Coasters
We’ve all used plastic or rubber coasters around the house. They serve a purpose and we don’t think much about them other than protecting the surface of a table or countertop. They are not very attractive however or reflect your passion for a sporting team or special interest.
We believe coasters can be the showcase of your kitchen. A piece of art which is used on a daily basis and does not need to be hidden in a cabinet drawer when not in use.
To appreciate what goes into making a high quality wooden cutting board, you’ll need a little education regarding the wood surfaces used and how each is suited for beauty and cutting performance.
We’ve all seen or purchased wooden boards from Home Depot or Lowe’s. Dimensional lumber for building shelving and other home projects is referred to 1 x (one-by lumber) which is 3/4” thick and is offered in different widths and lengths. Face-grain, the majority of what you see with this type of board, is not suited as a cutting surface. As with furniture, unless treated with a polyurethane, the surface can be easily damaged or scored by sharp objects. Polyurethane is not food safe.
With cutting boards, we only use the edge-grain or end-grain and treat them with high quality food safe mineral oils and bees wax. To obtain edge-grain, boards must be cut into strips and rotated 90-degrees to reveal this beautiful and resilient grain pattern. All of our cutting boards are at least 1.5” thick and the reflected design often uses different widths and patterns in the finished product. End-grain follows a similar process but involves doing it twice to reveal the grain pattern in a vertical orientation. Below is an illustration showing the different wood grains.
Cutting Boards 101
Wood Selection
Raw lumber is rough and must be prepared before it can be used. Usable boards must have 90-degree corners and be flat without curl or twist. Each board must be “jointed” and “planed” to obtain these usable surfaces. Once completed, the face, edge and end grains can be selected for the project.
To achieve the overall dimensions of a cutting boards the strips are cut to approximately 24 inches long. Each strip’s potential width is determined by the original board’s overall thickness. All of our boards are between 1.5” and 2” thick. These strips are then turned 90-degrees to reveal the edge grain which will be the top and bottom of the cutting board. Careful consideration is paid to what surface is revealed with each cut to maximize the beauty of the finished product.
Our cutting boards are created with a balance of dimensional variation and symmetry in the grain and color patterns.
Preparation and Glue Up
Once the design and layout is determined, the strips must be prepped for glue up.
Boards must be “jointed” to make sure each face surface is smooth and straight. Once this is done, glue is applied liberally and the boards are clamped together.
Six to eight clamps are used for each board’s glue up process to ensure all surfaces remain tightly joined and remain straight until the glue has cured.
Surface Planing
When a board has been removed from the clamps, the board will have dried glue running along each strip. Each strip will also have minor elevation variations from the board next to them. Dried glue and elevation variations are solved via surface planing.
The board is run through the surface planer on both sides removing approximately 1/32” during each pass. Many passes are required to achieve a smooth, flat surface but also maintaining the overall thickness of the board. The thickness of a finished board will range between 1.5 to 1.75 inches.
Sanding
Both sides of the board are sanded using various sandpaper grits.
100-grit
150-grit
220-grit
240-grit
Board’s Final Dimensions
The ends of each board are then squared us using a table saw with sled to achieve the final rectangle shape. Ends and sides are planed and sanded
Raise Grain (watering the board)
Once the board has been sanded with 240-grit sand paper, it must be exposed to water to allow these grains to swell. This is important for the board to retain its smooth surface during use and contact with wet items.
Watering the board for the first time is a sneak peak of the beauty of the final product. This is when the color and grain variations come alive and offers a preview of the final product once the finish is applied.
Once swollen, the entire board must be sanded again with 150-grit, 220-grit and 240-grit sand paper again.
Juice Ring
A juice ring is necessary to keep food juices or water from running off the top. This ring is created using a .5 inch rounded ball tip router bit. The depth is normally between .2 to .25 inches and achieved in several passes.
Care must be taken so the router bit does not burn the wood.
We use a CNC machine to achieve a percise juice ring located 1-inch inside the board’s boundary. Custom laser etched engraving is optional and the juice ring can be modified to accommodate this.
Handles
Handles are created using .25-inch end-mill router bit. The depth is normally 1/3 the thickness of the board and is 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.
Similar to the juice ring, care must be taken so the router bit does not burn the wood. We normally use a CNC machine to achieve a consistent handle on each side of the board.
Feet (anti-skid)
Four feet / pads are installed on each board.
Each foot is made of rubber anti-skid material and attached using stainless steel screws.
Wood Treatment
Several coats of mineral oil are used on all surfaces of the board. The first coat is applied liberally and allowed to soak in overnight.
The board’s initial exposure to the mineral oil is a magical time. The true beauty is exposed and the board’s color tones will mature and sometimes darken.
Once the final coat of mineral oil is applied, the board will be ready for conditioning.
Conditioning
A mixture of oils and bees wax is applied to both sides, allowed to sit for 20-minutes before receiving a final buff.
Board is ready for delivery!
Monthly treatments of mineral oil and wax mixture should be applied to your board to keep it looking great. It is fine to rinse your board under warm water and use a dish brush to remove any stuck food. You should always dry your board with a dish towel after rinsing. NEVER put a cutting board into the dishwasher. The dishwasher will expose the wood grains to detergents and extreme temperature variations which will cause the board to dry and split.