Christmas was getting closer, and I hadn't gotten any gifts yet. I was working in my shop and saw a live-edge walnut board I'd bought a few years ago. I immediately thought about the nice cutting boards I'd seen online and thought it would be a nice, easy, handmade gift I could make.
I did a little research, as I'm prone to do, and got started. I decided I would make one for my parents, one for my in-laws, and one for our home. With a roughly 48" board, I thought 16" was a nice length.
The process was pretty straightforward: cut the boards to length, plane both sides, drill the handle on the drill press, ease all the sharp edges, and finally do the finishing process. One board had a knot in it with a small crack, so I decided to do a rosewood butterfly key to keep moisture from getting into the wood and also to stabilize the crack. I used Titebond III for the key, which is a food-safe glue.
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| Prior to cooling, the finish took on a nice, yellow glow |
For the finish, it had to be first and foremost food-safe, followed by attractive, yet somewhat durable. I found a nice recipe online for an easy finish consisting of 1/5 all-natural beeswax and 4/5 mineral oil. I decided that I would make enough finish to give a small jar of extra finish along with the cutting board, since a beeswax finish should be renewed often to maintain its ability to be waterproof. I heated the mineral oil on medium-low heat and slowly dissolved the bars of beeswax in it. Once the beeswax was fully emulsified, I let the mixture cool just a few minutes. Then, using a clean, lint-free cloth, I wiped the oily mixture on each board. Soon after wiping it on, the substance took on a waxy appearance. After leaving it sit on the boards for a few minutes, I took a new, clean cloth and buffed the excess wax off. I repeated this process for each board twice. I was very happy with the results. I hope to find other small projects to do as holiday gifts in the future.
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| I liked that each board had its own characteristic grain, despite being from the same board |
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| The small rosewood butterfly key was a nice touch |
