Make A Plaid Cutting Board: Instructables

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The key takeaways are that this instructable shows how to make a beautiful and functional plaid end grain cutting board using various domestic wood species. It provides detailed steps for cutting, gluing, and finishing the board.

The materials needed are 15 strips of oak, 8 strips of cherry, 7 strips of maple, walnut, and Titebond III wood glue.

The board is constructed by gluing the wood strips into panels, cutting the panels into strips, and gluing the strips together in an alternating pattern with walnut strips in between to create the plaid pattern. It is then flattened.

instructables

Make a Plaid Cutting Board

by GenealogistWoodworker

Want a cutting board that is as much of a show piece as it is functional? Try making a plaid end grain cutting board.
It’s made from easy to obtain domestic wood species. By following the below steps, you’ll end up with a beautiful
cutting board that people will gawk over!

Supplies:

15 strips of oak – approximately 20”L x 7/8”W x 7/8”T


8 strips of cherry – approximately 20”L x 7/8”W x 7/8”T
7 strips of maple – approximately 20”L x 7/8”W x 7/8”T
Walnut (amount depends on the size of your cutting board)
Titebond III glue
Forrest Woodworker II Saw Blade
Microjig Grr-ripper
Starrett 6” combination square
Jet Table Saw
Dewalt planer
Jet jointer
General Finishes Wood Bowl Finish
Butcher Block oil
Festool random orbit sander

https://youtu.be/ZunXQkMuvLw

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 1


Step 1: Cut Strips of Wood

My cutting board is approximately 16”L x 12”W x 1.5”T. strips of maple in order to make my board. My strips
You can make your board any size that you want. You are roughly 20” long. I milled the wood down to about
only need to change the dimensions or number of 7/8” thick, and then I cut them on the table saw just
strips that you use if you want a di erent size cutting slightly wider than 7/8”. This gives me a bit more
board. material thickness that will help me in step 2.

I needed 15 strips of oak, 8 strips of cherry, and 7

Step 2: Glue the Panels Together

I glued together the wood strips into two panels. I alternated between maple and oak strips, gluing them together

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 2


with Titebond III glue. I made sure that the strips had the thicker side facing up. I also glued together a panel of
alternating strips of cherry and oak. Once these two panels were dry, I planed them down to 7/8” thick, giving me
perfect squares when I look at the ends.

Step 3: Cut the Panels Into Strips

This step takes our two panels and turns them into an above to see it in action. In essence, it’s a sheet of
end grain cutting board. I want my cutting board to particle board with an attached wood fence. This
be about 1.5” thick. Using the table saw, I crosscut my gives me a reference surface to ensure that all of my
panels into 1-3/4” strips. I turned these pieces up on strips are glued up as at as possible, and in
their edges (end grain facing up and down), giving alignment with one another.
me a 1-3/4” thick cutting board. But the board will
have to be attened after each glue up in the I glued up my strips, alternating between types. One
subsequent steps, and that 1/4” extra will be taken strip of maple/oak, and then one of cherry/oak, and
away throughout that process. so on. This resulted in cutting board that is
approximately 16” long x 12” wide x 1-3/4” thick. After
To help with alignment, I made a quick jig that helps the glue was dry, it was time to atten the board.
to ensure my squares all line up. Check out the video

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 3


Step 4: Flatten the Cutting Board

Once the glue is dry, the cutting board needs to be same process that I use when I atten wood slabs. The
attened. I never advocate using a jointer and planer most common method is simply using a sander and
to atten an end grain cutting board. It’s simply not some heavy grit sand paper. I chose to use my CNC,
the safest method and the board could break in the mainly because it’s a new tool and I wanted to play
tool. Instead, I recommend one of many alternative with it!
processes. One is using a router and a sled. This is the

Step 5: Add Long Walnut Strips

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 4


Now we get to the part that causes the most tension - Using my same glue-up jig, I glued the board
cutting up the board. After some careful measuring, I together, with walnut in between each piece. Once
used the table saw to slice my cutting board in the the glue was dry, I attened both sides of the board
dead center of each maple/oak section. My saw blade again.
is 1/8” thick so I made some walnut pieces that are the
same thickness. This results in those squares staying
the same size when I glue everything back together.

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 5


Step 6: Add Short Walnut Stripes

Just like we did to add the long walnut stripes, I applied the same process to make stripes that run across the width
of the cutting board. I sliced the board into sections, cutting in the middle of each maple/oak strip. The board was,
once again, glued together with walnut placed between each section. This is the last glue-up. Once it was dry, I
attened it on the CNC.

Step 7: Make It Look Pretty

The cutting board is essentially done at this point, but I wanted to make it pretty. I sliced the edges of each side o ,
and I cut o the both ends, leaving a half square around the entire perimeter. Then, I set the table saw blade at 45
degrees and cut a bevel on the bottom so it’s easier to pick up.

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 6


Step 8: Apply Finish to the Cutting Board

I didn’t use the commonly applied mineral oil nish to get the board to soak up as much nish as possible,
this cutting board. Instead, I went an entirely di erent but not leave a lm at the top. I thinned my nish with
way and used wood bowl nish. In the latter half of mineral spirits. Before you yell as me for using mineral
the video, I show the step by step how to apply this spirits, hear me out. I did do my research. I pulled up
nish to make a well protected cutting board that the MSDS sheet on salad bowl nish and found that
doesn’t build up a lm and doesn’t weep mineral oil one of its main components is mineral spirits. The
like regular boards. spirits evaporates, leaving the item food safe.

I decided to use salad bowl nish. This is a nish that is I thinned down my nish and applied it using a foam
food safe once it dries, but also builds a lm. That’s brush. I added enough until I saw it bleeding through
something that you don’t want on a cutting board the bottom, at which point, I set the board on its edge
because it can break as you chop. In my case, this was and let it dry. The next day, I sanded the entire board
actually a perfect nish because it’s an end grain thoroughly using 220 grit sandpaper. I applied
cutting board. End grain is like a series of straws another coat of nish. After three coats of nish and a
running up and down. It soaks up nish, whether nal sanding, I applied a thin layer of wax on the
that’s salad bowl nish or mineral oil. My goal was to surface of the board. I’m left with a durable nish that

is food safe, repels water, and doesn’t weep mineral


oil.

Step 9: Enjoy Your Cutting Board!

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 7


I think this cutting board turned out so cool! I hope href="https://www.instagram.com/genealogistwoodw
that you enjoyed this Instructable and that you give orker/">Genealogist Woodworker Instagram page
this project a try. If you like this sort of content, you
can nd my work at the following links: Genealogist Woodworker Facebook page

The Genealogist Woodworker website Genealogist Woodworker YouTube channel

Make a Plaid Cutting Board: Page 8

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