maxgrad 20th October 2005, 05:32 PM Trying to get some tips on making a chopping board. The type that results in a checkerboard effect. Can remember many thins from school but sadly way too many years have passed for me to remember all. I plan to elevate the board by extending the corner and centre pieces. Any tips welcome and any views on electric planer's as I intend to buy one soon.
thanks
just been looking with the search function and saw many a tip. Expect many dumb questions, (preferably no dumb answers) from this one
Ticky 20th October 2005, 05:59 PM Maxgrad,
Before I start, please be aware that I have not actually done this. If I let a little thing not not having any idea what I am doing stand in my way, I would have stuck to boilermaking.
Depending on your intended pattern, uniform or irregular.
For uniform, select your timbers & cut or thickness to the same width & roughly the same length.
for both uniform or irregular, cut or thickness to the same thickness.
Glue the strips together, eg pine jarrah pine jarrah etc
cut across you newly glued multi coloured slab so you have strips of pine jarrah pine jarrah etc
stagger & reglue.
now sand.
now sand some more
finish with a food safe product, I used olive oil on the one chopping block that I did make, looks a treat & its in the kitchen cupboard.
ticky
Hobbyhorse 20th October 2005, 06:01 PM Generally they are made with the end grain on the cutting surface and around 40mm to 50mm square sections glued together to form the slab. It finally depends on what material you have available. The trick is to make sure that the square sections are accurately sized.
Rhys H.
Gumby 20th October 2005, 06:48 PM Not a checker pattern but made with jarrah and pine, there's a nice one in our latest newsletter, including a diagram and instructions. Check it out:
www.tritonwoodworkers.org.au
Click on the newsletter section - October issue. It could get you started and it's half way to doing a checker pattern anyway.
savage 20th October 2005, 07:22 PM Trying to get some tips on making a chopping board. The type that results in a checkerboard effect. Can remember many thins from school but sadly way too many years have passed for me to remember all. I plan to elevate the board by extending the corner and centre pieces. Any tips welcome and any views on electric planer's as I intend to buy one soon.
thanks
just been looking with the search function and saw many a tip. Expect many dumb questions, (preferably no dumb answers) from this one
G'Day maxgrad,
I have an Ozito planer!!...If I had prior knowledge I would have bought my second one first and not bothered with the Ozito, don't get me wrong it works fine, light and easy to handle for the first time user, BUT I couldn't get spare blades:( . Bought it from Bunnings, and nobody in the Campbelltown area has parts, I admit I stuffed the blades (caught a broken nail) no it leaves a score in it's wake. Now I have a Hitachi P20SB 82mm and it great, I just use the Ozito for rough work.
savage(Eric):)
maxgrad 20th October 2005, 08:32 PM Thanks all for the ideas. I will be starting on this in about one and a half months when I move in to my new shed aaaaar house. Hence buying new gear and thinking of projects.
Just bought a Warrior twin bar sliding compound mitre saw......210mm blade. Yes on the cheap side but once I get into the whole thing will get an upgrade.
From what I have read hard wood is the go, attacking softwood with a knife would tend to be detrimental to the block I expect. Any preference on type?
Ticky 21st October 2005, 12:15 AM Max, as Hobbyhorse said, "Generally they are made with the end grain on the cutting surface"
I bought a chopping block on wheel, about 900 high. This of course was a few years ago before I realise that I should have spent that money on tools. Anyway, the entire thing is made from pine.
The actual chopping block is just engrain pine in a stagered pattern. soft as
***** but the timber fibers don't seem to get dammaged. I oil it regularly with olive oil, but I use it every day & it is fine.
I have attached a couple of pics of one I made for my brother. It is the same as ours, but I used hard wood on the long grain. The top is Jarrah & the bottom is some other hard wood that I don't know.
My brother uses his every day also & also oils regularly & his is also standing up to the ware & tear.
On your power Planer, I bought a Ryobi. Still a cheapy, but maybe a little better. GMC tools are ok to get you started, they have a 30 day money back if it does not suit your needs & 2 year replacement policy. I suspect a lot of people will dissagree with me about GMC, but a lot of people have more money than I do too. I have had a few GMC tools let me down, but they have replaced them, usually with a more powerful model. Hard to knock that.
All the best mate
ticky
Skew ChiDAMN!! 21st October 2005, 12:31 AM If we're talking about a butcher's block, as against a cutting board, then there's one other hint I was given many years ago...
Drill some holes across the width to take endless thread, countersinking the nuts/washers. This helps to prevent splitting, especially if the block is likely to be subject to heavy use or mistreatment.
savage 21st October 2005, 10:26 AM If we're talking about a butcher's block, as against a cutting board, then there's one other hint I was given many years ago...
Drill some holes across the width to take endless thread, countersinking the nuts/washers. This helps to prevent splitting, especially if the block is likely to be subject to heavy use or mistreatment.
Being a Butcher by trade some of the older blocks I've seen also have a band of steel around them like a wine barrel.
savage(Eric):)
Rookie 21st October 2005, 11:12 AM I suspect a lot of people will dissagree with me about GMC, but a lot of people have more money than I do too. I have had a few GMC tools let me down, but they have replaced them, usually with a more powerful model. Hard to knock that.
All the best mate
ticky
I won't disagree with you Ticky. I use GMC tools but only for tools which don't need precision like sanders etc. For things like SCMS's, bandsaws etc, I'm happy to pay extra for other brands because they need to be made with finer tolerances and better engineering.
Cheers
John
Stubchain 21st October 2005, 09:27 PM Hi Max,
I posted some pics of my first boards some time ago. These are end grain. The pattern will look after itself if you keep everything in the order you cut them. Have a look here.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=12465
RETIRED 21st October 2005, 09:36 PM From what I have read hard wood is the go, attacking softwood with a knife would tend to be detrimental to the block I expect. Any preference on type?Don't you stop when you have cut through? :)
I made my mother a bread board 25 years ago out of pine. It has been in daily use (mum doesn't like sliced bread) since then and sure it is dished a bit but still looks good. :D
savage 21st October 2005, 09:58 PM Don't you stop when you have cut through? :)
I made my mother a bread board 25 years ago out of pine. It has been in daily use (mum doesn't like sliced bread) since then and sure it is dished a bit but still looks good. :D
In the butcher shops we would get them "dressed" about every 12-18 months, I am guessing the they had a big type of planer to do this, it would be a simple matter to do this to your mums board. We found that it was better to cut on a flat block than a "hollowed-out" one, looks better too!:)
savage(Eric):).
rick_rine 21st October 2005, 10:18 PM Trying to get some tips on making a chopping board. The type that results in a checkerboard effect. Can remember many thins from school but sadly way too many years have passed for me to remember all. I plan to elevate the board by extending the corner and centre pieces. Any tips welcome and any views on electric planer's as I intend to buy one soon.
thanks
just been looking with the search function and saw many a tip. Expect many dumb questions, (preferably no dumb answers) from this one
An easy idea for a simple cutting board with block effect is to get a square or rectangular baseboard and cut small grooves into it with your compound mitre saw or carefully do it with your hand held saw . If your baseboard is say 22mm thick cut the grooves in a parallel pattern 6-10 mm deep . Then on your triton or table saw cut strips of a contrasting timber to the thickness of your saw kerf . Glue them in place and when dry sand it all smooth . Then after it has dried resaw grooves at 90 degrees to the finished work and fill those grooves with the same thickness timber as the saw blade .It gives the effect of blocks glued together but in fact is very strong .
Really quite easy and very effective .
Regards
Rick
RETIRED 22nd October 2005, 12:29 AM In the butcher shops we would get them "dressed" about every 12-18 months, I am guessing the they had a big type of planer to do this, it would be a simple matter to do this to your mums board. We found that it was better to cut on a flat block than a "hollowed-out" one, looks better too!:)
savage(Eric):).
Butchers blocks are a different kettle of fish than the average household board.
Butchers chop up carcasses (or they used to) with a cleaver.
Householders generally slice or cut up vegetables or meat with a knife.
My point was that you generally stop cutting when you go through the lettuce, tomatoe or whatever.
Hardness of the timber does not enter into it.
If I remember rightly the big blocks were planed flat with a long plane. :D
Skew ChiDAMN!! 22nd October 2005, 12:53 AM Butchers blocks are a different kettle of fish than the average household board.
Butchers chop up carcasses (or they used to) with a cleaver.
Householders generally slice or cut up vegetables or meat with a knife.
I'm beginning to feel distinctly non-average. :(
My point was that you generally stop cutting when you go through the lettuce, tomatoe or whatever.
Hardness of the timber does not enter into it.
I've found it's not the cutting that does the damage, it's SWMBO's habit of tenderising chops with a facet-faced tenderiser that'd make a mesh-hammer feel inferior. OK, OK, so mebbe I do get just a wee tad overzealous with the cleaver. :o It's all these sharpening forums' fault, I tell ya! GRRRR! CHOP! CHOP! ME BOSS! UGH! CHOP!
If people want a cutting board why talk about a cutting block? Is it one of those soccer mom things? Like using a 4x4 to drive 20' down the road to buy Maccas for tea? :confused:
echnidna 22nd October 2005, 01:32 AM Like using a 4x4 to drive 20' down the road to buy Maccas for tea?
you do that ???????????? ;) ;) ;)
Skew ChiDAMN!! 22nd October 2005, 01:44 AM you do that ???????????? ;) ;) ;)
Not this li'l black duck. :D
There's naught worse than balancing one of those stupid cardboard trays in your lap when riding a motorsickle... 'cept trying to roll a smoke, perhaps. ;)
Ticky 22nd October 2005, 02:54 AM If people want a cutting board why talk about a cutting block? Is it one of those soccer mom things? Like using a 4x4 to drive 20' down the road to buy Maccas for tea? :confused:
Skew,
Maxgrad, an Apprentice member was asking a question on how to build a chopping board.
Hobbyhorse, a novice helped out old Max with a bit of info about using end grain, & I agreed with hobby horse & also offered a couple of pics of the only board / block that I have made, using long grain as an option.
It was actually you mate, that started to re invent the butchers block in this thread. If you feel us new guys who don't have your experiance have nothing to offer. why don't you just say so. Perhaps the administrators could prevent us from interfering.
RETIRED 22nd October 2005, 07:24 AM Please refer here.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=22654
Rosethorn 22nd October 2005, 09:07 AM maxgrad
butchers block type cutting boards have endgrain facing up because it is self-healing, that is, the fibres part when cut and then go back again-much kinder to knives than long grain.
I use wood wipe to finish and oil my chopping board/blocks
cheers rosethorn
maxgrad 22nd October 2005, 01:50 PM Thankyou one and all.
Good pictures and some good advice apart from a few terms where I will require a woodwooking manual to translate from woodworkeze.
As it gets a bit closer to me actually being in my new shed and doing it I shall be asking more Q's.
As I don't have a Triton I am thinking of different ways to either glue boards together then cut them to correct lenght or cut first. Actually looking at what I just wrote I can see it is really either or as two sets of cutting will be required.
Anyway thanks again and stay tuned in the near future for more, and as requested I will post photoes of the job as it progresses. (could be somewhat amusing)
savage 22nd October 2005, 05:52 PM Butchers blocks are a different kettle of fish than the average household board.
Butchers chop up carcasses (or they used to) with a cleaver.
Householders generally slice or cut up vegetables or meat with a knife.
My point was that you generally stop cutting when you go through the lettuce, tomatoe or whatever.
Hardness of the timber does not enter into it.
If I remember rightly the big blocks were planed flat with a long plane. :D
Ohh!..Thats right we used to throw the steaks up in the air and slice'em on the way down....silly me to forget that!:rolleyes: ..Sorry couldn't resist that one!;) :D ....seriously, though we cut with knives more than we chopped, the bandsaw took over from the "chopper", less bone splinter and a nicer looking product, but we had to slice the steaks, round, topside etc no bone!....and the blocks took a beating, 20 bodies of beef, 40 lambs, 6 pigs and 8-10 calves per week, plus weekly specials, same thing just a lot more of it!:)
savage(Eric):)
savage 22nd October 2005, 05:59 PM maxgrad
butchers block type cutting boards have endgrain facing up because it is self-healing, that is, the fibres part when cut and then go back again-much kinder to knives than long grain.
I use wood wipe to finish and oil my chopping board/blocks
cheers rosethorn
Shoot!...Thats what I've been trying to say, it just didn't come out that way!..:o
savage(Eric)
Thanks Rosethorn, and me a butcher?...:o
Grahame Collins 22nd October 2005, 07:29 PM One of the major things I picked up was that one should not end up with the joints all in straight lines.When the board gets dropped, the crack can run straight along the lines.
I have added a photo of my wifes 21 year old board that I made for her while doing Teacher Training in the Northern terrirtory. My mentor was a British City and Guilds trained tradesman.
He also put me onto West epoxy glue system which was what people were sucessfully using on the Racing yachts of the day.
The timber is alternating Jarrah and Celery Top pine. The boards were deliberately cut in slightly staggered widths and then glued parallel .When cured they were crosscut and every alternate piece was end for ended.
The linishing belt that the woodworkers shop had at the time was especially handy. It was 150mm wide and mounted on rollers horizontally about 3meters apart. The piece to be sanded was placed on a roller cradle. A movable plate was held beteew the belts to sand. It gave a very even finish.
Check the pic and you shall see the result.
Grahame
Grahame Collins 22nd October 2005, 07:41 PM Nearly forgot, so heres a big PS
Do not let "she who must " SOAK the bloody thing.
It has only taken my lady 15 or so yrs to realise that the water makes it swell and then split. The same board I took the photo of had to be reworked because of over enthuastic cleaning.
A quick wipe down with very hot water with a bit of baking soda is all that itneeds. Its biologically cleaner than the the plastic crap.The wood has enzymes or somesuch that attacks the nasties. Read all about it on the net.
Cheers
Grahame
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