"Odd" timbers for endgrain chopping board

In the "Christmas rush" I'm looking to make a three toned "tumbling blocks" chopping board for the old girl.

In an effort to use up some of the slabs I already have taking up room here, how "good" are poplar, claret ash, yellow box and elm as chopping board timbers if done with end grain? I suspect that the elm would be too soft, but don't really know.

I'd be happy to source more suitable material if something in that list is "bad". I'm trying to avoid it purely on a time basis but don't want to make something shoddy (well, at least this time :q)

I would suspect anything hard and close grained

but am interested in what the brains trust might say

I would say that the yellow box would be my pick, however isn't poplar on the softer side for a cutting board?

I am thinking that poplar might be too soft. I am not sure on what the end grain looks like.

Yeh, picking up the pieces last night and feeling the "feather weight" of the poplar, I'm thinking the same thing.

How about I add some Japanese Cherry Blossom into the mix?

Now I'm off to hunt Janka ratings...


BTW: I like the mix of the chocolate Elm color and another white/pale timber, plus a yellower one (the yellow box atm). Attached is the pattern, with the darker timber on top and the two lighter ones under it and next to each other.

Yellow box is very hard, elm is nearly as hard and tough with it, claret ash is middling and poplar is very light. You would do well to use the first three I think.

@RedShirtGuy, perhaps it may be prudent to visit the WWW show, to pick up some different types of timber. (as if you needed an excuse :wink: )

I havent a real lot of practical experience in this but I have done some research with a view to making a few myself.

I dont think you really "need" very hard timber. On the end grain a lot of the middle-density timbers would probably be tough enough. Remember that a chopping board can be quite large and you dont want it so heavy you need to put wheels on it.

I would be looking for species of similar (medium) densities and expansion/contraction properties to minimise stress along the glue lines, as short as they are, particularly because you wont be able to match grain orientation as you want the "tumbling block" effect.

But as I said, minimal experience with this so open to being told I am wrong.

Cheers

Doug

I have made loads of end grain chopping boards. They make great gifts for family and friends.

In my experience, the softer (and medium) woods don't wear anywhere near as well as the hard stuff. The problem is that when you mix the softer stuff with the hard stuff, once the board has some wear, it doesn't wear evenly and the softer stuff wear sticks out like dogs bollocks.

Jap cherry would be a bit of a waste in a chopping board I reckon.. Get some reg gum and tassie oak to go with the yellow box maybe? Or spotted gum?

Alrighty then, thanks for the input folks :2tsup:

I hadn't thought much of the different timbers wearing and shifting unevenly but obviously that's a big no no.

I had a ferret around under my bed, where I keep a bunch of nice pieces and good scraps, and found that I have a a nice little stack of a spotted gum off-cuts. Now I'm thinking that given the small and odd size of most of these pieces that doing the tumbling blocks design is going to be a bit risky and a hit and miss affair with cutting out the blocks.

So what I'm thinking about doing now is maybe an abstract block/line design with the yellow box, elm and spotted gum...and as much as I'd like to use endgrain for a better board, there's so much prettiness in the faces of these pieces that it would be a shame to hide it.


I can't believe that after so many years, this will be the first chopping board I'll have ever made :)

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Originally Posted by RedShirtGuy

......I can't believe that after so many years, this will be the first chopping board I'll have ever made :)

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Well I am not going to put you under pressure(yeah right :p ) waiting to see the end result.

Hehehe...I've been taking progress pics, so there will definitely be something to see later on in the "Woodwork Pics" section (...and OMG this has been a complete rat to clamp properly with the haphazard way I've been making it).

I've gone edge grain (despite the lovely faces) to give the board a bit more life, but I've mostly been making it up as I've gone along (with a heck of a lot of Scotch in me) so as with all things...we'll see what it looks like in the morning :q