end grain cutting board - HELP

[bassmansimon]

hi all
i'm looking to make this end grain cutting board from Purple Heart and Rock Maple.
I can get a 150x50x600 purpleheart and a 140x50x600 rock maple for $100 (which sounds heaps but it's the best price i can find).

my question is fairly simple - would it be best to cut these slabs into slices on a table saw, or a bandsaw? being that they are 50mm thick, and will be quite hard timber, i was thinking that a medium sized bandsaw might not cope to cut these 600mm strips accurately??

ps - photos: Cut 1: cut the boards into strips of descending size
Arrange 1: Glue together
Arrange 2: Cut the board horizontally, and flip every 2nd one. then turn each 90 degrees to make it end grain.

[Strats]

Hi there,

That looks like the cutting board that Marc Spagnuolo made in his "The Wood Whisperer" podcasts. I assume that you've watched them, but just in case here is the link to the first part:

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-...-above-part-1/

I pretty sure from memory that he uses the table saw. So he obviously chose it for a reason. I think it is because the cuts will be straighter, cleaner and easier to repeat.

I'd go the table saw option, but I'm just a theorycrafter with no hands on experience (yet!).

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

A tablesaw would, IMHO, be better in this instance.

It would (or should) give you dead-straight cuts that are good enough for gluing directly off the blade; with a bandsaw you'd likely have to joint - or otherwise flatten - the edges.

So, what you lose in kerf width on the TS, you'd also lose in flattening after the BS.

[Rookie]

Definitely table saw. I have made a few of these and as Skew said, you can glue right off the blade.

[bassmansimon]

thanks all. yes it's from the wood whisperer.
i've found his videos make stuff like this look soooo easy
thanks again - i'll use the table saw.

[Durdge39]

Don't forget to have a really sharp blade to avoid sanding or jointing those potential burn marks off.

[mrmoon]

one of the australian woodwork magazines recently had a project on making an endgrain board. looked pretty easy if done on a table saw. not sue which mag, woodworker or wood review i think

[bassmansimon]

thanks mrmoon. i've just ordered the old issue of Australian Woodworker (December 2008) which has it. only $5