Obligatory Beginner Cutting Board Gifts

[John Hulett]

It seems I finally got one - or five - right.

After seeing a few posts, and a very inspirational web site by one Mr. Vaughn McMillan, I thought I'd make cutting boards as Christmas gifts. The funny part of the story is that when I first brought it up to LOML, she thought cutting boards would be kinda lame, but I thought, "why should being lame stop me now?" :eek: So I told her I'd just do a few for my side of the family then. One for each Aunt and Uncle, my grandmother and my mom - five in total.

I decided on Maple with the Purple Heart and Walnut accent - sticking with the standard theme I'd seen elsewhere. I made the first three as one 38" long board, then cut into thirds. The fourth was made from some other scraps - same pattern as the first three. When that one was drying in its glue up, it occurred to me that an extra 16th inch strip of maple between the maple and purple heart would look good and went with that. What followed was wishing I had thought of it sooner.:rolleyes:

With all five glued, routed and wrapping up the final sanding, LOML came out for a peek. I showed her #5 and one of the other four, to which she quickly asked if I could make two more for her folks. Unfortunately, time was running out. I was right on schedule, and between her nay-saying and not wanting to delay the finish on the first five, I declined. The important thing to note here is I was right! :p Very gratifying! :D

Here's the pic's.

- John

[John Hulett]

... and a couple more pics.

[Wayne Gordon]

Nice work, John!

[Ken Werner]

Hi John,
Nice work, and your family will be delighted. You are, I am afraid, at the top of a slippery slope, and you are facing downhill.

Have fun.

Ken

[Lars Thomas]

Nice job with the boards. And, that's the way to hold your ground!

[Paul Kinneberg]

John, You declined!! How does that work? Great job I may make some for next year they really look nice.

[Jim Becker]

John, those are great!

[Rob Bodenschatz]

Very very very nice. Love the contrasting colors. The closeup really shows off the fine work you did. I'm sure they'll love 'em.

[Eric Shields]

John,

Great work on the cutting boards. I agree that the extra 1/16th adds a little more, but your original design is nothing to shy away from. Either pattern will make excellent presents I know your family will appreciate.

Declined your wife???? Are you sleeping in your shop for the rest of the year?? If not, could you provide the link or manual you used for us to refrence...lol.

Happy Holidays

Eric

[Roy Wall]

John,

As others have said.......those are GREAT!!! Terrific gifts......and.....I think the cutting board monster in you is now UNLEASHED!!

[Art Mulder]

John, looks good. You're right, though, about those maple strips. The fifth board is, IMHO, by far the best looking. The contrast really really sets off those other strips. Might want to make sure that the recipients of the first four don't see that one... :eek:

[Jerry Strojny]

Very cool John. (My wife never likes to admit I'm right most of the time, too. But it sure is sweet when she has to say it.)

Great job, I'm sure they'll love it. It may be a little tacky but you could offer to give a belated gift.....on second thought, tackiness wins out here. Better wait til next year.

Merry Christmas.

[Paul Douglass]

Very nice work. What kind of glue and finish?

You are correct, being right with the wife is worth sleeping on the couch for a couple of weeks!:o

[Neil Lamens]

Nice JOHN!!!!

Boy.........our wives miss out on alot with that "nay-saying" while still keeping us all in trouble.

Hey John.......what's that big chunk of lumber in the background of the pix.

[John Hulett]

John, You declined!! How does that work?


Declined your wife????

I basically told her I didn't have the time to do it. It was Sunday afternoon, and I still needed to finish. I didn't want to get finishing going, then have sawdust floating around. I told her I would make them for Mothers Day and Fathers day - they won't even have to wait until Christmas '07!


You are, I am afraid, at the top of a slippery slope, and you are facing downhill.


I think the cutting board monster in you is now UNLEASHED!

I think you may be right to a certain extent. I definitely want to try Vaughn's 3D cutting board next - another reason I declined, as I have enough material left to do one - and that one would probably be for us to keep.

Thanks to all for the kind complements. I'm pleased the pictures came out well too... got a new camera and was playing with the different lenses on the new camera.

Happy Holidays to All!

- John

[John Hulett]

Hey John.......what's that big chunk of lumber in the background of the pix.

Last Christmas, I made a Train Table for my then two-year-old so he could play with this Thomas the Tank Engine toys. (I thought I had posted pics here, but I can't seem to find the thread.)

Anyway, I wanted the legs to be 2x2 poplar that went up from the floor through the top of the table. That's the left-over stock. I used it as a caul to give me some downward pressure to help keep everything as flat as possible when I glued up the boards.

- John

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

My first cutting board was in the outline of a pig. It was a two piece maple board.
It lasted for well over 40 years.

[John Lucas]

Solution. Take one and saw in two and give her parents a cheese serving board.

[Christopher Pine]

I still like making cutting boards... especially out of sacraps. Your look great!