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I made this end-grain cutting board as a wedding gift. It is approximately 13" x 18½" x 1¼". The pattern was inspired by Sinister and greenology. [Sinister's blog gives you all the details on how to build it; I just used different proportions and species.] The board contains 570 pieces of 6 wood species: 1. cherry, 2. walnut, 3. oak, 4. birch, 5. maple, and 6. ash. Some of the wood-especially the birch-had a considerable variation in color, making the pattern appearance less precise. I had less-than-perfect results attempting to chamfer the edges with the router so after cutting off enough to do away with the router's chip-out, I used a utility knife to add a 45-degree chamfer to the edge. The board is finished with mineral oil.

I thought that gluing up the board would be a nightmare, but it was actually relatively easy. (I used Titebond III.) Getting the "sticks" perfect was the harder part!


I sliced the "sticks" on the band saw (to save material). Then made a jig for gluing up the blocks.


Because of the notch in the block, they all fit together very nicely.


I used CrafsMan's method of printing on wood to include the couple's name and wedding date and also my name in the hand-grip area and then used several coats of polycrylic over the printing.


I wanted to wood-burn the names but the limited area proved too difficult to access on the large board.

I don't like to waste anything! So, I used the off-cuts to make two smaller boards. This elongated board is about 6¼" x 11¼" x 1" and (in these photos) is unfinished.






The lighter center piece in this 7½" x 9¼" x 1" board (not yet finished in these photos) was less than an inch thick so I glued two pieces together so one side is all the darker pattern and one side has a light-colored center piece.




The dates on the two smaller boards were wood-burned.


All your comments, questions, and suggestions for improvement are appreciated. Thanks for taking a look.

L/W

Gallery

Comments

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Beautiful board!
 

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You do like a challenge, don't you? What did you use to flatten the boards after glue up? Beautiful wedding gift!
 

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Great Job!

I'm sure it will be a well appreciated treasure.
 

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Nice job. Glad the glue up went well. When I tried it I had all sorts of trouble. The result speaks for itself. I can't imagine anyone not treasuring this heirloom.
 

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That is a beautiful cutting board. Thanks for the process shots!!

JIm
 

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Unbelievable! I got a headache just thinking about the hard work and precision and patience needed for this project. I am super-impressed. Great job.
 

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Thanks for all the encouraging comments. Candy, I used my thickness sander to get it flat and then used the ROS to get those marks out.

I really wanted a juice groove around the edge but after the chamfer fiasco I was afraid it might cause chip-out and after all that work, I really didn't want to take a chance. Can anyone advise me?

L/W
 

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Very nice with great photography to show your process. A very well deserved DT3!
 

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No way should those be used. Should be hung on the wall. Beautiful work!
 

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I would forget about adding a groove. Nobody would be idiotic enough to cut meat or watermelon on that board. It is a work of art.
Thanks for all the encouraging comments. Candy, I used my thickness sander to get it flat and then used the ROS to get those marks out.

I really wanted a juice groove around the edge but after the chamfer fiasco I was afraid it might cause chip-out and after all that work, I really didn t want to take a chance. Can anyone advise me?

L/W

- lightweightladylefty
 

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If that your first I am looking forward to your second, pretty hard to top this one.
 

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This is great for your first board! I made a tumbling block board for my nephew for his wedding, and let me tell you, that was no weekend project. With all the cutting and gluing, it took me two weeks. Good job on this board.
 

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Wow - this is outstanding! And like the little boards too…...nice.
 

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I make hundreds of end grain boards and gave up on routing the edge years ago. Instead, I use the following technique. Once the board is flat and even on the edges, I cut a 45 degree chamfer on the edge with my table saw. That can be left as a chamfer or sanded over to be a rounded edge. Good sanding technique makes it look like a routed edge without the inevitable chipout problem. Try it…......you'll like it!
 

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namenick, thanks for the great advice on edging the board. If there is a next time, I will certainly use your method.

Realizing what really complicated boards many of you have designed and created, I feel overwhelmed that you would take the time to comment on mine. Thanks!

L/W
 

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Wow … your first board!? Great work. I'd be proud to own such a work of art let alone to be the maker of it. The precision required for that type of board is exponentially greater than the boards I make. The potential for gaps in the final glue up is very great. My hat's off to you!
 

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At first glance it looked like a quilt.

That is beautiful!
Hard to believe that is your first cutting board.
 

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Nicely done. That's a lotta work
 
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