Yea I'm pondering again.  I know the cutting boards thickness can range from about 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch or maybe little thicker and the sizes can be just about any size.  The  question is how wide the strips do you cut them?  Have been doing some search and that answer seems to be avoiding my eyes.  Would appreciate any help on this

Wayne E

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Wayne E

Wayne, that is a hard question to answer. It depends on the pattern you are putting the end grain board in. If you are doing just an edge grain board they can be any width you like. It is really up to your eye.

This is an edge grain board and she wanted mostly Cherry. I used the maple and walnut just to break it up a bit. These piece were planed to about 13/16 and then turned up on their edge and glued together. This board was 13" wide and 18" long. So I did enough pieces to get to that size.

These are two different patterns and the pieces are cut to different sizes. The one on the right starts with a 1/2" piece of maple then 1 1/2" cherry, 1 1/2" walnut, 1 1/2" maple and repeat the pattern. Then when you cut it into the thickness you want, you turn them up on the end so the end grain is showing and flip ever other piece. That makes the pattern in the board. You can play around with different widths to see different patterns.

The board on the right as 1 3/4", 1 1/2" and 1 1/8" maple, two 1" walnut, 2 1/2" cherry and 2" cherry. I might be wrong on the maple as I am doing that from memory and since I am older today, the memory is not as good.

If you have ever used Google Sketchup you can draw out the sizes, color them, copy the section and flip it and stack them to see how it will come out. I play around with different patterns with that program since it is free.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

John

I was sort of afraid that would be the case for the strips width since I could find any info on it.  As board sizes I have been playing around on the big graph paper to get the feel of the size of the boards and got it narrow down to what I'm comfortable with.  I kind of cheated.  I drug out all my wife plastic cutting boards and measure them.  I did that when she was not at home.   From there I just adjusted the diminishing on paper.  I do have Google Sketchup but do not used it very much.  I'm still struggling with that program.  My son says technology does not like me.  I'll try playing with it sometime this week.  Tonight I work 4 hours then off till Sunday night.      Thanks for the input

Wayne E

John Moody said:

Wayne, that is a hard question to answer. It depends on the pattern you are putting the end grain board in. If you are doing just an edge grain board they can be any width you like. It is really up to your eye.

This is an edge grain board and she wanted mostly Cherry. I used the maple and walnut just to break it up a bit. These piece were planed to about 13/16 and then turned up on their edge and glued together. This board was 13" wide and 18" long. So I did enough pieces to get to that size.

These are two different patterns and the pieces are cut to different sizes. The one on the right starts with a 1/2" piece of maple then 1 1/2" cherry, 1 1/2" walnut, 1 1/2" maple and repeat the pattern. Then when you cut it into the thickness you want, you turn them up on the end so the end grain is showing and flip ever other piece. That makes the pattern in the board. You can play around with different widths to see different patterns.

The board on the right as 1 3/4", 1 1/2" and 1 1/8" maple, two 1" walnut, 2 1/2" cherry and 2" cherry. I might be wrong on the maple as I am doing that from memory and since I am older today, the memory is not as good.

If you have ever used Google Sketchup you can draw out the sizes, color them, copy the section and flip it and stack them to see how it will come out. I play around with different patterns with that program since it is free.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Wayne there is a software program that you can use that will help with dimensions. It's free. Here is a link that describes it and provides download instructions. I've used it once or twice. Once you get a feel for the required sizes of stock you wont need it but it will give you a preview of what your finished product will look like. For any complex design you'll have to use sketchup but for squares or rectangular segments it works very well. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/11372

For a checkered pattern just make sure your stock thickness is the same as the square size you are wanting for an end grain board.

I also recommend looking at the Wood Whisperer video on cutting boards.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B8oAJs3sik  Many a fine cutting board has been launched from this video. Good luck I hope this helps.

Mike that is an awesome program. Thanks for the link to it.

Wayne you can just play with the strip sizes and lengths and it will show you the board as you play with the size and wood.

It is pretty awesome if you are going to make cutting boards.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Wayne, one thing I've found out about doing cutting boards, is anything goes as to size and styles. There are some very unique boards to be found on the net. The ones I like to make the most are the ones with no plans, just pulling some scraps together and going with it. You can end up with some cool boards.

for my money ya can't make 'em thick enough, 2" is as thin as I'd go.