over the edges. It’s easier to manage.
- After that, it was sanding, sanding, and more sanding. I started with a coarse grit and worked my way up to a super-fine grit. My arms were definitely feeling it by the end!
The Finish
Finally, the finishing touch! I used a food-safe mineral oil, soaking the board really well. Then I let that sit for a few hours and wiped off the excess. After that, I applied a board butter,I made myself. A mix of mineral oil and beeswax. It gives it this amazing, smooth finish and helps protect the wood.
And there it was, my boss cutting board! It turned out so much better than I even imagined. It’s heavy, solid, and just feels good to use. Plus, I made it myself, which is always a cool feeling.
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