Favorite cutting board design?

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wyone

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We will be moving to a new home the end of the month and I am thinking I need to make a new cutting board for the new Kitchen. We already ordered new knives, so thinking it would be a good compliment. I most likely wont get to it for a month or so, but wondered if anyone had any great plans or designs that you were especially happy with. I know the basic designs of course, but thought I would ask for ideas here.

Thanks in advance!
 
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I cut out a fish shaped one on the scroll saw. I like it. It was a pattern I found in Ward's old shop in the house we were staying at in Sequim. I also have a couple I found at yard sales and refinished them. One of them I use here in the apartment for my casting and the other one I haven't used in a while. Here is a picture of the fish one I cut out. Enjoy.. Fay
 

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Mitch, way back in the seventies, I was working in several kitchen cabinet shops and made some cutting boards in a pig shape. I will get a pic if I can find one of them. With the bacon craze, this might not be out of style!
One thing I learned is that using red birch was not a good idea. It is nice and hard and has nice color and grain, but....it is very aromatic!:frown:...they were actually stinky....oh well, lesson learned!

PS...don't use vegetable oil. It will go rancid. Mineral oil is a better choice.
 
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Years ago when we did the arts and crafts shows the biggest seller was a pig cutting board made out of 1 1/2" thick maple. Of all the designs we had it always sold as many as the rest combined.
 
I was worried that if I did not make a simple rectangular shape that people would think it was weird. Not sure how the wife will react to those shapes. Trying to decide between a cool shape and an interesting pattern using different colored woods
 
Wood magazine had an article a few years ago on how to make these end grain cutting boards. You can get some interesting designs.
 

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I really like some of the ideas I have seen, but concerned that since I do not own a thickness planer, or know anyone with one, it might be difficult to get a nice smooth finish across the top unless I use boards of a consistent thickness. I suppose I could use my hand plane, but frankly, I have not used it enough to consider it to be an effective tool for me at this point. A belt sander could work I suppose with extra effort to stay uniform
 
wyone said:
I really like some of the ideas I have seen, but concerned that since I do not own a thickness planer, or know anyone with one, it might be difficult to get a nice smooth finish across the top unless I use boards of a consistent thickness. I suppose I could use my hand plane, but frankly, I have not used it enough to consider it to be an effective tool for me at this point. A belt sander could work I suppose with extra effort to stay uniform
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There are several ways to plane things down even without a planer. For example if you have a router, I've seen magazine articles on making a jig for planing with a router!
 
wyone said:
I really like some of the ideas I have seen, but concerned that since I do not own a thickness planer, or know anyone with one, it might be difficult to get a nice smooth finish across the top unless I use boards of a consistent thickness. I suppose I could use my hand plane, but frankly, I have not used it enough to consider it to be an effective tool for me at this point. A belt sander could work I suppose with extra effort to stay uniform
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No need to be concerned. Just buy a planer. Now you have a good excuse. :-). #problemsolved.
 
I made this thickness sander for my Shopsmith from PVC pipe just for cutting boards. Used faceplate to make an insert for one end and an insert with bearing on the other. Velrco adhesive strip and sandpaper was the most expensive part. Use 80 - 100 grit paper. Similar plans/ideas available on the internet for table saws or lathes as the power. To my surprise, this worked really well.
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Planers are not a good idea for end grain.
 

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You can also take the cutting boards to a cabinet shop and have them run the boards thru their sander. When I made some end grain cutting boards a few years ago that it what I did. I think they only charged me about $10-15. I was able to do the rest of the routing and sanding at home...
 
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