cutting board warpage?

[Matt Stiegler]

In making a long grain (not end-grain) cutting board, how important are things like width of the strips, grain direction, and expansion properties of the different woods?

I'm making a couple holiday gift cutting boards, 3/4" thick, out of glued-up scrap strips of cherry, walnut, and maple. Most of the strips are 2" wide or less, but some (flatsawn cherry and walnut and quartersawn sycamore).

Am I going to have serious warping problems? Do I need to go back and rip the wide strips narrower, flipping every other piece?

[JohnMichael Schlim]

Last year I made a few and I found that edge grain worked better then face type of cutting boards. However make sure you know what kind of woods your using as many exotic woods look great but are actually toxic. Good luck and post some pics to show what you do. Cant wait to see your work.

[Howard Acheson]

It is best not to intermix quartersawn with flatsawn. The rates of expansion/contraction are quite a bit different.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Make them a bit thick, let them acclimate to an indoor environment, plane them flat, then finish both sides. It shouldn't be a problem.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Why is it you want to make a cutting board not using end grain? If you do, all your worries about warpage is gone, it's easier on your blades, it looks better after you start chopping on it. The only reason I would personally make a cutting board not using end grain is to make one that sits on a shelf and you just look at it because it's pretty..... End grain is not as attractive as face or side grain, but much better to make a CB, IMO. Once you start using a CB, and get those knife marks, they all start to look a little ugly. The face and side grain, they start to look worse than the end grain. Water can get under the finish, and start some discolorations. If you use it a lot, chunks start to fall out.

Just my .02.

[Richard Magbanua]

I've made many face grain cutting boards for Christmas gifts for three years. So far they have all proven to be very durable and beautiful. I usually use cherry, walnut and maple with nothing more than mineral oil (you buy this in bottles as a laxative at the drug store).
Orienting the grain to run the same way is a definite help to avoid tearout. I also agree with keeping them as thick as possible until final planing. It seems the biggest help with avoiding warpage is to stress to the end user a few things.

If you wash the cutting boards, wet both sides and not just one.

Don't soak them in the sink.

Dry them with a towel and set out until thoroughly dried. I glue on maple buttons on the corners of one side to keep it elevated off of the counter tops to help them dry.

Wipe on mineral oil every month or so to keep them looking nice.

I tell family to let me sand them down if they get too many cuts in them. Cutting them up takes more effort than you'd think. And, unless you're cutting A LOT or taking out aggressions, wear and tear on knives shouldn't be much of a concern.

I have wanted to make some end grain cutting boards but so far the beauty of face grain ones outweigh any advantages IMO.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3224/3138179121_f235a229c4_o.jpg

[Matt Stiegler]

I've made many face grain cutting boards for Christmas gifts for three years. So far they have all proven to be very durable and beautiful. I usually use cherry, walnut and maple with nothing more than mineral oil (you buy this in bottles as a laxative at the drug store).

I have wanted to make some end grain cutting boards but so far the beauty of face grain ones outweigh any advantages IMO.


Richard, those are some beautiful cutting boards. I may shamelessly imitate your design on my next one. Thanks for your reply, several helpful bits of information there.

Thanks everyone else also. I hadn't really thought very much about end grain boards, but will look into it next time. Rick Bunt's board (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=124988) opens my eyes to the possibilities.

[Richard Magbanua]

Thanks Matt. Steal away.
If you try it this way, I used 6/4 maple for the wider center sections; less ripping and glue up that way. Then I glued up 4/4 cherry and walnut ripped to match the thickness of the maple on either side and clamped them up in four-foot long sections. I ran them through the planer on both sides and then cut to length. The corners were done with the router and then everything touched up with the ROS. Get some maple buttons at a hobby store or hardware store and drill some holes in the corners with a forstner bit to glue them in. Coat them in mineral oil as much as you can and you'll have soft hands when you're done. The wood looks amazing when you put on the oil. I gave a large one and a smaller one as gifts. I think the small ones were from 4/4 stock.
Good luck and have fun!

Here are more pics if you are interested...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magbanua/sets/72157611520919640/

[kenneth kayser]

I think usability vs appearance is an important issue. We have a one piece cutting board made of some softwood, very light. I think it is cedar. It is at least 30 years old. It is the first one everyone grabs because it is light, sits on the counter without rocking, and does not slide easily. After use, it goes in the dishwasher. It gets oiled about once every 10 years whether it needs it or not. No joints, no cracks. I think I will try to identify the wood, but I am quite sure it is some species of cedar.