Cutting board for whole hog

[Gary roebuck]

A customer contacted me and wanted a 4.5 foot x 2 foot whole hog cutting board that was 2 inches thick with the main body being mostly made up of solid pieces. When I asked she said he does competition cookouts and they usually try to average between 60 and 70 pound hog. I was able to get a 2 inch slab of Sapello that I can cut in half to get the length and will be using hickory and walnut as a middle stripe that she asked for. With a cutting board of this size I worry about glue being enough. Since I don’t have Access to a domino tool I am torn between using large dowel rods in the center or finding someway to put a piece of stainless steel all thread in several places and using plugs to cover the ends. I do have a biscuit joiner but I don’t know if this would really add any strength in the way I’m looking for it would be great for lining up the boards but I’m not sure it will add that much strength to keep the boards together. Has anyone ever done this type of board or do you have any recommendations.

[Jim Matthews]

Pre drill each section to be laminated for a full width threaded rod. Countersink each outer edge for a washer and nut assembly.

Stainless is recommend for 'wet use" but might not be affordable.

[Bob Falk]

If the stainless gets wet, the board is already splitting and cracking....I would think any 304 stainless should work. Kinda heavy cutting board....I calculate 60 lbs.

[John Jardin]

+1 on Jims idea.
Jim, I'm a FL resident now but I am a New Bedford boy.

[Charles Coolidge]

Well that will be the mother of all cutting boards.

[John TenEyck]

Trying to reinforce a wide board with metal is a recipe for failure. When the cutting board swells in the Summer humidity those rods are going to resist and the board will bow or the washers and nuts will compress into the wood and offer no benefit next year. Use waterproof glue; all will be fine.

John

[Roger Feeley]

I agree on the all thread. But why hide the nuts? Check out Old West Iron.
https://www.oldwestiron.com/
they have some washers and cap nuts that look hand forged.

[Bob McBreen]

I made one just slightly larger out of maple. Boards were two inch thick that I ripped to 2.5". Turned the strips so the cutting board was 2.5" thick & just glued them together. It has been over five years & still going strong. No splitting or cracking.

[Alex Zeller]

I think if I was worried about a glued face joint not being strong enough I would do a simple tongue and groove joint.

[johnny means]

There's absolutely no reason gluing and clamping a simple long grain joint wouldn't be sufficient. That's how they're done. Biscuits don't add any strength.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on Jims idea.
Jim, I'm a FL resident now but I am a New Bedford boy.
Bigger fish than the OP hogs get rendered on picnic tables at the State pier!

[Gary roebuck]

Thanks all I’m going to just use glue you all convinced me but like I said never done this one this big needed some encouragement you guys rock

[Mark Gibney]

As some of the responders said I would NOT use any threaded rod. Adds a whole deal of expense and complexity to the job, and as John TenEcyk says it could compromise the stability of the piece.

At most I might use Titebond III waterproof glue, but mostly take care to joint the pieces perfectly before you glue them together.

[Bob McBreen]

There's absolutely no reason gluing and clamping a simple long grain joint wouldn't be sufficient. That's how they're done. Biscuits don't add any strength.

Totally agree with Johnny. Dominos can help with alignment but I just glue a couple of pieces together at a time. I use regular yellow glue.

[Julie Moriarty]

I made an end grain cherry cutting board for a friend in CT. A few years later we went to visit her and I found the cutting board in pieces, sitting in a box in the garage. The glue I had used was Titebond II. She said the pieces came apart after a few months.

To put it back together I went with Gorilla glue. That was several years ago and last I checked it was still holding together fine.

[Bruce Wrenn]

She said the pieces came apart after a few months. Wonder if it happened to be put in the dishwasher?

[Dave Roock]

Wonder if it happened to be put in the dishwasher?


Good question ! I have seen cutting boards, glued/clamped w/Elmers glue, last for decades. Ran across this : https://www.rockler.com/self-centering-doweling-jig-for-thick-timbers Guy in instagram used to insert steel rod dowels, for mounting 8/4 Walnut floating shelfs : https://www.instagram.com/p/CEUvcFyF6Bq/?igshid=bj6mkbyfan5 Combined with glue/clamp, would make a first class cutting board.

[Mike Wilkins]

Use a water resistant glue and all will be well. I have made over a hundred cutting boards from 1 to 2 inches thick and up to 36" long using Titebond III, which is made for wet applications. No complaints yet.

[Andrew Gibson]

I would use Titebond 3, If I was really worried I would join the pieces with a 1/2" x 1/2" tongue and groove. This would add a massive amount of glue surface, mechanical strength, and add a decorative detail at the ends.

[Curt Harms]

I would use Titebond 3, If I was really worried I would join the pieces with a 1/2" x 1/2" tongue and groove. This would add a massive amount of glue surface, mechanical strength, and add a decorative detail at the ends.

That'd be my choice. Mechanical joint and maybe epoxy though TBIII would be cheaper. I'd also beg to differ that biscuits add NO strength. As much as mortise & tenon or domino? Clearly not. I remember a magazine test comparing different joining methods. Biscuits were the weakest but were like 500 lb. Mortise and tenon were 3000 lbs+. I built a microwave cabinet out of 3/4" hardwood ply hanging off a wall so there's some stress. The corners are mitered with biscuits every 6" or so. No joint failures of any kind. About the same time I built a couple towers 6'+ high for an entertainment center. Again 3/4" ply with butt joints no dados. They have been moved around some so racked and again, no joint issues. Just defending a joint that like Rodney Dangerfield gets no respect:)