Rocking cutting board - how to cure it?

[stoppy]

Good to hear.

I was going to suggest a drum sander.

#1 on my tool wish list for years even before the heart issues.

[barnowl]

#1 on my tool wish list for years even before the heart issues.

I've had mine for quite some time, and truth be told, except for that use we just spoke of, I find mine far more frustrating than useful.

I do better with the planer and random orbital sanders.



FWIW

[mike4244]

I'm doing two end grain butcher block cutting boards.  One is great, beautifully flat.  The other one rocks slightly on one side.  I have had no success finding the high spot.  it feels nice and smooth.  Suggestions please on how to fix it.  I've been warned not to use a planer on this segmented board.

Place the board on a flat surface like a saw table. A feeler gauge under the low point will be the high point above. Turn board upside down and see if the high spot is in the same area. Add bun feet to the boards bottom. The board will probably have 3 feet the same height  and  one foot a tad longer. Adjustable feet are also an option. I have a cutting board that rocks a bit. It is about 40 years old and did not rock until last year. We use it anyhow and the rocking doesn't bother us. 

mike

[KyleD]

If the cutting boards are for show more than hard work I would put three feet on them. One in the middle on one end and two at the corners on the other end. I have used the small clear stick on bumpers for cutting boards. They are not as noticeable and can be removed if the board ever comes back for re-flattening or fixing a split or it needs to be flipped.

[Girk]

I'm doing two end grain butcher block cutting boards.  One is great, beautifully flat.  The other one rocks slightly on one side.  I have had no success finding the high spot.  it feels nice and smooth.  Suggestions please on how to fix it.  I've been warned not to use a planer on this segmented board.

Put rubber feet on the corners, then selectively sand the "high corner" feet (very lightly) with a disk sander until you get the board level.

[BrokenOlMarine]

For the nail holes, take a scrap of cutoff and rub it on 120 grit sandpaper to create sawdust.  Rub it in the hole and then drop either thin or medium CA glue on the patch.  I use Satellite City CA ordered from Amazon, but you can pick it up from Lowes or Woodcraft.  When it dries, sand it flush.  If it has settled below the surface, add another drop of glue but you don't need more sawdust, the color will show through.

Purple Heart Dust:

   

CA Glue Trio

   


Covered the dust

   

Sanded flush

   

I sand with 120 until I have everything taken care of, then spritz with water to raise the grain.  Once that's done, I final sand with 220, then apply mineral oil, then wax with beeswax.  This one has the first coat of beeswax applied and is glass smooth.

   

[stoppy]

   

Ordered the super glue, here's a pic of the rocker. A little bit of the first one is visible at the top of the screen. Picture quality not the greatest.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Ordered the super glue, here's a pic of the rocker.  A little bit of the first one is visible at the top of the screen. Picture quality not the greatest.

Another option in that case is to take a VERY sharp chisel and cut out a defined shape, either a rectangle or triangle with a bit of depth... say a quarter inch.  Smooth it the best you can.  Then with your scrap, cut it to fit that shape, tight around the edges, but cut it so it will sit proud a bit when you finally glue it in. Then shave a slight bevel on the bottom edge, put the CA glue in the hole and on the sides and bottom of your patch and pound it in with a rawhide mallet or place a block on top of the patch and use light taps with a nylon hammer.  Once it's glued in place and cured, sand or plane it smooth.  If there are any small gaps, use the sawdust trick to fill those.

With that gouge, you can fill it with the sawdust trick, just do it in layers, a thin layer of dust and the thin glue, let it cure.  Another layer of dust and thin glue, let it cure. Once you get close you can put a layer of dust and a thicker layer of the medium or thicker glue and go proud, cure it and sand it flush.  If it has settled below in a place or two, fill it and sand again, no need for more sawdust, the color will show thru.

Here is Tina's Board shown earlier with all those repairs and fills, after two coats of Mineral Oil.  You can't see the places where the Purple Heart was added in most places, and in the places you can, it's because I used purple heart by choice.  If I had used Black Walnut or Maple dust, the repairs would have been almost invisible.

   

[BrokenOlMarine]

In this board I intentionally chose to accent the repairs for the board my son in Texas will receive.  The spalting defects are filled in with Purple Heart Dust and it's done as I suggested above.  Layer and layer of dust with the thin glue, then an overlay proud of the thick glue sanded flush.  With two coats of mineral oil popping the grain, it's beautiful, according to "mom."

   

Excuse the reflection of the flash on the upper edge, here is a better view of the result in the close up.

   

Once the piece is waxed.. I am hoping for Wow Factor.