Wood Movement and End Grain Cutting Boards

[Matt Clara]

I made several end grain cutting boards on a lark, using various woods from my shop, everything from hard maple and hickory to purple heart and satinwood. Someone told me that down the line the boards were going to have problems using woods of such differing hardness. Any guidelines I need to be following with regards to wood movement when selecting wood for end grain cutting boards?

[Howard Acheson]

Here is something only of my employees wrote a number of years ago.

There is a little engineering that needs to be considered when building an end grain butcher block or cutting board. First, choose wood where the growth rings (viewed from the end) run as close to 90 degrees or parallel to one edge. Remember, the expansion/contraction is about double along the annular rings verses perpendicular to the rings. You've got to keep the grain running in the same direction as you glue up your strips. In other words, don't glue a flatsawn edge to a quartersawn edge.

Next, the way butcher blocks are made is to glue up strips of wood like you were making a laminated type cutting board. These laminated panels are then run through a planer to flatten them and bring them to equal thickness. Then the panel is crosscut into strips of blocks equal to the thickness that you want the butcher block to be. These block strips are then glued together again keeping the grain running in the same directions.

Not paying attention to the grain orientation will lead to the block cracking and/or joints being pulled apart.

A ANSI type II or ANSI Type I (Titebond III) adhesive will work just fine however, you need to be sure you do everything right to get good adhesion. Wood glues are non-toxic when cured. Your glue faces should be flat and freshly cut. It they were cut more than a few days earlier, freshen them up with about three swipes with 320 sandpaper and block to keep the faces flat.

Generally, threaded rod is not used as maple has quite a bit of movement when it's moisture content changes. Threaded rod would restrict this movement and either deform the block or pull the nut/washers into the wood when it expanded leaving the rod performing no function when the wood later shrinks. Proper gluing will keep the block together.

Finally, it always much cheaper, and a lot less aggrevating to purchase a butcher block than to make one. The firms that specialize in end grain butcher blocks have speciaiized equipment to apply the necessary clamping force, plane the initial boards exactly correctly, plane the first glue up and then clamps to make the final block.

[Andrew Hughes]

End grain should be be all end grain.No long grain running around the perimeter.Its against the law.Not mans law mother natures law.
I don't pay much attention to growth ring on my end grain boards.Maybe I've been lucky.

[Matt Clara]

End grain should be be all end grain.No long grain running around the perimeter.Its against the law.Not mans law mother natures law.
I don't pay much attention to growth ring on my end grain boards.Maybe I've been lucky.

Thanks, my first one had long grain around the perimeter. Developed gaps within a week. The ones above are all end grain. The boards you've made, have you had any in use for a while? My oldest is maybe three months old now. It's fine and has seen some use.

[Matt Clara]

Thanks, I'm doing most of that, I'll just pay more attention to grain direction from now on. Also, I have a drum sander instead of a planer.

[Jebediah Eckert]

Maybe I have been lucky as well but I have made a few dozen over the last 7-8 years or so. I have not paid attention to mixing woods or grain orientation. I do use TB3 and use all end grain with no long grain mixed in as already stated. After I made the first few I read a thread on grain orientation etc. I tried to do the next few correctly but I guess I just didn't grasp the concept. It was never clear to me on how to keep them aligned, some pieces were just 50/50. Out of frustration I gave up and did them however they fell. The wood I use is KD and been in the shop awhile so I'm sure they are pretty equal in MC.

The boards that I still see lay flat and have not split......again not the correct way I'm sure but so far so good.

[Wayne Lomman]

Matt, the board designs look good. As Andrew says, keep it all end grain. Also try to use timbers that have similar shrinkage rates.

As far as glue is concerned, single pack glue such as TB3 will not stand the test of time no matter what the manufacturers claim. Only a structural glue such as urea formaldehyde or epoxy will work. I use TB3 as a good quality glue for many things but to my considerable cost I have found that it does not perform if there is the slightest risk of sustained stress such as you find in blockwork, laminated beams, laminated bench tops etc.

[Matt Clara]

Matt, the board designs look good. As Andrew says, keep it all end grain. Also try to use timbers that have similar shrinkage rates.

As far as glue is concerned, single pack glue such as TB3 will not stand the test of time no matter what the manufacturers claim. Only a structural glue such as urea formaldehyde or epoxy will work. I use TB3 as a good quality glue for many things but to my considerable cost I have found that it does not perform if there is the slightest risk of sustained stress such as you find in blockwork, laminated beams, laminated bench tops etc.

Thanks. Could you recommend a structural adhesive appropriate to this purpose that's also FDA approved for indirect food contact? It's probably a tall order. Searches for that lead me to industrial products that can't be purchased in a small bottle!

[Wayne Lomman]

Matt, I found this one on ebay that is in smaller quantities. I don't know anything about the supplier or their reputability or otherwise. It is an example of what is available. The regulations and products available in Australia are different so products I am familiar with don't seem to be the available in the US of A. Cheers

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/EPOXY-RES...-/310123985135

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> No long grain running around the perimeter.

Yes, good catch. I meant to mention that in my prior response.

[Chris Padilla]

Go to YouTube and search on "mtmwood" and sit back and enjoy and learn. This guy is in Russia and is quite good.

[Erik Christensen]

I must be lucky... I made a 2" thick end grain top for a mobile cart 5 years ago - it is 100% end grain; but I paid no attention to grain orientation during glue-up, it is mix of mahogany, hard maple & purpleheart and I used Titebont II - use the heck out if and it has been bullet proof

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I made a couple (2) end grain cutting boards with maple and walnut, and a red oak long grainperimeter. I did spline the miters. Also against the law, I used a biscuit joiner to set the long grain perimeter. The CB sees almost daily use. I think Titebond works well. The CB was made at least 5 years ago. I sent it through the drum sander twice to refinish. Lucky? Perhaps. Broke all the rules. The perimeter has moved, but not to the point that I really care. Kids left it soaking in water overnight. Lazy.

Nice cutting boards by the way. Use it and if it moves, toss it and make another.