Making a Plaid Cutting Board! BONUS - Crazy Finishing Technique

[@NewtonMakes]

Plans are now available for this project. If you want to build a plaid cutting board go to www.newtonmakes.com and check it out.

[@koalafan1576]

"People that eat hotdogs sideways chop on the side of the cutting board". Best quote ever. I'm using that.... Great job.

[@debandmike3380]

I like the attention to detail when making your glue up jigs. A little planning and test glue ups goes a long way to a successful outcome. I see a lot of cute videos on cutting boards, but many of them seem to be random patterns. This is more pleasing to the eye. and who doesn't like plaid?

[@CLove511]

"There are going to be so many angry comments..." Literally no angry comments, because you make a good argument and the work is amazing. Great content!

[@markartusio]

Great video! Nicely filmed, nice commentary, and the board is certainly beautiful. I really like your work. That said, I do have a couple of comments. First of all, I don’t know where people get this idea that you cannot use a planer to plane these cutting boards down. I know what people say, that it will end up exploding, kick back out, and the machine will toss shards of metal around your shop, creating an Armageddon scenario!. Well, I have experimented with this for years, and i’ve made about 200 end grain cutting boards. I always use my planner to plane it down ( previously a Delta Lunchbox and now Dewalt 735). I use the following method: Use hot glue and shims to stabilize it on a flat length of MDF. Make sure the blades are sharp. Make passes in only tiny increments of thickness, maybe 1/256 Before passing them through the planer, use a hand plane to create a small 45 degree bevel on the trailing edge. This will prevent chip out. Remove from MDF and repeat on the other side. It leaves it so flat that it only takes 5 MINUTES of sanding to complete the project! Second of all, I really do think the mixing of end grain with edge grain will lead to failure. I have done so with only 3 boards, and all three cracked and fell apart in a few months from differential wood movement. Again, I think the board is beautiful and it’s a great video. And I now wait for the correction posse to come after me.

[@j316finewoodworking6]

Those were the same things I was gonna ask. Guess good thing I read comments before so.

[@michaelbradford4444]

Border line of being to nice to actually use for intended purposes ? Definitely some fine craftsmanship on you part , great video !!

[@stevedigby883]

You have shown how to simply make a complicated pattern. Well done. Thanks!

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

I'm a woodworker and when i think of the work that has gone into this and only just over a 1000 views its pitiful, Its been a love of woodworking to make this, the hours and hours that this must have taken there is probably not a price tag you could put on this that someone would buy it at to represent what it cost to make. You need pushing up the ladder my friend. Incredible piece of work. Beautiful cutting board, almost a shame to cut into it, I think I would want you to rout a drip tray just around the inside edge and I would cut up and serve my Sunday roast beef on that piece of wood. I saw the video on inventables and popped over to see what more is for viewing. Thanks.

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

@@NewtonMakes I think personally it needs to go in to a design shop to be sold as a piece of art somewhere in a city so that people can see how its made, with the video on a loop alongside, or a gallery , its so difficult to price but has to be in the high hundreds minimum just to cover basic costs. Its a piece of woodworking art really not to be used. It would have driven me insane to cut all those pieces out time and time again, My cnc would have said never again!! This is showing a process that is capable and not done as people simply can not afford this work as labour price over the years have exceeded the value of what people do "inflation" or can afford or understand . It really is a very good piece. Needs to go on show.

[@Andi.Mitchell.Designs]

Just wanted to update you, it’s 275,000 views now 3 years later.

[@richklekar]

This was an incredibly helpful video. It's inevitable there are going be armchair QBs, so I agree that one should educate themselves as much as possible about a product being used or built.

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

What a beautiful piece. I'd proudly display that in my kitchen, probably use it as a cheese serving board to keep it beautiful forever.

[@canttReid]

Very inspiring video. The fact you take the time to also set up the camera, upload and edit these is appreciated. Thanks

[@NewtonMakes]

Thanks! This gives me all the feels! I appreciate the kind words.

[@dianetakis3712]

You have the patience of a Saint! Beautiful work and fantastic explanation! Thank you

[@daandd]

Love you explanations and comments about using the side of the board. People always have shit to complain.

[@vanderm49]

" . . . same people that eat hotdogs sideways . . ." 😄😄😄 Excellent video. Well done, cool product, plus a bit of humor -- trifecta!

[@flamabl1]

Wow! Can't believe how fast that wicked through the board.

[@birdbandit9]

Goodness that is the best looking cutting board on the internet. I love that you didn't make a walnut border. Makes it stand out even more.

[@mikekeens9326]

This is awesome. I was looking for a simple DIY cutting board, and found your video. I wouldn’t attempt this for many years, but it was really cool seeing an in depth guide to how something this amazing gets built. I wish more people appreciated the talent, equipment, and most importantly time that goes into making such an intricate piece of work.

[@FlashPaperGrind]

Billy makes a really good point - it's only difficult if you don't attempt to make it! Your first attempt may not be perfect, but the lesson's you learn from the process are invaluable, and you will soon find yourself overcoming the obstacles you laid in front of you.

[@tomasinbaker2181]

He didn't make the walnut end Grain. I would make it end Grain. I really do love the plaid, nice work!

[@tomasinbaker2181]

I'm experimenting now, with cutting thin strips on the table saw, being end Grain though is a challenge

[@harrismellon4566]

@Ben Moore make a walnut endgrain board to needed length and rip strips from it. May seem like a lot of work but its the only proper way

[@aaronwunderlich3070]

Came to say the same. This will not last unfortunately. Beautiful though.

[@aaronwunderlich3070]

@Ben Moore lol who needs books and the knowledge of those who have failed and learned before us? You do you though and when you get your first breadboard end that explodes because you glued the whole thing, remember it’s just some wives tale. There’s no issue with playing around and seeing what works but when you start a video with “I’m going to show you how...” you expect that this guy knows what he’s doing. Grain rotations on a board that will certainly see heavy moisture is a silly bad idea and it’s unfortunate that someone may watch this and think otherwise. Or that they cannot safely run end grain through a planer (you certainly can...with proper prep). Or that you need a $4k CNC to flatten a board, etc.

[@hb2sami]

@Ben Moore glue up panels of walnut then cut them across the grain, making them end grain, then rip them into 1/8” strips.

[@heidbumbee1689]

Nice work. Been looking at some comments questioning the gluing of end grain. When I watched the video all I saw was side grain glue up. Most of the end grain is on top..... and as expected also on the bottom as that is how grain works and this was clearly demonstrated when the finish rapidly passed through the project from top to bottom through the grain. Methinks some commenters have been too close for too long to solvent glue...... Trippy

[@tonyluce577]

Great Video. Easy to listen to commentary and see building technique. I learned a lot. Enough to try it myself. THANKS

[@NewtonMakes]

You might enjoy my other cutting board video from a few months back. People seem to like the 3d visuals that help explain it.

[@craigbowman1656]

also, I love your sarcastic humor!

[@alankeith7866]

Thank you for a wonderful presentation. The reason people are so passionate about the finish is because they probably learned from their father or their favorite shop teacher, and now it's gospel. Thanks again!!!

[@wallystoolshed7050]

Nice board. Are you concerned at all about the walnut strips not being end grain like the rest of the woods are? Looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Keep up the great explanations.

[@BobRoberts-yd3wm]

I too would love to know his answer to this question. I have always wondered the same thing.

[@Kachcan]

Man what an absolutely beautiful board!!

[@Turk380]

man that was a bonkers amount of labor going into that! stunning results however. well done sir

[@rafaelrivas4965]

I got the dimensions were 16” x 1 1/4” thick but not the width of the board. It was a great video especially being made of all walnut. Thanks for sharing

[@ReillyJordynsmom]

This cutting board is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing the process. If I'm being honest though, I was totally distracted by the shop floor. I just wanted to sweep and vacuum at the beginning of the video.

[@ijm0711]

Fantastic work.! I really love the tones provided by the Maple and the Cherry, and while it looked great before adding the Walnut, that little extra design detail (and a lot of extra work!) really put it over the top. Fantastic work, and thanks for sharing!

[@johnbrooks1422]

Hi Fantastic Plaid Cutting Board Another Fantastic Master Pice Great Work Good VIDEO

[@mommabears993]

very visual person- found the wood type map you put up to be amazingly helpful. Can see other plaid patterns by looking at that map. Like a 4 square maple section for a more loose plaid for example. So much fun!!

[@georgejones6309]

That board is fire, can’t wait 2 steal that pattern

[@misfitramone]

I've run endgrain boards through the thicknesser but you want some sacrificial boards glued to the end to avoid blowout and take very small bites. But to each their own.

[@markkoons7488]

Apparently you've been successful keeping your re-laminations square. Maybe you work carefully enough that they are always square. That is something first-timers are apt to have problems with. I'd say your technique is highly successful. Congratulations on another new twist, one well worth doing.

[@Milkshake366]

Excellent video. I actually know how to do this, but am showing the video to my daughter before we build one so she already has an idea of how it is done. This really helps. Thanks. Also, I laughed so hard at your comments about finishes. People really get too uptight about cutting board finishes. A microscopic film, unless it’s arsenic or something, isn’t going to hurt you. I got chastised for using Ipe in cutting boards because it is supposedly toxic, so right there in front of the guy I licked a big piece of Ipe. He said it only served to prove my insanity!

[@haik1977]

I was mesmerized by this project. Thank you for sharing.

[@justinbyers1441]

Awesome video Billy, I'm not going to leave a angry comment 🤣😂, because you did your research, i found that finishes are a big debate sometimes, but whatever works for you right, great video man love it and awesome job on the cutting board 👌

[@The_Wandering_Woodster]

Wonderful presentation...You Tube as it used to be

[@welch1227]

Clicked on this for a new design and subscribed cause you had a Valcour brewing shirt on and I live in Plattsburgh. Lol

[@qylerecallmeq675]

how do you stop the wood from sticking to the particle board? this is gorgeous

[@SkipFixesStuffAndKnowsThings]

Fantastic video! Two questions about the salad bowl finish. Your explanation makes a ton of sense to me and I’m excited to give it a whirl. But are there wood species you wouldn’t do this with due to close grain characteristics? And what is the thickest board you’ve tried this with? Much appreciated…

[@ajsv100]

I'm Braziliam. Wonderful job. Thank youand congratulations. I liked it and signed up

[@NewtonMakes]

Thanks!!

[@billturner6367]

Thanks so much for this video, a challenging project but got through it. The only issue I had was when chamfering the edges and the tear out of the white oak on the router table. Got it fixed and wife loves it.

[@jamesoxford4260]

You literally have the exact same setup I have in my garage. I have the same push stick, though mines about 1/2" at the tail end now... I've got that push block; I've got the same fence... I'm just gonna guess; it's a 1-1/2hp Jet contractor style table saw.

[@polocash11]

The only thing I look at when choosing a cutting board is if it safe for my knife's edge. I would like this as my top for my center island.

[@Jsimonis211]

I was always taught it's not a good idea to mix and match end grain and long grain in your boards? Ever have any issues with moving/cracking? Board looks amazing!

[@brandongestwick7779]

That was my first thought too when I saw the first walnut glue up...I'd love to hear a reply/update/thought process for the decision from the craftsman!

[@kuffyswoodwork]

There are people that eat hotdogs sideways? I knew the world had gone crazy, but that is too far! 😂 Awesome cutting board. I bet after using the CNC to flatten it, you actually still prefer sanding them to flat 💪

[@tcscroller]

I was always told that to never use oak on a cutting board as the open grain and therefore splinters-------Tom

[@hamburgermidnightlittlefea2661]

Came here to say the same, many sites say to not use oak as it is an open grain and can soak up juices and get rancid.

[@SkipFixesStuffAndKnowsThings]

Hey Billy, regarding the finish, I am very much a fan of a sealant that actually hardens. I recently made the mistake of oversaturating a board with mineral oil - was weeks of leaching before it could be used, and still feels greasy. I’m interested in long term durability of the salad bowl finish. When the finish hardens on an end grain board, I imagine the fibers become stiff and brittle. I’m concerned the fibers might break rather than pull back together (“self-healing”) when a knife penetrates them. Have you experienced this over time with this finish? Would be much appreciated if you could share your experience with this…thanks…Skip

[@PenaltyBoxWoodshop]

Such an awesome cutting board! Great work!

[@j.laforge3751]

This looks very cool..... Thank you.

[@johnbarneswood]

hmm no kidding... That's a nice tip. Thanks man!!

[@robertspina4503]

Nice job and good information

[@PhilBradley-do1qq]

Great tutorial and a magnificent piece of work. Quick question, did you use edge grain for the coloured strips and if so, how has that held up with the expansion and contraction ? Thanks for sharing. Regards, Phil👍🏻

[@mocreations6088]

Beautiful and creative

[@wttdashb2]

Thanks for the great video Billy. I just made two of these plaid boards and I must say they are my favorites so far. Now on to Houndstooth!!

[@1031Investing]

WOW! Good luck with that! Ive gotta check that out.

[@ronaldmcmullen6203]

Awesome work you definitely have a new subscriber mate. Found my xmas project for wife this year she’s gonna love it

[@ronaldmcmullen6203]

Well didn’t move fast enough for this project looks like I’ll be in hospital for xmas but will try and do sometime between summer and next xmas. Do to I’ll be in rehab after surgery.

[@airweaverballoons626]

Great project, learned something with the finish - what still stumps me, and I can’t believe two years in there aren’t many comments about it… - oak? I have never encountered oak in a serious cutting board project. It is nearly universally panned as a bad end grain board with the highly porous nature of it. Is this finish style particularly suited to mitigating that or something?

[@kcbck6826]

Novice here; that is awesome, and the injects for following along is very helpful. May I ask, does your version of dust collection not run for every project? How did you set it up? Is there a video for it?

[@LVN443724]

Wow! What a beautiful board! Very clever! With regard to finishes... If you actually cook from scratch there is a big difference with regard to the amount of time your food is in contact with a cutting board as opposed to the time a french fry might lie on a table before it is consumed. On top of that cooked food is dried out and therefore usually less porise than raw. So the porise raw food you have coming into contact with the finish on a cutting board for the 10 minutes it takes to slice is considerable. If you do more research you'll find the most food safe finishes are actually made from food. Believe it or not some food oils when heated and let to cure become stable and don't become rancid, like walnut oil. Whereas finishes made from the same stuff as gasoline won't kill you immediately they may add to the toxic load in your body. But beeswax on the other hand is actually considered a healing food and people eat it to help aid their digestion. Why not use finishes on cooking items that are actually digestible and aid digestion!

[@stefanfrisk9598]

I will get in my shop and build something awesome... just have to get the shop first. In the mean while... subbed. :D

[@NewtonMakes]

Shop, living room, kitchen table, wherever!

[@shedmanx3640]

Love your work mate. Amazing result. I know the work involved in making these as I’ve made a few cutting boards myself over the years, (not as complex as yours) and the thing that makes me laugh is everyone wants one until you quote them. They look at you horrified and say I can buy one from the store for $10. I patiently explain that what they’re getting is end or edge grain, home made and not mass produced in China. You don’t get end or edge grain from the store. I still end up giving them away to family and friends for occasions as the prospective purchasers would rather pay $10 for a face grain board made in China with God only knows what finish. Thanks for the video, you’ve won a new subscriber. 👍🇦🇺

[@Bigg_Driver]

What was the ratio of salad bowl mix to mineral spirits and was it the same for all 3 coats? Great video I’m definitely gonna try this. Also how does your glue ups not stick to your squaring jig as the glue pushes out and it’s clamped to the board. I’m thinking you could use wax paper? Curious on that one.

[@1031Investing]

Very nice job! I like your vids. May I ask you? I do about 20 projects a year (Cutting Boards, Tea Boxes, small tables, chests, jewelry boxes, Adirondack chairs etc.) I have most of the necessary tools in my home shop and I'd love to add in a CNC router. Im thinking light CNC work such as, inscriptions on a tea box, gift box, cutting board engraving etc. What CNC would you recommend for me doing a fair amount of light non- commercial projects? I'm not interested in the cheapest CNC nor an Axion. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks I very much enjoy your vids and checked out most all of them.

[@NewBeginningNewCreation]

I appreciate the walnut strips, but honestly at this point, I'm more interested in Batman's bladder problems. Please elaborate

[@NewBeginningNewCreation]

@@NewtonMakes 🤣🤣 i was only kidding but that was hilarious, great video

[@justindesilets3526]

Be careful; you are mixing end grain and edge grain. Wood expansion won't go in the same direction and you might end up with a faulty board.

[@rottenheavenly6245]

Maybe he should add a couple of 10mm expansion joints into it ?

[@jeepgrand1994]

Agreed, I had that same thought.

[@markartusio1]

@@jeepgrand1994 I have made hundreds of cutting boards. The only ones that ever fell apart are the ones where I mixed end and edge grain. This is REAL THING, not just an old wive’s tale. I’ll never mix grain again!

[@thewoodshop69]

I had to put edge grain strips in an end grain board to keep it flat. It's been about 10 yrs and no problems yet and we use it just about every day.

[@mymikeysbeefarm3606]

What if you stabilized the wood before finishing or final assembly

[@francishoover8633]

4 glues! could have added the walnut in glue 1 and 2 and saved so much time, and had full end grain.

[@trojanman22]

Exactly what I thought!

[@ceselb]

How? I see adding it one way would work, sure. But both?

[@francishoover8633]

@@ceselb he could have put walnut in the edge grain boards during the first glue up. and he could have made a short third edge grain board out of walnut. during the second glue up to edge grain, he could combined all three boards on edge grain.

[@anthonydecesare3967]

He would have to cut the maple sections in half and that wouldn’t work, (at least in my head)

[@markarita3]

What a beauty! Great job.

[@uniqko]

good

[@craigbowman1656]

This was fantastic - thanks. This question may have been asked below, but how do you keep the squeeze out from gluing your cutting board to your jig?

[@shaines]

I know it’s been a year but if you didn’t get an answer, he most likely waxed the jig. I just regular old paste floor wax.

[@dominicbianco3826]

Salad bowl finish is non toxic.

[@mikelibb3584]

Have you ever considered using a vacuum chamber to aid in the finish being absorbed? I believe its called stabilizing the wood.

[@crystalspear2364]

That is a beautiful board ❤it

[@MIHEAWATR]

clever, good job. it looks great

[@UncleSarkis]

Do you have any issues doing the strips being long grain mixed with the endgrain?

[@solitudewoodworking]

This would be a concern of mine. I built a brick and mortar style years ago and mixed grains and it ended up failing over the years cause of it

[@FlashPaperGrind]

@@TomKaren94 Add more glue XD - in all seriousness, I have experimented with a few different wood glue brands/types/strengths etc and I found that my builds held best when not using a "quick dry" glue. That said, I tend to give glue-ups at least 12 hours to dry before removing the clamps, but in some cases more time was needed to firmly bond the pieces. I have also seen a few pieces pop apart due to the wood being kiln dried, which introduces some interesting tension mechanics if it isn't left to settle before milling.

[@benius42]

Generally, a bad idea.

[@jcollishaw]

I’ve never built a board or anything much really and wondered the same thing. Other videos I’ve seen they created end grain strips as well

[@salemthorup9536]

I like that finishes are controversial. I don't know much of anything about them, but I am curious. I'm excited to watch your videos on it and see what others say. Ultimately, I probably agree more with you. I think I'd probably rather use a well made wood product that's properly cured than use so much plastic. With that said, plastic is pretty much all I use right now. We don't have the greatest health and maybe the products we live with and use have more to do with poor health than we realize, but I'd like to think we have the ability to figure it out eventually.

[@bryanjohnson9884]

Absolutely incredible! I’m so inspired to try this!

[@NewtonMakes]

Thanks! That means a lot. You may like my video on building a houndstooth cutting board. It's a pretty fun project.

[@charrua1029]

I made a few cutting boards and they look great. But a few weeks later if you run your fingers across you can fell the sims, kind like if the wood swallow but the weird thing is that l haven't used yet. I treated with mineral oil and beeswax.

[@azzuracraft1906]

Thks for the video,i'll try make it 😁🙏🙏

[@razidan3293]

Beginner woodworker here. Love the pattern and it's amazing how much work went into this. A question about oak. I heard that's it's not a good choice for cutting boards because of its porous grain. Do you disagree? Or did you consider this to be not important?

[@jimfoster2011]

Red Oak might be a problem, it acts like a straw along the grain. White Oak should be OK.

[@johnmarshall5272]

Great video, it has inspired me! As an idea for another video, I wouldn't mind seeing your take on anchoring jobs in your CNC. The jury is still our for me, as I've had success and failures on the few methods I've deployed so far.

[@patrickkirchner5271]

Hi quick question, for your glue up jig, how do you keep the material from sticking to the MDF?

[@Jander406]

Imagine how beautiful it would have been if you used Bloodwood and Wenge

[@wharfrat360]

Beautiful work, absolutely amazeballs! Question? I've never done inlay before, would you be able to make solid color end grain cutting board, stack it on top of one similar to what you've made, then on a scroll saw, put the angle at just a few degrees, and cut out say like a peace sign and then just drop it in to produce the inlay? Would that be the correct way to do this? I was just thinking the contrast of the plaid with a solid color inlay, I thought a peace sign would be cool, would be absolutely beautiful and really pop together, especially once the finish is put on. But, would what I asked above be the correct way to do this?

[@willomspach3971]

Looks great! I just came across your plaid inlay box and was planning on using that for a cutting board.

[@willomspach3971]

It looks amazing. I just finished up my first cutting board a few weeks ago. Rather than going through side grain or simple end grain I went straight to chaos boards. This is definitely going happen! Had an incident with the jointer so I’ve got some time to plan.

[@spencerbishop5274]

I have made many cutting boards but never made a plaid but always wanted too. I will use your method but will use end grain walnut strips. I fear you crossed you gains and may have issues when the wood expands or shrinks. Also I worry about the open grain of oak. Just my 2 cents...

[@steelsunpi]

Nice job and tutorial. It gives me plenty of ideas.

[@arkahoot4985]

Just a quick question as I started watching the video. I have the same planer. Why do you neck the dust control from 4" to 2' back to 4"?

[@MillerWoodcraft]

Great video man, seemingly efficient way to handle the challenge as well.

[@maryfaw5655]

Great work

[@zynthio]

great tutorial! I'll be honest the music is painful tho, especially when its the same song looping non stop. The uninterrupted sounds of woodworking is way more enjoyable for me. My mom loves plaid things so I will try and make this eventually

[@billbenoit1607]

I came here just to say you’re going to poison people with that finish. Just kidding. Great looking board, glad your video popped up in my feed, I subbed 2 minutes in. Great production quality!

[@CBANico]

hi buddy. do you think this project is possible to do with just handheld planer?

[@1031Investing]

Another great job Billy! I enjoy all of your vids. Id like to ask you.... I will order an Axiom very soon and noticed that yours is a 24x48. Is there any advice you could offer? Thanks in advance. Good luck! Joe

[@gregwaters944]

Love the way you decide on your finish materials, great board and finish. Love how the grain pops when it goes on. Have you tried card scrappers for smoothing the finish?

[@jarin8464]

Billy, that's awesome looking board. The amount of works you have put into this is tremendous. Quick question, are those strips edge grain or end grain ? I watch many video that said not to mix both on the same board, or it will crack. How is that possible ?

[@shaines]

He is probably banking on that the walnut pieces are so small, thin, that the movement with me minuscule and not cause any harm.

[@Kingsoly]

Have you tried Millie’s penetrating Tung oil finish -ready out of the can to do what you want

[@NirvanaWoodWorksbyJanie]

You are THE Boss Man! Thanks for making this one. I love how it came out, looks gorgeous 😍 ♥️ lol

[@NirvanaWoodWorksbyJanie]

absolutely worth it - ask and you shall receive lol. I'm definitely going to try this soon as my hubbys bday is coming up Aug 1st

[@michaelwallace4567]

That is fantastic

[@casenundra78]

I use my shop fox 18" drum sander to flatten my chess boards. I could also use my CNC.

[@cheese99999]

Very nice looking pattern! Curious to know how this board has aged with the opposing grain components…

[@NewtonMakes]

Looks exactly the same.