Latest cutting board salvaged from the firewood pile

[Mike Schwing]

Didn't know how I was going to make this one work out since I messed up the order of glue ups, making the typical complementary inversion that makes everyone go "wow" impossible.

Tried something new. Not my best, but it'll do. This is probably the largest board I've ever made - finished its 18"x13" and heavy 8/4 maple and mahogany.

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/newboard2.JPG

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/newboard1.JPG

[Tom Sweeney]

When a plan comes together :D

Looks great Mike. Do you have any concern about the glue up with it being end grain to end grain??

[Mike Schwing]

When a plan comes together :D

Looks great Mike. Do you have any concern about the glue up with it being end grain to end grain??

Thanks Tom, while I haven't had one fail yet, and I've made a whole lot of these, since this one was a little different angle, I was concerned enough to put hidden splines inside those glue joints. I don't have a biscuit jointer, so I just cut 1/8" grooves on the table saw, stopping short of the ends and put a maple strip in the grooves to join them. I think that should keep the worries away?

[Bob Lasley]

Oh, I'm sorry, wrong answer. :D

Mike, what's that old saw about silk purses out of sow's ears? Looks like an exceptional design change to me!

Bob

[Jim Becker]

Didn't know how I was going to make this one work out since I messed up the order of glue ups, making the typical complementary inversion that makes everyone go "wow" impossible.

I don't see no stinkin' mistakes! 'Looks like fine craftsmanship to me... :D

[Dave Brandt]

That's a beauty! Love the way the pattern "reverses." My daughter's been asking for a cutting board, and you've given me some incentive (and ideas), although that looks much more complicated than any I've ever done! What woods did you use? Finish? Thanks for sharing, dave

[Mike Schwing]

What woods did you use? Finish? Thanks for sharing, dave

Thanks Dave. Short answer - maple and mahogany, Behlen Salad Bowl Finish. Go over to the the Woodworking Articles and Reviews forum here and you'll see a fully complete "how to" from start to finish.

[Dave Hammelef]

Back on topic:

Very Cool looking cutting board. I love the design.

Dave

[Peter Stahl]

Didn't know how I was going to make this one work out since I messed up the order of glue ups, making the typical complementary inversion that makes everyone go "wow" impossible.

Tried something new. Not my best, but it'll do. This is probably the largest board I've ever made - finished its 18"x13" and heavy 8/4 maple and mahogany.



Mike,

Nice cutting board. What is the oval shaped hole for? Is it a handle?

Pete

[Dave Arbuckle]

Said it on your post a WC and I'll say it here, "Wow!" I really do think I like the diagonal better than the ordinary way that pattern is done.

Dave
(thanks to Glenn for mentioning the deletes, I thought I was losing my grip for a minute there...)

[Jim Becker]

Mike,

Nice cutting board. What is the oval shaped hole for? Is it a handle?

Pete

It's a crumb pocket where you send all those bits you don't want to serve to your guests, today at least...it doubles as a handy handle, for sure! :D

[Mike Schwing]

The hole? I've had receipients of my cutting boards ask for a hole so they could lift it off of a surface with one hand. I've also routed coves into the sides, but that still requires two hands to lift. I figured this one was long enough at 18" that the hole wouldn't get in the way but it should probably have a drip channel in front of it. Next time maybe.

[Tom Sweeney]

Hey Mike,
I went back & looked at your board again - Every time I look at it it looks better . One thing I like is how thick it is using the 8/4 and also undercutting the bottom.

But I just realized that the top & bottom are reversed also. In other words - from the side where you see maple on the top half you see mahogony on the bottom & vice versa.

How did you do that?? or is it an optical illusion :confused:

[David Klug]

Didn't know how I was going to make this one work out since I messed up the order of glue ups, making the typical complementary inversion that makes everyone go "wow" impossible.

Tried something new. Not my best, but it'll do. This is probably the largest board I've ever made - finished its 18"x13" and heavy 8/4 maple and mahogany.

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/newboard2.JPG

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/newboard1.JPG


Mike I'm going wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave

[Brad Schafer]

So (just out of curiosity) what does the bottom look like?

Not sure I'd want to use a knife on something that nice (yowza),


b

[Mike Schwing]

The bottom huh? OK, sure, here's the bottom. Hercules and Hayley wanted to get some mug time too...

My in-laws have taken to cutting on the bottom of theirs and serving on the top.

Tom - I think you're seeing an illusion?

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/bottom.JPG

[Tom Sweeney]

Now I get it - Duh! :o When you look at the bottom you can see what I meant. Because you undercut the sides (looks like maybe a cove cut but not sure) The sides on the bottom are actually into the second row of wood. so when you look at the side, with it right side up, it looks like the bottom half has the opposite wood as the top half. At any rate it's a real cool look :cool:


The bottom huh? OK, sure, here's the bottom. Hercules and Hayley wanted to get some mug time too...

My in-laws have taken to cutting on the bottom of theirs and serving on the top.

Tom - I think you're seeing an illusion?

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwalden/bottom.JPG

[Brad Schafer]

The bottom huh? OK, sure, here's the bottom. Hercules and Hayley wanted to get some mug time too...



cool! tnx - tom verbalized what i was trying to see via the pic. couple of nice goldens there, too. does MD tax those, too? :mad:


b (lived in Savage years ago)

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

As always Mike, outstanding work! Very pleasing to the eye, and interesting pattern to boot! Thanks so much for sharing your work, and for sharing the tutorial on the technique. I just never get tired of admiring your work. Keep on keepin on! :D