Frame around end grain cutting board

[Charlie Fox]

trying my hand at my first cutting board, and decided to go end-grain, using 1"x1.25" walnut and mesquite. in another thread i understand there can be issues with "bread boards" i.e. where the long grain would be attached to the end grain. i have also read old archived posts where it is not recommended to frame an entre end grain board yet i see photos online of several. so my question is what about just "rails" on the 2 long sides of the board, and nothing on the ends, that way there are no miters? that way it is face-grain to face-grain, but 90 deg off grain direction


i am trying to get a bit larger board out of this - the obvious answer is to just get more wood but this is made out of mesquite and walnut harvested from the same property and the volume is limited.

[Matt Day]

I think it's a bad idea. You'll have different rates of expansion.

[Andy Giddings]

I've done it without issues as long as the frame is also end grain (ie same direction as the cutting board). Not difficult to do and you don't even need miters, butt joints work well. So far I've used Maple, Padauk, Wenge and Purpleheart without any problems (Wenge as the frame). Would not recommend long grain frame around an end grain board for the reason Matt describes

[Wayne Lomman]

Charlie, framing it with long grain will fail. The only good way is what Andy said. Cheers