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| detail of the board |
A couple of posts ago I said that I liked to build to a purpose. That means that I like to make things that people find useful. Cutting boards are useful and so much nicer than plastic or bamboo for China.
Making a cutting board is not terribly challenging but oddly they can be satisfying. Let me explain why I find gluing three or four pieces of wood together, sanding them smooth and waxing the final product so satisfying:
First; is is time in the wood shop, anytime in the shop is Good time.
Second; it is wood, often really nice hardwood with an interesting grain. Wood is lovely stuff with which to work. It feels nice to the touch and smells good.
Third; making a cutting board is a chance to try new router bits, or clamping techniques or practise with card scrappers or hand planes.
Fourth; when it is done it is before your eyes in the kitchens of your family and friends reminding you of how good your life really is.
Today's cutting boards were on a shelf waiting for my attention so today, as the spring sun shine streamed into my work space I scrapped and sanded and fussed away until I had two very nice little projects.
Over the course of finishing them I used a new router bit, (a 15 degree camfer bit, it is OK. I think it would be better on thinner stock). I used my old Stanley hand plane with the replaced blade as suggested by Rob Cosman, wow it works great. Finally I got organized and made a box to go on the bottom deck of my router table so that everything is easier to access. ( My plan now is to make a custom cabinet for the router table)
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| elm and oak and maple |
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| oat and roasted ash |
I would love to make one too, we are in desperate need for some new ones, but i often don't get my cuts straight enough with a handsaw, i will make one sooner or later with a machine once i get one. Yours turned out really beautiful by the way. :) I would have thought those light woods may not contrast enough to have a good visual effect, but this actually looks really nice.
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