Butcher Block Style Cutting Board

[John Michaels]

[quote=Matt Campbell;1026396]
I've almost completed an order for 7 large end-grain cutting boards, and man am I hating all the sanding.


If you can find a local cabinetmaker with a drum sander, paying them for shop time is sometimes the way to go. It will save you a ton of time.

[Matt Campbell]

Yep, until Jan. 1 I had a cabinet shop less than 100 yards from my shop. They didn't even charge me anything.

[John Czaplicki]

Sanding was definitely tough. I quickly found out that extra attention to the glue up paid dividends in the sanding. Trying to smooth out an uneven strip could take a very long time. The first one I did entirely with a hand held belt sander...3" I think (and made a tremendous mess). I also tried using a block plane, but that was a waste of time. Here's what I've settled on as the best solution I could come up with in my shop.

I used a stationary 6" sander with 80 grit. The best way I found was to attach a pipe clamp lengthwise to use as a handle. I was able to get very even pressure this way, and far riskier for my fingers! Makes the board more even than a 3" as well. Even using a 6" stationary it could take 10-30 minutes to do both sides (depending upon your glue up!). Then I work both sides with 120 grit on my 3" belt sander. For even sanding give it a once over, 1/4 turn, repeat. I fastened a wood strip to the front of my bench so the sander pulled the board into it. This way I didn't have to clamp and unclamp for each turn of the board. The sides I did by hand with 80, then 120. Wet the board a little to raise the grain....another once over with 3" sander, then gave the entire board a once over with a 120 sanding sponge. There isn't any need to go beyond 120. I don't think you want a perfectly smooth surface, and it is going to get roughed up a little from use anyway.

Hope this is helpful.

[John Czaplicki]

Matt, please post pics of your boards when done.

[Jeff Hallam]

with regards to sanding...

I made a number of this style of cutting board last Christmas, and I kept a set of my less than perfect planer blades handy for it. First step is a careful glue-up. I then used a roundover bit on each end of the cutting board to prevent the planer from ripping out the end of the boards. Then just running it through the planer for an EXTREMELY thin cut several times. This gave me two nice parallel faces that only needed some finesse sanding prior to finishing. After it was planed I used the roundover bit over all edges.

I wouldn't use a nice new set of planer blades though, the end grain is pretty tough on them.

[Matt Campbell]

John,

Will do.

Jeff,

I made a small cutting board to test out planing it, and I didn't feel safe doing it. I made one very light pass, and I got a lot of snipe. Plus I'm scared one would just explode inside my planer.

[Greg Ware]

I read with great interest, on another forum, about ski's for your router to flatten boards and other uses. I thought this would be a good way for me to flatten and smooth cutting boards, since I do not have a planner. I built a very simple set of skis using 2x4s and threaded rod. I attached the cutting boards to my work table with carpet tape and using the router mounted in the skis, it took less than 4 min. per side and they turned out great, and required little sanding. Jeff is correct, a careful glue up will save a lot of time. I ended up building quite a few cutting boards for Christmas and I think the skis really helped. I dread the thought of building one using my belt sander.

Greg

[John Czaplicki]

I'll have to try that router method.

I don't own a planner (yet), so I've thought about using this for other projects, just haven't tried it yet.

[Allan Froehlich]

I made a small cutting board to test out planing it, and I didn't feel safe doing it. I made one very light pass, and I got a lot of snipe. Plus I'm scared one would just explode inside my planer.

I was thinking the same thing about snipe and explosion.

If the cutting boards are end-grain, then I would not want to send it through a planer unless it was a spiral cutterhead with the indexed cutters.

In regards to snipe, I'd send the board through the planar at an angle. I have found that this technique is useful with small thick boards where snipe tends to present itself.

[Craig Hemsath]

Looks more like art! Great job. They're very beautiful.

I have a big problem with cutting boards such as this. I'd be too scared to ever use one. I'd end up just hanging it on the wall