[pandamonium54]

I'm getting curious about fine(r) woodworking and I also like to cook, so I thought an end grain cutting board would be a nice starting point.

It seems that every end grain cutting board I see is checkerboarded. From the woodworking side, I understand that the visual patterns have a certain appeal. But I'm a relatively plain guy and my primary concerns are that the board be durable and that it plays nice with my cutlery. It'd be a bonus if I didn't lose too much wood to the kerf too.

Why is it that nobody seems to cross cut planks of hard maple, rotate those strips, and glue up? The board would be end grain, you'd have minimal joints, and you'd use half as many cuts as the traditional checkerboard. Is it strictly the aesthetics? Or is there some functional reason to have a grid of cubes glued up?

 

[mobilepaul]

Here are some end grain, non-checkerboard cutting boards

Amazon.com: Catskill Craftsmen 19-Inch End Grain Chopping Block: Home & Kitchen

Amazon.com: Maple End Grain Chopping Block 20 x 15 x 3 1/2: Home & Kitchen

just substitute all the same wood here and you would not have checkerboard
http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/how-to-make-a-butcher-block-cutting-board/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-an-end-grain-cutting-board-I-made-it-at-T/

and the list goes on and on

Paul

 

[pandamonium54]

I don't mean strict checkerboard. All of the end grains you linked (and all of the other ones that I've googled) are glued up 1-2x1-2" chunks. Is there any technical reason there aren't any end grain boards made of glued up 1-2x12" strips?

 

[chsdiyer]

it may be just that people don't have 12" wide plank board to turn on end. Personally I've yet to make an end grain board. I'm more plain my self and have just made edge grain boards.

 

[mobilepaul]

I don't mean strict checkerboard. All of the end grains you linked (and all of the other ones that I've googled) are glued up 1-2x1-2" chunks. Is there any technical reason there aren't any end grain boards made of glued up 1-2x12" strips?

I see what you're saying now. As far as I know, glue up is glue up. There is one cutting board out there that I saw at a Williams Sonoma that was long end grain glueup. I cannot remember the brand. It may be Proteak..

The reason I would see that they don't do it that way is that the wide boards, required, to give you the end grain of which you speak, cost a quite a bit more than the less wider boards. Not to mention that many of the cutting boards probably are born out of cut-offs and scrap. At least, in the beginning they did.

read this about edge grain vs. end grain just for FYI, I know it's not what you are asking but it's good reading.

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/70646/end-grain-vs-edge-grain-boards-blocks

 

[pandamonium54]

Ahh I see. I'm not familiar with the cost of stock in the slightest so I didn't give it that much thought. Right now I'm just reading about projects and sketching ideas on paper (soon to use SketchUp). I don't have the space or funds to start learning the technical side of things, but pen & paper are pretty cheap.

 

[mobilepaul]

Ahh I see. I'm not familiar with the cost of stock in the slightest so I didn't give it that much thought. Right now I'm just reading about projects and sketching ideas on paper (soon to use SketchUp). I don't have the space or funds to start learning the technical side of things, but pen & paper are pretty cheap.

Sketchup is free. You should start learning it now. If you need any help with it, let me know, I would be happy to share what I know about it.

Paul