Great job Gary.

 

6 hours ago, Gary Hanscom said:

Well Dave, time for validation! Finally finished the rolling island and learned a couple things along the way! Matt Seller used to say don't be afraid to try something new. I didn't venture too far from the norm but learned a bit about butcher block style tops as well as W/B Poly, two things I had never tried before. Even made my own towel rack dowel. Didn't come out too bad...LOML and capable assistant as well as daughter and SIL are pleased with it and that's all that matters. Maple top (man that stuff is hard...eats screws like crazy even after pilot hole drilling!) and oak carcass. Couple shots attached for Dave's validation request!

Gary

Well Gary, I guess you showed me. Pun intended.

You're right, it didn't come out too bad it came out GREAT! VERY Well done. It looks like you have a fold down extension to the top? Nice touch as is the towel bar.

BTW, Thanks for the pictures. Great inspiration for others and your work deserved to be seen.

Deleted content...Double Posted.

Edited February 14, 20197 yr by Grandpadave52
Double post.

18 hours ago, Gerald said:

Gary that is a great look you got going. Did you have any problems with the glueup on the top?

Hi Gerald. No real problems, I did it in three sections. Each piece was about 1.25X1.25 and 36" long. Toughest part was making sure to have even joints everywhere. Making sure to have extra length (on each end) to account for any planer snipe is a must, well worth the "wasted" cost. TB III works like a charm also!

Gary

 

That will be a great addition to the kitchen Gary - Well Done!

Great job Gary! 

I found a pdf by the author of the bacterial study (UC Davis; my old school).  They also tested cleaning of boards, and found mixed results.  Dishwashers will clean plastic, but a researcher pointed out that this might simply spread the bacteria to all the other contents of the washer.  Microwaving turned out to be very effective on wood, but then the dimensions of cutting board / microwave appliance may not match.  Wet wood in micro was very effective at killing bugs.  What I was really looking for was whether the research differentiated between edge and end grain bacterial retention in wood; from the description of the research method, they didn't test this. 

I did find convincing commentary that end grain is much easier on knife edges (the spaghetti comparison was attractive; attractive in science isn't necessarily good), but I wonder how end/edge might differ in bacterial penetration?  (The researcher found that bacteria that penetrate wood:  a) don't come back out and  b) die down there; whereas plastic board bacteria can be picked up by later knife passage.)

 

I'd be interested in this group's thinking on end/edge grain construction of cutting boards.  End grain would seem a more demanding process, and is it worth it?

Phyl cuts her bread on wood. Meat, cheese and veggies get the plastic. 

1 hour ago, PeteM said:

End grain would seem a more demanding process, and is it worth it?

I don't know Pete, but I do remember as a kid working in a sandwich shop that sold Boston Phillys and other Boston fare, they had an end grain block similar to this one, and I do remember it was very hard to even get a knife mark into it.

 

Since end grain is very hard, I would imagine it would last a looooong time.

Link to Above Cutting Block

Seems to be favored by restaurant professionals.

The bacteria question has been brought up for years and the thing is there is little to no bacteria growth on wood.

THIS is but one article and not at home I think I have others showing wood is much better than plastic . Amazingly this one says oak, beech and ash in that order are best for limiting growth. But I would stay away from red oak due to porosity.

20 hours ago, Gerald said:

The bacteria question has been brought up for years and the thing is there is little to no bacteria growth on wood.

I looked at the various testing reports, and I think the methodology of the tests are important.  Gerald, your reference reports on the use of wood dust and plastic chips, and looked at bacterial growth.  The other test I found (UCD) focused on actual sections of solid wood/plastic, and they didn't find any difference in wood types, BUT they weren't testing for growth, but for transference of bacteria from the board, simulating contamination in one use of the board and its potential for contaminating a later use as the (presumed) clean knife encountered the existing bacteria.  In that testing, they also included a factoring for wear/tear on the surfaces.  Initially, clean unused plastic was better than wood (either new or used), but after some use the plastic surface had grooves that harbored bacteria more than either new/used wood. 

     A third test I found focused on how to clean the surfaces, and that's where the microwave was found most effective (wet surface, 3--4 minutes at high; kills everything).  I thus wonder how well TB-III holds up to a microwave assault, and maybe if I ever build a board, I'll limit the size to microwavable dimensions? 

I'd be curious to see a report on folks who actually got sick from cutting board contamination. Like I said, since my childhood, and in my current family, wood cutting boards, and always the same cutting board for everything, remember those old cutting boards/bread boards that you pull out from a cabinet slot? As a kid, ma used that one for everything! We were the healthiest kids on earth. So, my point being, is all this fuss overblown? Contextually, is the number of people who we can prove actually get sick from cutting boards really worth the huge amount of material related to this subject?

 

It's like this, raise your kids in an antiseptic environment where they wash their hands with alcohol wipes every-time they touch something yucky or pick their nose, never let them go to birthday parties for their friends because you know a couple kids there have the cold, etc etc, your going to have a kid that is prone to getting sick at the touch of a public door handle.

 

Expose yourself and your kids to life, normally, and casually, you'll have a very healthy family that has a high resistance to bacteria and germ related sicknesses.

I am a simpleton in many areas, this is one of them. My point being, we go about the day, touching everything, shaking hands, gas pumps, door handles, money, and here we are all worried about a cutting board in your own home? But perhaps you should disregard all I say, because my standards are pretty low when it comes to bacteria, after all, I feel good when I can sit down in the blue rooms at the construction sites and drop one, and the blue water doesn't splash back up onto my rear end. That's a good day in my world.

 

Fun quote I found somewhere: "I throw food at my children and they catch it in their mouths, this stops any chance of contamination from plates or serving boards"

 

12 hours ago, John Morris said:

Fun quote I found somewhere: "I throw food at my children and they catch it in their mouths, this stops any chance of contamination from plates or serving boards"

 

What, no five minute rule? Or is that five seconds?  Oh well, it doesn't matter much here though, you just have to be faster than the dog.

Expediency is the word around our house. Plastic is easier to clean than wood. And, it's dishwasher safe. But, maybe a little historical perspective is in order. Bacteria has been around a lot longer than us yet, we've managed to survive despite it. Our ancestors cut and prepared their food on surfaces a bit less sterile than our cutting boards. And, in many cases today, our household food prep surfaces may be the most bacteria free environment the food has ever seen. 

IMO, all the hullabaloo about the safety of cutting boards/chopping blocks borders on paranoia. Good common sense and, basic sanitary habits will do the job, regardless of the grain orientation.

First Gary, good job on project look grate and useful.

 

Cutting board safety and the FDA.....Meh........The FDA allows toxic chemicals in out foods the other countries ban. I'll take a wooden cutting board any day.  Lol, I've eaten off of things you wouldn't believe and I'm still here.

On 2/16/2019 at 9:37 AM, John Morris said:

It's like this, raise your kids in an antiseptic environment where they wash their hands with alcohol wipes every-time they touch something yucky or pick their nose, never let them go to birthday parties for their friends because you know a couple kids there have the cold, etc etc, your going to have a kid that is prone to getting sick at the touch of a public door handle.

I think another factor is today's diet.  When we were kids, most of us ate a normal, healthy diet.  Sure, we had hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc., but those were treats.  Most of the time we had meat, chicken, fish, veggies, fruits, regular grocery market foods for our meals.  A sensible diet helps build great resistance to diseases.  Now, hamburgers one night, hot dogs the next, pizza the next is considered a balanced diet as long as we don't have the same junk food several nights in a row. I think diet and exposure are two keys to a strong immune system.  After all, what are vaccines other than controlled exposure to bacteria and viruses? 

Edited March 3, 20197 yr by PostalTom

And, we have had 2 neurologists to tell us to allow our children to get dirty.  It is good for the immune system.  And, once in a great while, allow them the opportunity to eat some dirt.  Sure, they may get sick, but then they will have the antibodies.  Being too clean as a child will not sufficiently develop the immune system.  Hmmmmm!  Not according to my grandmother.