Make an Edge Grain Cutting Board (With Routed Juice Grooves and Handles)

[@FightFightFight4547]

As a newbie to woodworking, I really appreciate the step by step instruction and dimensions called out. Excellent video, thank you. Subscribed 🙂

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks for the comment!! It's always good to know that people found it helpful!

[@wilhelmtaylor9863]

Quick, no nonsense, to the point....thank you. I have so many scrap pieces of wood I'll be using your method.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks for the comment and good luck with the cutting boards!!

[@bigofishbone]

I think you just gave me the perfect idea for doing the “ troughs”...I am glad I watched this video

[@aroundhomediy]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful!

[@veltreeproducts4645]

Hey looks great! I've kinda jumped into making cutting boards on a regular basis and I wanted to see some methods for doing it. Love the care you put into everything! My jaw dropped when I seen your walnut and maple board because its almost identical to one I made in this batch except I used black walnut and white ash. Great work and your videos are put together very well!

[@aroundhomediy]

I somehow missed your comment like a year ago, but thanks!! I need to make a few more this fall, and I definitely recommend the second juice groove jig if you're still making them!

[@kellysweetman6070]

I just started building a few cutting boards. I must have watched over two dozen videos on the subject. Yours was rather helpful for cutting the juice groove. My first attempt looked more like a road coarse for little race cars. 🤣

[@aroundhomediy]

The juice grooves can definitely be a bit nerve-wracking! I definitely recommend making the second jig if you have the time.

[@meilyn22]

I love that pattern so much. Thank you.

[@ladykenja2700]

- Great idea to use the cove bit to make the groove.

[@nickalberino8615]

Great cutting board. Nice style I went ahead and built one. I have a display at a store where I sell about 100 boards a year. Hope bbn yours will be a favorite. Thanks Nick.

[@aroundhomediy]

That's great Nick! Thanks for letting me know! I hope they do well!

[@BruceAUlrich]

Nice job...they're beautiful!

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks Bruce! Looking forward to your workbench build!

[@carasmussen27]

good video. I am in the process of making my own cutting boards.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! Good luck with the cutting boards!!

[@Vet6970]

Nice work, Looks good

[@henaken08]

Beautiful cutting board!

[@peteaulit]

A couple suggestions: Avoid the annoying removal of the sticky tape by using blue painters tape on both surfaces first and apply the double sided tape to it. Comes off like a charm and no cleanup, no tear up ! As for the finish I might suggest sealing the top using melted beeswax, butcher block conditioner or make your own mix. Mineral oil evaporated and doesn’t stay on the board very long so it’s best to seal the top with beeswax.

[@woodsniffer]

I use Tried and true natural oil finish with beeswax seems better than mineral oil. Your board looks great nice juice groove. Nice tip on the blue painters tape.

[@Docstantinople]

Idk why but I’ve been on a youtube cutting board video kick recently, I’ve been watching everyone’s videos. Lol

[@DIYMinded]

Nice built. I love a walnut cutting board.

[@dennisg11348]

Beautiful Board

[@aroundhomediy]

Thank you!

[@jessewatkins1338]

Thank you for this video!!!! Your cutting board looks incredible. I built a similar cutting board my sophomore year of High School. I would love to build another one someday.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! That's great that you got to make one in school! Definitely make another if you get the chance!

[@withthegrainwoodworking3620]

I love the contrast you get with maple and walnut. Great job on the board! It turned out great! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks!! Yeah, maple and walnut were definitely my first choices because of that!

[@AdamCraigOutdoors]

might have to try the L frame for the cutting the juice groove! Thanks for sharing.

[@aroundhomediy]

It actually ended up being easier that I thought to make, so I definitely recommend it for rectangular boards!

[@killingoldgrowthsince]

I do all mine on the router table, no template needed. Same with the finger holds.

[@aroundhomediy]

If I can ever build my router table I probably would do the same :).

[@bobfarris2245]

@@killingoldgrowthsince How do you do the corners on the router table. I haven't figured that part out.

[@EscobarStyle]

Absolutely amazing!! My problem is making a setup jig for the juice groove 🤦🏻‍♂️. And now I’m tempted to make a handle the way you did. Sigh, I’m still a newbie.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! These were the first cutting boards that I've made, but I really liked the adjust-ability of the 'frame' style jig even though the template one is a bit easier to make. Good luck!!

[@EscobarStyle]

@@aroundhomediy I did it!!! Just did my first side handle and juice line jig 😊. Wish I could show a pic here 🤷🏻‍♂️ but it’s on my instagram 👍🏻

[@aroundhomediy]

Awesome! I'll look it up on Instagram!

[@EscobarStyle]

@@aroundhomediy awesome!! I hope you find me and the pic. It’s the only one I did with side handles 🙏🏼 like yours

[@barryroberts6470]

'Pretty well for a first attempt' are you joking? For a first attempt i thought they came out Brilliant, Well Done. Barry (ENG)

[@aroundhomediy]

Hehe! Thanks Barry!

[@robertspina4503]

A lot of good information thanks

[@twitchboy7576]

Very Well done, i also have a quick Tipp If you don't mind. Before giving the Board a Finish wet it and let it dry, then Sand the Last grain that will come Up before you Finish, this will prevent the Board from getting rough after it's First few washes. Anyway keep Up the good Work +1

[@aroundhomediy]

You mean like I mentioned at 5:13? :) But yeah, it's definite worth doing!

[@twitchboy7576]

@@aroundhomediy Must have missed that somehow.....my Bad :)

[@aroundhomediy]

Hehe! No worries! I couldn't remember at first if I'd mentioned it.

[@thgenral]

Great work. About to make boards for my daughters and will likely follow your ideas.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! Good luck with the boards!

[@NormTuck08]

Great video, very good audio keep it up !!!!!

[@woodsniffer]

Very cool thanks for posting. did you really need the Round nose bit with bearing ?

[@aroundhomediy]

If you go with the frame for routing the juice grooves, then you don't need a bearing on it, but the bearing is needed when using a template.

[@ericmesser1]

Nice work.......thanks🇦🇺🇦🇺👍

[@MichaelIreland]

Turned out very nice! I do the juice grooves with the same bit, only without the bearing, and I just use the attachable fence which tracks along the outer edge of the cutting board. Just gotta be super careful at the corners. If you use purple heart, it looks amazing, but don't be tempted to do what I did. See, purple heart turns more purple with heat. So I glued up 3 boards, then fired them in my oven for 10 minutes. It definitely turned purple, but *of course* the heating/drying resulted in tons of movement, cracking and warping, and I destroyed 2 out of 3 boards. The 3rd had a few small gaps near the ends where the glue couldn't hold against the force of the drying movement. I filled the gaps with CA glue, and hit it with accelerator to cure quickly. That board will work as a gift, but I won't do the oven mistake again!

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! Ah, I didn't know purple heart turned more purple with heat. I'm sure I would have tried something similar. Will know to avoid toasting it now though!

[@dwightl5863]

Michael: How warm an oven?

[@carmonacrafts1972]

This is actually the first video I see where somebody made a template in the middle of the board I think I might try that instead just afraid of the board moving on me

[@aroundhomediy]

I used a non-slip router mater (similar to amzn.to/2FNotUR) to keep it from sliding around which worked pretty well. You do have to rinse off the sawdust every now and then to keep it non-slip.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Beautiful cutting board Friend! Thanks for sharing the video. 😎👍JP

[@howardlaunius7484]

Nice job!

[@ladykenja2700]

- Really good job. Thanx 4 sharing.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks!

[@georgeboyle3967]

You are a great craftsman. The end project are beautiful. Would you share what product did you use to hold the board while applying the mineral oil? Thank you👍

[@aroundhomediy]

I just had the cutting board sitting on a cooling rack inside a (cookie) baking sheet. Similar to these: (amzn.to/2EsmWmn). I suppose I could have also filled the baking sheet with a little mineral oil and let the bottom of the cutting board just soak in it at the same time.

[@OFareWoodworking]

Nice 👍

[@johndennis3181]

Nice work, I can never get tired of maple and walnut.

[@mikepeine3898]

ridged doesn't have brushes & caps for older thickness planers . once they wearout it's junk . same with belts on 14'' drill press belts . there's a online catalog & you can call them .

[@rmsamonte]

Great video! Thanks!

[@dabadboyuzi]

Love this! Other videos show having to put the pieces through a sander to avoid gaps, how did you not have to do this?

[@aroundhomediy]

The jointer and planer with a little hand-plane touch up for any snipe has been enough for all the ones that I've made. I'm not sure why sanding the pieces would be necessary.

[@MartyOfAllTrades]

Very nice indeed. I am making two of these for Christmas. I am stressing over the juice groove....:-|

[@aroundhomediy]

Awesome! Yeah, the groove is definitely the most stressful part. If you think you'll make more in the future the frame jig definitely takes some of the stress out!

[@boneal4942]

Turned out great👍

[@jeffb5463]

Great Job!

[@Grabber10]

very nice

[@truthh8322]

I have one that is 2" thick and 16x19. Not sure how much to charge. It's mostly maple with 2 walnut strips.

[@aroundhomediy]

I'm probably not much help with pricing suggestions as I make these for friends and family. You might check Etsy or a few name brand places like Johnboos.com to see how much they go for, but try not to undersell yourself. If you plan on making a bunch, be sure to factor in labor, materials, and machine/tool wear costs.

[@jmic069]

looks good

[@MarkusWITH_a_k]

Brilliant I like it

[@rblues4u]

How far is the juice groove from the edge and how deep do you recommend making it? Thanks for the video I will have to watch it again I just got my cutting boards to flatten and I am getting ready to make my jig for the juice groove.

[@aroundhomediy]

The juice groove was just a bit under 1" from the edge of the board and about 3/8" deep. I wouldn't do much under 1" if you're doing the handles on the ends just to keep them from intersecting the juice groove too closely. Good luck with the boards!

[@rblues4u]

@@aroundhomediy Thanks I just went on and did a trial where I used 1/2" core bit got it 3/4" from the edge. I want to find what size my jig board needs to be to make my rails for the jig.

[@MrGeroth]

Good job

[@aroundhomediy]

Thank you!

[@colts3044]

what bit did you use for the juice groove.

[@aroundhomediy]

I used this one: amzn.to/2GZ895Z ... If you don't need the bearing they make a similar one that's a bit cheaper.

[@ethanestalilla8023]

Seems silly but I’ve watched like a half dozen of these and could not figure out how to make the guide work with the rails because no one ever said to make sure to use the rounded portion of the router rather than the flat side which to a layman would be what you would assume 🤦‍♂️ Anyway, got it figured out now lol. Thanks

[@aroundhomediy]

Yeah, it's a bit non-obvious, but using the round part lets you go around the corners. I kind of wish there wasn't a flat side at all as it's just extra work to avoid it when doing things like this, but it's useful in a few other cases.

[@nonplayablecharacter4815]

Do your boards ever warp when water popping?

[@aroundhomediy]

I haven't had any issues. I just lightly mist it, so there's not much water soaking in. It's probably less than it would see in use when getting rinsed off.

[@nonplayablecharacter4815]

@@aroundhomediy so I’ve made 4 cutting boards and one charcuterie board and each time without fail the board will warp. I leave it standing and it goes back to normal after a few days but do you know why that would be? Even if I lightly rub with a damp sponge they still end up warping. I’ve made only end grain cutting boards if that makes a difference.

[@aroundhomediy]

I haven't made any end-grain boards yet, so I don't have much to compare to. I've had to re-sand one just a bit to get it to lie flat after a couple of years of use, but nothing major. There's a post at The Wood Whisperer (thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/cutting-board-warping/) that talks about warping some, but there's not much offered as a solution unfortunately.

[@nonplayablecharacter4815]

@@aroundhomediy oh thank you I appreciate that. Thankfully my boards straighten out after I leave then standing for a day or two but I was just wondering if this is a common occurrence. I’ve asked quite a bit of people now and it doesn’t seem like anyone else struggles with it. I’m also wondering if the maple I got is a higher moisture content than usual. Just trying to find answers so I can correctly move forward. But again, thanks for the response

[@geoffjones4603]

Why move the router in different directions , when using the different jigs

[@tlr85]

question if i want to use the mdf boarder instead of the tape method would i use the router bit without the bearing? thanks

[@aroundhomediy]

Correct, for the MDF frame method, you don't need the bearing version of the bit.

[@doolinmoranphotography4461]

For some reason your voice reminds me of a pilot talking on the airplane 😂

[@aroundhomediy]

LoL! My uncle and cousins were pilots, so I clearly missed my calling!

[@Brian-dj3ru]

For the juice groove,if your guide is on the outside of the cutting board,do you route clockwise?

[@aroundhomediy]

For the frame/outer guide, yup, you should route clockwise and just be careful to keep the round part of the router base against the guide.

[@Brian-dj3ru]

@@aroundhomediy awesome .thanks for the quick reply

[@sconrady123]

Where did u buy the wood from

[@aroundhomediy]

Most from our local lumber company and a maybe one piece from our local woodworking store.

[@kennethwolkin8769]

Thanks so much for this video! I've a question: when routing the juice groove with the plunge router, 1/2" round nose bit w/ 1/4" shank . . . I'm confused at how the method works. Due to the slight distance between the 1/4" shank and the widest part of the 1/2" cutting bit...once you plunge the bit and then push the 1/4" shank flush to the guide scrap piece, isn't the bit/groove going to move "in" towards the guide piece? Alternatively, if you don't plunge that far, isn't the bit going to be simultaneously cutting the guide piece? Thanks for any response.

[@aroundhomediy]

If I'm understanding your question correctly, the bit I used has a bearing on it that's the same size as the cutting bit. This bearing prevents the template from being cut as it rides only the template edge. Here's a photo of the bit and bearing: bit.ly/2Nx1DIl You're correct that the template needs to be thick enough that you can start the router with the bearing against it so that the cutter does not eat into the template before you plunge. That's why I prefer the second, "frame" method, though you can also use a set of template guide bushings (amzn.to/2H9zr8Q) and avoid needing a bit with the bearing and the issues involved with that method... mine just didn't arrive in time.

[@kennethwolkin8769]

@@aroundhomediy Thank you so much for this response. That answers my question, & more. I'll make sure to use a similar bearing, & mind the advice about the thickness of the scrap piece. Again -- I really appreciate you taking the time to share such a thorough response.

[@aroundhomediy]

No problem! At some point I'll do another video showing the bushing set as well. Need to finish up this desk I'm doing first. Just yell if you have any other questions.

[@d17p]

I want to buy the board, where?

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks, but sorry, I don't make them for sale.

[@toddlee57]

Would a router edge guide work for the juice groove or would it be difficult to make the 90 deg cut?

[@aroundhomediy]

I think the corners might be a little tricky to get perfect without overshooting. You might could get it to work by undershooting and then very carefully coming back and taking tiny nibbles from each direction? ... or you could intentionally overshoot by say 1/8" and call it a design feature :) ! I'd definitely try to practice on a scrap piece first!

[@jorgeraulsteciuk3067]

Muy bueno..Exelente. !! 👍

[@ulisesabemar7194]

Good job man! What type of oil is used for this works? Thanks.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! It's just mineral oil. It can usually be found in pharmacies or the pharmacy sections of grocery stores. Butcher block oil or conditioner can also be used.

[@bobfarris2245]

@@aroundhomediy I buy my mineral oil at Tractor Supply in the equine health section (it is used a a horse laxative) less than $20 a gallon.

[@paulcalvert2099]

Which mineral oil did you use on the beautiful piece?

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! I just used Target's store brand. You can find it in pharmacies for like $2/bottle.

[@paulcalvert2099]

Around Home DIY I'm from the UK. We don't have target. Cheers tho!

[@aroundhomediy]

Any pharmacy should have it. It's actually used as a laxative :)

[@paulcalvert2099]

Around Home DIY I'll look into that.

[@bobfarris2245]

@@paulcalvert2099 Try someplace that supplies health supplies for horses (my go to place in the US is Tractor Supply) I pay less than $20 per gallon.

[@toddlee57]

Why did you do ccw one way and cw the other way?

[@aroundhomediy]

It's based on how the router bit spins so that it will help keep the router against the template. I believe the general rule is to route counter-clockwise when routing around the "outside" of a template and clockwise when routing around the "inside" of a template (the frame in this case). I usually just think of routing left to right based on the direction when pushing away from me into the guide. For instance, pushing "away from me" into the first, small template would be along its bottom edge and left-to-right there means routing in a counter-clockwise direction. When pushing "away from me" into the frame along the top of it, left-to-right results in a clockwise direction.

[@wjvlodek8769]

@@aroundhomediy I Made my first cutting board the other day and it came out great except for the juice groove. I made the outside template,,,and I thought it was going to work well...but I had a hard time controlling it (the router) and messed it up. I was going CCW....do you think that could be what I had difficulty controlling it? (BTW...I wasn't going that deep...). Let me know what you think...I now have to plane it down and start over with the groove....THANKS!!

[@aroundhomediy]

Yeah, I think if you were routing counter-clockwise with an outside template like the second one I made, then that could cause it to skip or be hard to control. If you've got a scrap you can test on definitely give it a shot moving clockwise and see if that works better.

[@wjvlodek8769]

@@aroundhomediy THANKS for the response!! Although it takes some time to set up....I think I will take your advice and try on a scrap first and see how it goes. I can use just a piece of plywood. (rehearsing one time will do some good....) Good idea!! I will try tomorrow and let you know how it goes. THANKS AGAIN!!

[@wjvlodek8769]

@@aroundhomediy OK here is the conclusion. Going CCW was a big mistake. I practiced a bit going CW and thought I had it down. When almost finished I inadvertently moved the router to the right and left a big gouge in it. I decided not to plane it down again...I just made a juice groove about 1-1/2" instead of the original 3/4" (making 2 passes with a straight bit). Thank goodness the board is pretty big...the large (wide) groove is not really that bad. I am sort of disappointed I that I made the board edge grain walnut, maple and Paduk...it really looks beautiful. I made it to give away and am a bit embarrassed to because of this wide groove. I know this is a long response...if anyone else is reading this....Build an outside jig. Make sure jig is secure and will not move when you put router pressure on it. Go CW!! Practice a few times. Keep router cord and extension cord over your shoulder (if you have a helper to keep the cord slack and NOT twisted around router even better!!) Keep pressure on the outside jig with router. Make sure to keep router flat on board. Practice with the router stopped a few times...just moving it across the board with no power. DO not let the cord get in the way/between router and jig. And do not let the flat side of router come into contact with the jig. Don't take off too much at a time...a few 1/32nd at a time. I thought I was pretty skilled at using the router....but making this juice groove was "trickier" than I thought....I guess I can compare it to hitting. golf ball...you have to do 10 things right. BTW: The last pass with the straight bit was perfect. In retrospect, I probably should have made a more simple design board for the first one.THANKS for your help!! Much appreciated!!