secutanudu Posted July 6, 2014 Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 Hey all - so I decided to try an endgrain board out of all white oak. I did the first glue-up then cut it into strips. I haven't yet done the second glue-up. Do you guys think the design below (with the side strips going the opposite way) will lead to movement issues? I mean it's all end-grain facing up, so it's not as bad as gluing up two bords at 90 degrees to each other, but I'm wondering if even in this case it will lead to problems. Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 6, 2014 Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 Oak is not a great choice for cutting boards due to its coarse open grain structure providing a home for food particles and bacteria. White oak is probably better than red oak. If your joints are tight and the board is thick enough to provide some good surface area for the glue your layout should work. Is it the safest route,maybe not, but not entirely dangerous either. Maple, walnut, cherry and other dense woods are a better choice for cutting boards. Ash, oak and softwoods not so much. If you pay extra attention to sealing up all faces of your board to slow the absorption of moisture it will help. I have seen larger and thinner boards warp and twist long before the glue joints failed. Use some sort of moisture resistant glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 I made these cutting boards for Christmas gifts last year. They are made of maple, walnut and cherry and I FILLED them with mineral oil. They pretty much are built like you are suggesting with the grain running in both directions. In fact, mine are probably more prone to cracking than your's would be. How are they holding up? So far so good and if the kids (son and daughter) take care of them I think they will be OK. Cutting boards need to be stored on edge so the air gets to both sides and a coat of mineral oil every month or so. Keep them as dry as possible and NEVER put them in a DISH WASHER! So any way I think your plan will work but, as Steve said, choice of woods should be watched carefully. Rog 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 One thing you might do to help seal up your board is keep coating it with salad bowl finish that is thinned out maybe 50 to 75%. Wipe a liberal coat on both sides and let it soak in then wipe the surface dry. Keep putting these thinned coats on but do not try to build a finish on the surface. I only put one coat a day on the end grain board I just posted. It took about 4 coats to seal up the walnut and maple board. Your oak might take a few more. When it stops soaking up the finish a scrub with an abrasive pad to remove and surface finish then just mineral oil from then on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secutanudu Posted July 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hey guys, thanks for the comments. I've done lots of end grain boards. I always finish using diluted salad bowl finish. I've used white oak in end grain boards before - it's actually not that porous due to the pores being full of tyloses. I've had both walnut and cherry that soaked up finish much more readily than white oak. I'd never use it for long-grain boards. I'll give the glue-up a shot as I have planned. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secutanudu Posted July 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Well - here's the final glue-up right off the drum sander with some mineral spirits on it. I think It'll work out just fine. Wish me luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.