From WoodworkersZone WoodWiki
Creating an end grain cutting board by Router Jim
When looking for a unique gift that is always well received, consider making an end grain cutting board. All that is needed is some water resistant glue and some hardwood scraps. The whole project can be completed in a day or a few hours at your leasure.
I am going to illustrate the steps involved in creating this board: It measures 11 1/4" x 13 3/4"
Getting Started
Choose closed grain hardwoods. I have a lot of walnut, cherry, and maple on hand so I'll be using them. If you are fortunate enough to have longer scraps (26" or so) use them and make one initial panel. My walnut scraps are all 13" so I'll make two identical panels.
I chose 4 walnut, 5 maple, and 6 cherry pieces.
Joint any boards that need it. Next mill each group to an equal width. Each species can be a different width as long as the width within the species is the same. At this stage the thickness of the boards does not matter. I then rip one of my maple pieces into two equal halves.
Choose a Layout
Divide your boards into two equal piles. Now start playing with the layout until you find something interesting. Be sure to keep both of your panels looking the same. You are determining your cutting board's width in this step. Feel free to add a board to each panel if you want a wider cutting board.
Tip: You can get a preview of your pattern if you turn one panel 180º and put it atop the other panel.
The Glue Up
Now that you have decided on a layout, look at each individual board and orientate the grain of each in the same direction. This aids greatly in preventing tearout when you plane the panels later. Keep one end of the panels even and the bottoms level on your clamps.
Remember to use water resistant glue. I use Titebond II.
Next step
Scrape off excess glue and plane each panel to a uniform and equal thickness. The panels must be flat so sand if you have to. Next trim one end of each panel square.
At this stage you should have two identical panels of the same width and thickness. Length can vary.
Cutting the Strips
In this step you will be determining the thickness of your cutting board. My past experience tells me that cutting boards 1 1/4" and greater get too heavy and tend to stay in the cupboard. I want to end up with a cutting board 1 1/8" thick so I crosscut my strips 1 3/16" to allow for some final sanding. There are many methods to crosscut strips such as sleds, jigs, etc. Choose a method that you regard as safe and that you are comfortable with!
Stand strips on edge in the sequence they are cut from the panel.
Draw a reference line across the top with a pencil. Now the fun starts. Take every other strip and rotate it 180ºs. Your pattern should start to reveal itself.
Final Glue up
Gather two scrap pieces that are approximately as long as your future cutting board. These will be used to keep the sides straight during glue up. Draw a new reference line across your strips to maintain a reference point while you glue each strip. A glue roller is nice but not necessary. I glue one side of each strip and rub it with the previous strip. Gather your clamps, lay down some paper and start gluing. If you feel you can't work fast enough before the glue starts to set then glue the strips into two separate panels and glue the two resulting panels together later.
After the glue dries, remove the clamps and scrape the excess glue. On the table saw trim 1/32" from each side to leave a nice clean edge. Now start sanding your cutting board. Start with an aggressive grit (60 grit) and work your way up to 120 grit. Sand the top and bottom of your cutting board.
You may proceed to finishing if you like the looks of your cutting board. I like to soften the edges with a 1/4" roundover bit on the router table.
Finishing
All projects should be this easy to finish. Apply mineral oil liberally to all surfaces and let it soak in for 5 minutes and then wipe off the excess. Repeat this for three days and whenever the board starts to look dry.
Maintainance of the Cutting Board
Never wash in the dish washer.
Hand wash with warm soapy water and wipe dry.
Store the board on edge to allow air flow.
Wipe with mineral oil whenever the boards starts to look dry or dull.
If the surface becomes heavily scratched, simply resand and reapply some mineral oil.
Design possibilities
The beauty of this method of making an end grain cutting board is that your design possiblities are endless. Selecting different lumber species, different layouts, and different widths of any of the boards all yield different results. Please share your results on the forum so others can see what is possible. When viewing the different cutting boards, always look at the end and you can see how the initial panels were laid out. I've made at least 20 cuttings boards and no two are the same. Here are a few different examples that all use walnut, maple, and cherry:
Taking it another step
For an even softer look I cut a 1 1/2" radius on the four corners of this board and then eased the edges with the roundover bit.
Yet another step
I decided to make the above cutting board serve double duty as a serving board. I found a glass dome at Goodwill for $0.50 and decided to make use of it. On the back side I cut a recessed circle using a template, a guide bushing, and a 3/16" straight bit.
End result:
I hope you have found the tutorial useful. Be sure to share your end results.
Router-Jim
