Hard maple end grain cutting board (PIC)

[Vito Baratta]

Greetings all,

I have been visiting the forum for a while and finally decided to sign up, looks like there are lots of nice people here. :)

I do all my woodworking out of a small 100 square foot shed for the moment, saying it is small is an understatement. Unfortunately this is my only option until I can purchase my own home, hopefully in the next 2 years and then build myself a decent sized shop.

The board is hard maple, approximately 1.5" thick and roughly 12x16" in size. It is finished with a blend of beeswax and mineral oil.

I am hoping to sell some of these cutting boards in the future.

I was curious what other members think a fair price would be to charge for one of these cutting boards?

Thanks for looking!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/96LudeSR/cuttingboard.jpg

[gary Zimmel]

Vito

Welcome to the Creek! Your cutting board looks great.

[John Michaels]

How do you glue up an end grain project like that. A couple of rows at a time? Do you need to clamp from both sides to hold it together. I've made cutting boards, but not an end grain one yet.

[Vito Baratta]

How do you glue up an end grain project like that. A couple of rows at a time? Do you need to clamp from both sides to hold it together. I've made cutting boards, but not an end grain one yet.

You basically rip for example 8 strips 1 or 1.5" wide, glue them together. Then you flatten the board once the glue has dried. Once the board is flat, you make several cross-cuts, then by turning over each strip you will see the end grain, then you glue them up again.

[John Michaels]

You basically rip for example 8 strips 1 or 1.5" wide, glue them together. Then you flatten the board once the glue has dried. Once the board is flat, you make several cross-cuts, then by turning over each strip you will see the end grain, then you glue them up again.


Thanks, that makes perfect sense, I just couldn't envision it.

[J. Z. Guest]

Very nice Vito. I don't know if you could sell them at a price that would justify your work. (Unless it is made from cutoffs?) If so, you'd really have to talk them up and educate your customer why end grain cutting boards are superior.

[Brian Kent]

Comparable pieces seem to range from $72…

http://www.timbernation.com/mapleendgrain_PopUp.cfm

to $199 at high end chef stores.

[Joe Chritz]

I am doing a couple right now. The one in the works is maple and cherry, from 6/4 stock. I am adding two recessed areas 4"x8", one a 1/4 deep one 1/8" deep for slicing jerky. This one is 17x22 and I think I could sell them for $125 and do OK.

End grain boards are not an every house kind of thing (until you use one, then you won't be without) so there is a specialty nitch of sorts.

I would start the board you built at about 75 bucks.

Looks nice, wait til you start using it. Cutting board heaven.

Joe

[Vito Baratta]

Thanks for all your comments.

I think that $72 is too little. I think at bare minimum I should sell it for 80-100$ since I am also including a decent sized container with the beeswax and mineral oil to maintain the board.

I am open to further comments.

[Jim Becker]

That's a beautiful, Vito!!!

[mark page]

Hello Vito,

I would have to say if you are also providing a "maintenance kit" along with the board, a hunsky would be in order. Good looking boards and also second all the quotes of once you use an endgrain board there is no turning back. Maybe a small tip for increased sales, make both styles of boards and put both under good use (or abuse) and show the differences between them.

[John Buzzurro]

Vito, I recently sold some long grain boards 12x16x1.25 for $60 each. Certainly, an end grain board would fetch more, plus you're including a maintenance kit. IMHO, your price range is reasonable.

hth

[Jason Scott]

Vito,

Here is one I did out of walnut, maple and a center strip of purple heart, I would not get enough for it to justify all the work, but I think if I was going to sell it I wouldn't take any less than 125-150 for it. Nice cutting board you made btw. :)

[Barry Richardson]

Vito,
I make and sell end grain cutting boards. They sell pretty good for me, espically before Christmas. I sell them at craft shows and by word of mouth. A board like the one you show, I would ask 75-80 bucks for, a little more if it had more design. The largest I make (about 18"x22"x2") I ask 140 for. I use scrap, cutoffs, woods that I harvest locally, and anything I can get a deal on. If I had to buy the lumber at retail prices it wouldn't be worth it. I also have access to a wide-belt panel sander that makes quick work of flattening the boards. I probably wouldnt mess with cutting boards If I didn't have the sander, or at least a drum sander. Bottom line; I've found cutting boards to be profitable with the conditions I mentioned. At craft shows, I always sell more cutting boards that anything else I offer, i.e. turned bowls, small furniture pieces, etc. You can get 2-3 hundred dollars for cutting boards if you have an established reputation and develop a market, google 'Ozark West Cutting Boards' to see what I mean. Here's a couple of pictures of my boards. My website has more pictures, its in my profile. Barry

[J. Z. Guest]

A slight hijack, if I may...

I'm currently making one of the Woodsmith cutting boards. I've got all the maple glued-up. I jointed & planed everything beforehand, but sure enough, the damn thing is twisted.

I could rip off an inch or so and run it through my planer, but I'm hesitant to do so because I'm afraid the Titebond III will nick my planer knives.

Will a wide drum sander take the twist out of the board, or will it just press it flat & spring back into the twisted shape as soon as it emerges?

[John Eaton]

How about placing some shimming material beneath the board on a sled so there's no deflection? Once you get it flat in the sander flip and repeat.

-- John

[Scott Halverson]

Barry,

Very nice work also. I have a couple questions if you don't mind. Is there a special glue you have to use because of the food contact issues?

Also, what have you found to be the best finish? Mineral oil, salad bowl oil?

Thanks,

Scott

[Barry Richardson]

Scott, I use Tightbond II or III, It's water-resistant and certified food safe. For finishes, I use Mineral oil with parafin or bee's wax disolved in it, about 4/1 ratio. Salad bowl finish works fine, espically if the board is mostly for show. BTW Salad Bowl Finish is simply a thinned poly marketed as "food safe". All finishes are foodsafe once the solvents have dissapated. Could be some dissagreement on this, I cite a couple of extensive articles on the subject from 'Woodwork' magazine. Barry

[Joe Petersen]

That is a beautiful cutting block.

However, BORG sells these for around $50. (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=107384-39842-CCB0001WLW&detail=cr&lpage=none)
I was looking at some they carried one day and had some exotic woods. for roughly the same price.I would think to make money to recoup your materials and time you would need a patterned one like Barry has or some other customization that a BORG just can't duplicate

Unless you are coming from a point that you have more scraps/lumber/time than you have money.

[Scott Halverson]

Barry,

Thanks for the reply and helpful input. I was just wondering how the beeswax disolves in the mineral oil. I did make a cutting board and put a mineral oil finish on it, but the oil seemed kind of thick. Do you have to apply some type of heat to get the beeswax to disolve in the mineral oil?

Again, thanks for your help.

Scott

[Barry Richardson]

Scott, It works best when the oil, and the board are warm. I melt the wax into the oil in an old pan on the stove, (watched closely). When it cools it will kind of jell. I use the Arizona sun to warm up my boards and oil for finishing:D, might not work in Wisconsin. Barry

[paul foucault]

Hello Vito. Great Work. I would like to ask your opinion--would it be crazy to think in terms of building a kitchen island top in this manner? I am talking a fairly small island--3ft X 2ft. The materials I have to work with are hard maple (8/4) and some 2 1/4" oak planks for legs. So I have thinking oak base and maple top. I had been thinking of just edge gluing the maple together. Another question, when using this method, is it harder to keep things line up. Thanks in advance, Paul

[Joe Chritz]

Butcher block counters aren't unusual at all. They are more difficult to work with than smaller pieces but the method is the same. You will want to rent some time on a widebelt if you do one. A drum sander would work if you take a bunch of small passes. Endgrain is difficult to sand.

Joe

[Vito Baratta]

The end grain is definitely more difficult to sand, no doubt about it, however with some patience it can definitely be done. I have seen kitchen islands made with end grain and I think they are very nice.

Good luck if you decide to go along with the project and post some pics when it's done.

[Pat Germain]

Helpful hint: Be sure to educate anyone who buys your cutting boards or recieves one as a gift.

- Don't put it in the dishwasher!
- Don't immerse it
- Just wipe it down with soapy water, rinse briefly, then let it dry by standing it on edge

One more thing: I noticed my cutting boards kept looking really rough after only a few uses. I couldn't figure out why until I saw my wife cleaning one. She was letting water run on it while scrubbing hard with a green meanie! Those green meanies, aka Scotch Brite pads, must be equivelent to 60 grit sandpaper.

[Scott Halverson]

Barry,

Thanks for all your ideas. Again, I really enjoy your crafstmanship on the breadboards.

I agree, it might get warm enough in mid July to melt the wax in the sun around here.

Thanks again,

Scott

[Chris Padilla]

Not to stray too far OT but I'm planning a workbench top of end-grain maple. :) I found a buncha 18" x 36" x 1 1/2" long-grain maple tops for a good price (12 for $200 :D ) and will glue two together and crosscut and turn and reglue.

Well, ONE OF THESE DAYS I will get to it.... :o

Very nice clean work, Vito. I hope my much larger benchtop turns out as well. :)