Tough glue ?

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

My mother in law have a cuttingboard that is glued together of 3 boards. I have noticed that it has a large crack in the gluing so the meat juices is penetrating thru to the kitchen table making a mess.

I want to make her a new one, but im unsure of what glue to use. I think she washes the cutting board in her dishwasher machine. Will any glue hold up to that abuse ?

[Bill Orbine]

Don't recommend cleaning cutting board in dishwasher even if you used water resistant glue such as TiteBond II or III. It's the wood that does the moving. I suggest putting in sink and wash off the top and wipe dry immediately.

[John Lankers]

The glue is important, but it is equally important you select stable, quarter sawn lumber.

[Jon Endres]

Glue will not hold up to a dishwasher. Wood cutting boards should be hand-washed. You can use Titebond III or epoxy.

[Jerry Miner]

Epoxy should hold up in the dishwasher, but the wood may not.

[Martin Wasner]

Don't cut meat on wood. Gross.

[Cody Colston]

I'd use TB III glue but it will not survive many trips through the dishwasher. Hand wash the cutting board (don't immerse) and wipe dry immediately.

Wood is a much better material to use for a cutting board than plastic, which harbors many more germs.

[Lee Schierer]

As others have stated, the wood cutting board should not go through the dishwasher. Wash it in the sink with soap and hot water, wipe it dry and then let it air dry. If cleaned right after each use, the wood will not support bacteria growth and can last for generations. To fix the one with the crack, see if the board will split the rest of the way with gentle pressure or saw it into two pieces along the crak line. Run both pieces across a jointer, apply Woodworker II or III glue to the edges, align and clamp the board until the glue is dry. A light sanding of the surfaces should make it almost as good as new.

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Thankyou for your advises :)

[Jamie Buxton]

For a cutting board for meat, I use one made by Epicurian. (http://www.epicureancs.com/kitchenseries.php) The material is a composite of plastic and wood fiber. It is about as hard as wood, so it doesn't dull knives. It is completely waterproof, and can be run through the dish washer. And it has no seams for fluids to leak through. I'm pretty sure the material is the same stuff that Richlite sells for countertops. ( http://www.richlite.com/) Those are American manufacturers, but I'd guess something similar is available in Europe.

[James Baker SD]

I once put a store bought cutting board in the dishwasher. I removed 6 strips of wood from the dishwasher. Will never make that mistake again. Today I use wood for things like bread or tomatoes which I cut with serrated knives. Meat gets cut on glass cutting boards which safely go in the dishwasher. I get enough practice sharpening my chisels and planes that I really don't worry about the glass harming smooth edge knives, I just resharpen them.

[Sam Puhalovich]

Lasse ... +1 on all the comments above about not to put the cutting board in the dishwasher.
As also mentioned, the glue is very important ... as is the glue joint ... and in your situation, an ordinary 'butt' joint will not suffice.
I have had the best successes with cutting boards by using a glue-joint cutter, like the one available from Infinity Tools ... item number 55-501.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I'm pretty sure the material is the same stuff that Richlite sells for countertops.

I don't think so.

Richlite is a paper composite, similar to phenolic, but maybe even harder? It almost feels like stone.

[Steve Peterson]

If she insists on putting the cutting board into the dishwasher, then maybe she should switch to a polypropylene board.

Wood does not do well in the dishwasher even if some glues can survive.

Steve

[Joe Spear]

I'd use TB III glue but it will not survive many trips through the dishwasher. Hand wash the cutting board (don't immerse) and wipe dry immediately.

Wood is a much better material to use for a cutting board than plastic, which harbors many more germs.


A study a few years back (I believe at the U. Of South Carolina) showed that to be correct. It is something about the absorbility of wood that draws moisture out of bacteria and kills them. Titebond III is what I use, and it hasn't failed yet. And again, DO NOT put a cutting board (or any other wooden thing) in a dishwasher. As far as cutting meat on wood goes, I think it may be against sanitation codes in a lot of places, but I do it in my house and haven't made anybody sick from it in the 64 years I've been cooking. Whatever material you cut meat on, though, keep separate boards for meat and non-meat--maybe even for chicken and other meats--and clean thoroughly with soap and water after cutting, no matter what material your board is made out of.

[David C. Roseman]

As others have stated, the wood cutting board should not go through the dishwasher. Wash it in the sink with soap and hot water, wipe it dry and then let it air dry. If cleaned right after each use, the wood will not support bacteria growth and can last for generations. To fix the one with the crack, see if the board will split the rest of the way with gentle pressure or saw it into two pieces along the crak line. Run both pieces across a jointer, apply Woodworker II or III glue to the edges, align and clamp the board until the glue is dry. A light sanding of the surfaces should make it almost as good as new.


+1 to Lee's advice. Even if you plan to make your MIL a new board, easy to fix the old one in the meantime. I've done this with cutting boards as well as the maple butcher-block counter tops that were very popular years ago. Rip it right down the crack line on the TS, joint the edges, then reglue and clamp as Lee describes. Remove the excess glue with a sharp cabinet scraper after it sets up, which will simultaneously help level the adjoining edges. Resand the entire board on a bench belt sander or handheld belt sander, with the grain, using 100 or 120 grit. Apply mineral oil or walnut oil and the board will look new!

Yup, no dishwasher. Hand wash only, with dish detergent.