Routing handles in a cutting board


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7 minutes ago, treeslayer said:

when you get that one mastered, try one of there, Google bent lamination cutting board59957fc307ec0_DSCN0644copy2.thumb.jpg.cab2272d4478e39f7f5244ed523c3691.jpg

Normally I put rubber feet on the bottom which removes the need for a handle. I'm making them for someone who requested handles on the side. 

I've seen those before. It's somewhere on my list of things to try. 

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31 minutes ago, gee-dub said:

These ends happen to be curved so I use a curved sac fence but, the same idea applies

nice work @gee-dub, consider that method stolen, i've been doing mine vertical with a sac fence and a cove bit, yours looks better and more in control, and the inlay gives a nice effect when you router it out.

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27 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said:

That is the way to do it on the router table, for sure. MTM uses a shaper in a similar fashion for his handles. I always come back to, "how does that russian cutting board guy do it?", if i ever have a cutting board question. 

Yeah, MTM is the master. 

Ive tried the router on the edge of the board but I wasn't happy with the result. Probably a combo of a cheap bit and me. I've got 6 boards to cut handles in so having a setup to batch them out consistently is the plan. 

@gee-dub Have you got a link to the bit you use? I think I'll prefer your setup to standing the board on end. 

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Doing the cut in 2 or 3 increasing depth passes will reduce any burning or slight tearing of the end grain. With the vertical approach you just raise the bit up a little each pass. With the horizontal approach do a little practice cutting and pencil mark the final fence location then move it back and make the initial shallower cuts. 

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I personally like to have the handles on the bottom so they are easier to pick up. I clamp the board standing on edge to my table saw fence and very slowly raise the dado blade up to cut out the handle. Count your turns as you raise the blade and do the same on both sides. This is fast and easy. You can kinda see the side profile on this picture of a finished board: http://imgur.com/LdyY3qp

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1 minute ago, ToddM said:

I personally like to have the handles on the bottom so they are easier to pick up. I clamp the board standing on edge to my table saw fence and very slowly raise the dado blade up to cut out the handle. Count your turns as you raise the blade and do the same on both sides. This is fast and easy. You can kinda see the side profile on this picture of a finished board: http://imgur.com/LdyY3qp

That's how I do mine too but if you put a finger groove in the center you now have a two-sided cutting board rather than a single-sided.  I don't cut meat on mine so cross-contamination isn't an issue for me, but some people might like to be able to cut on both sides (not that you couldn't cut on both sides either way but it would feel goofy to me...OCD).  I think it makes more sense to do it that way and I'll probably go centered for my next batch.

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6 minutes ago, Eric. said:

That's how I do mine too but if you put a finger groove in the center you now have a two-sided cutting board rather than a single-sided.  I don't cut meat on mine so cross-contamination isn't an issue for me, but some people might like to be able to cut on both sides (not that you couldn't cut on both sides either way but it would feel goofy to me...OCD).  I think it makes more sense to do it that way and I'll probably go centered for my next batch.

Yeah that is a good consideration. I would use the normal router method when making double sided boards. I only ever use 1 side and I also put rubber feet on the bottom. I also dislike juice grooves from my own cooking experience. It's just another place to trap food but I have made boards that are both double sided and have juice grooves. 

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His right hand is pushing inappropriately during most of his miter gauge cross cuts. You see the board bind and wobble. This is not a huge deal maybe as the cuts are finished in the downward moving front half of the blade. But, poor practice habits usually transition into more dangerous scenarios. 

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I'm with Steve regarding the dowel cuts. Why were they so long, anyway? I see no purpose, other than decoration. A square of plywood, riding edge-on against the fence, makes a good 'miter gauge' substitute for that cut.

 

 

As for the handle cuts, I've done them the same way, but with a board clamped across the table, appropriately positioned, as additional insurance against levering away from the fence. I hate making on-edge cuts without extra support.

 

 

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