Cutting Board Question

[Justin Leiwig]

I'd like to make some cutting boards for christmas. I've watched the woodwhisperer podcasts and the david marks episode, but I don't have a drum sander or a planer. Could I still make a decent end grain cutting board without either of these tools?

Thanks

[Mike McCann]

Yes you can. there are a few options on getting the end grain smooth. you can make a router sled, or use a scraper or a belt sander then a ros sander going thru the grits.

[Mike Conley]

Yes you can. there are a few options on getting the end grain smooth. you can make a router sled, or use a scraper or a belt sander then a ros sander going thru the grits.

I tried the router sled and didn't have very good results. The surface came out really rough. I ended up running it through my planer with extremely light cuts (1/128 or less). If I had not done that, I would probably still be sanding.

Next time I think I may try running it through a belt sander we have at work.

[Derek Hansen]

I just made one last weekend - there was no way I was putting that thing endgrain up through my planer, so I used my 3" belt sander. I was able to get it perfectly flat, and then switch to the ROS.

[Ralph Barhorst]

I finished an endgrain cutting board a few weeks ago and had no problem running it through my planer. I first rounded over the edges so the planer knives would not chip out the edges and I then took very shallow cuts (like Mike said).

It takes a lot of passes through the planer but it is still faster and more accurate than using a belt sander.

[charlie kapper]

Does anyone have any good web sites that contain instructions for getting started building them. What size lumber, patterns, etc?

[Justin Leiwig]

Does anyone have any good web sites that contain instructions for getting started building them. What size lumber, patterns, etc?

go to www.woodwhisperer.com (http://www.woodwhisperer.com) and then search for cutting board.

[Michael Sobik]

I've used the router sled a couple times now, and the boards came out great. A little sanding and they were ready. I would recommend a large diameter mortising bit for the router.

[Greg Cole]

Low angle hand plane.:eek:
Sanding is the devils work.

[Pat Germain]

I made cutting boards last year. Some were end grain and some were edge grain. I used my planer for all of them. I know putting an end grain board into a planer can create a bad scene. Yet, it worked very well for me. I'm thinking the fact I have a lunchbox planer, and not a heavy-duty planer, makes a difference. I don't think my lunchbox planer really has the power to create too much of a hazard. (But I always stand clear of the planer when it's in operation.)

I recently used a router sled to flatten the top of my hickory workbench top. I used a large mortising bit and turned out amazingly well. I found it didn't work well if I went across the grain. This might apply to an edge grain cutting board.

What's cool about cutting boards is they're fun to make and people think they are way cool. I still get comments about those gifts of last year.

[Leo Zick]

buy a planer. after the first time you use it, youll question why you ever used hand planes!

the difference is like framing a house with a flathead screwdriver instead of a nail gun.

[Jim Podsedly]

Here are a few end grain cutting boards that i ran through the planer. Surer does save on sanding! no tearout even with them being endgrain.

jim