In making cutting boards what would you use

[Arlin Eastman]

for glue

Epoxy or titebond 3 or other???

Also do you like to make a pattern or cut thin strips or how do you make them and post what you made

[JosephP]

I used TB III

I don't know if I took any pics...but I did a few end grain cutting boards with some scraps.

Glued up random width strips making panels (let's call these Panel A, Panel B, Panel C...) that end up the same width, but lengths can be variable.

Then cut those into lengths that are all the same - 1.5" or so. Glue those - I did random mixing of cuttoffs from Panel A, B, C...and flipping right/left so nothing lines up.

If I had a drum sander I'd have run through that, but I don't.  So I planed them.  I know...bad idea to plane end grain.  I made an mdf "tray" for each so the MDF sides started at least as high as the board.  The point of this was that the end of the board wasn't torn out as the end passes over.  Took off 1/64" at a time (1/4 turn on DeWalt 735 planer).

I also made this one with maple, walnut, cherry.  It ended up a little too thin for my preference.  Its intended to be more of a charcuterie board than cutting board.

   

[AHill]

Titebond III. It's never failed me. I've made several cutting boards using it without any issues. The oldest one is almost 20 years old now and had seen daily use.

[jteneyck]

TB III or Unibond 800 if I have it in stock.  Mostly TB III.  

John

[Bill Wilson]

I've made a few, mostly simple strip style with 3-4 species of wood.  Used TBIII.  No problems that I'm aware of, as long as people keep them out of the dishwasher.

I made one end grain cutting board for the wife.  Someday, when I have more time to play around in the shop, I want to try some different styles.  There are some really cool looking ones out there.

[BrentDH]

I have always used Titebond III.  Here are some very recent samples to give you some ideas.  The first two have been treated with a mineral oil and wax solution and the lighting is soft because it was taken inside the living space of my home.  The others are still bare wood and the lighting is much more harsh from my shop.

   

   

   

   

   

[Arlin Eastman]

I have always used Titebond III.  Here are some very recent samples to give you some ideas.  The first two have been treated with a mineral oil and wax solution and the lighting is soft because it was taken inside the living space of my home.  The others are still bare wood and the lighting is much more harsh from my shop.

Nicely done guys.

Since the finish was mentioned there are some that are taboo and others say it is ok, but what finishes do you guys use?

[joe1086]

From the wayback machine and Howard Acheson:

"An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag."


I've used the above for years. Make a batch and save it in a sealed container...lasts a long time.

[FS7]

I use Titebond III. It's waterproof, which is the definitive differentiator.

As for designs, I tend to use scraps and cutoffs. Sometimes it's a relatively short (22" or less) cutoff of a longer board that is reasonably wide. Sometimes it's ripping an inch or something off of a wider board. I'll simply plane down the cutoff so it will glue easily. You can do random strips, or you can use some sort of symmetric design. I have done probably a hundred of the typical edge grain patterns in things I like look pleasing to the eye. You can do wider boards, thinner accents, no accents, all kinds of things. Radius the edges, or not. 

I haven't done anything more complicated than curved inlays (I have some MDF templates I made for this) or end-grain checkerboard patterns. I soak them in mineral oil for finishing. Nothing exciting about it.

[FrankAtl]

From the wayback machine and Howard Acheson:

"An excellent treatment for wooden food preparation surfaces like cutting boards and butcher blocks is a mixture of mineral oil and either paraffin or beeswax. This is what is used on many commercial wood surfaces. It will last longer and be more protective than just mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in most supermarkets in the pharmacy section or in a true pharmacy. Paraffin is found in the canning section of the store or in a hardware store.

Heat the oil in a double boiler and shave in some wax. The exact proportions are not critical--a 5-6 parts of oil to one part of wax will work fine. Stir the mixture until all the wax is liquefied. Apply the mixture heavily and let it set 10-12 hours or overnight. Next day do it again and continue until the wood will no longer absorb the finish. Let it set for 10-12 hours and then lightly scrape off any excess. Then buff it with a rag."


I've used the above for years. Make a batch and save it in a sealed container...lasts a long time.

That's a blast from the past! Howard sure knew a lot about finishing. I remember that particular post and it's the finish I have always used.