Introduction: 3D End Grain Cutting Board

By FS Woodworking

We all have a cutting board at home, some people prefer the plastic ones others the wooden ones and some people like me prefer the wooden ones but with a 3d pattern on them not because the work better than all the others but because they also look cool!

So I have decided to make a cutting board with a pattern on it ,it was just an experiment really, I just wanted to see if I could make it and the truth is I am really happy with the way it turned out. It is the first one I have ever made and the next one will be even better and of course bigger!

You will need three different species of wood. A dark wood (I used Iroko) for the (A, F and E) pieces, A lighter (beech) for (B, D, G) and an even lighter wood for C. For the C parts I used white oak but the best would be maple.

So have fun reading my instructable, try to make your own cutting board and stay safe.

Please check out my video for more details:

For this build you will need:

  • Band saw or table saw
  • Waterproof wood glue
  • Hand plane
  • Sander
  • Sand paper
  • Mineral oil
  • Miter saw
  • Tape measure
  • Safety gear
  • PATIENCE!

Step 1: The Jig

The best way to make accurate bevels and cuts is to use a table saw,so if you have one you are lucky. Unfortunately I do not have one so I had to find a way to cut bevels on the band saw. I built this jig in 20 minutes before I start my cutting board project and it turned to be really useful. It is consisted by two pieces of melamine that you can lock at an angle and cut a bevel on the band saw.

Step 2: Parts "A" and "B"

The main idea is to create a long piece consisted by several smaller pieces of wood that create a pattern and then once you slice it you can arrange one piece next to the other and create the surface of the cutting board.

So we start by cutting out the two inner pieces (A and B on the plan)

We have to make two triangles, one out of beech and one out of Iroko. So I set up my jig at 60° and cut my pieces 2.0 x 2.5 cm. The total length of all pieces was 70 cm.

Step 3: Gluing Pieces "A" and "B"

Glue the two pieces together with a waterproof wood glue and clamp them down for a few hours.

Step 4: Parts "C"

You will have to make something that looks like the piece in the first picture.

Start by milling four pieces of white oak 0.9 x 5.0 cm. Set your jig at 30° and make a bevel on each one on the one side. On the other side cut a bevel at 60°.

Glue all the pieces together as shown on the first picture.

Step 5: Parts "D", "E", "F", "G"

Start by taking a 1.1 x 2.0 cm piece of beech and cut a bevel at 30° on one side, then do the same for one more piece of Iroko. These are the parts "D" and "E".

Cut two 1.2 x 6.0 cm pieces. one out of beech and the other one out of Iroko. Cut a 60° bevel on one side of each one. Then glue them all together as shown on the picture 7 and apply some pressure with some clamps.

Step 6: Planing

Cut any excess wood on each side and sand it smooth. You should now have something that looks like my piece on the last picture.

Step 7: Slice It!

Once you have your work piece ready slice it in 2.5 cm slices. I have used my radial arm saw for this but you can do it on your table saw as well.

Step 8: Making the Pattern

Glue your pieces on a piece of marine grade plywood. This will give strength and your board will not warp.

Once the glue dries cut your cutting board to its final width and height.

Step 9: Finishing

As a last step you can add some pieces of 1.0 cm around the edges of your cutting board to make it look better. Use mineral oil to preserve your cutting board!