Making an Ulu Knife Cutting Board

Earlier this summer, we went on a trip to explore part of Alaska. I was intrigued by all of the textures and surfaces in the landscape of this part of the world. I also discovered the ulu knife which is a traditional knife of Alaska. I thought it would be interesting to make a cutting board for this knife and pull some inspiration from the landscape of Alaska. I made a random segmented block of wood by cutting and gluing, and then recutting and gluing strips of wood many, many times to make an end grain cutting board. I then cut a semi spherical hole in the center of the cutting board. The radius of this spherical hole is slightly bigger than the radius of the ulu knife. This allows one to chop items in the hole of the cutting board with the ulu knife and the pieces that are being chopped don't get away. It seems to work very well. The first thing I used it for was to chop nuts for a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Tools used in this project can be found at www.frankmakes.com/​
To see upcoming projects follow me on social media
Patreon patreon.com/user?u=16151185&u...
Instagram / frank.howarth
Twitter / frankhowarth
Facebook / frankmakes
0:00 (introduction)
1:18 (glue up)
8:27 (designing the concave)
10:16 (making the concave)
13:02 (conclusion)

[@ArtifexExMachina]

If the blade can be removed from the handle, you should make a matching new handle from the cut-offs. Would probably give a nicer more organic pattern due to the curvature of the handles.

[@Sponge1310]

This! 😄 Was going to suggest the same.. a matching set would be cool!

[@LunarEclipsism1]

Any handle is removable with enough determination!

[@petesandberg3957]

If brute force doesn’t work, that just means you aren’t using enough.

[@ethanpschwartz]

I was just thinking it'd be cool to see those scraps show up in the Christmas ornament video this year, but your idea is FAR better.

[@TheJttv]

collab with a knife channel to make the blade

[@JonDunnmusician]

Frank it was wonderful to see how your eyes absorb the outside world

[@jamieschardt9127]

definitely use the off cuts to replace the stock ulu handle! :) great video, thanks!

[@liamfoxy]

My family has had an Ulu for over a decade, and it is honestly one of the most useful kitchen items we have.

[@kamiochambless2590]

The finished pattern made me think of Gustav Klimt, especially after oiling. Great project!

[@mandyleeson1]

"Then I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies". You're a gem, Frank. Beautifully filmed, as always. Thank you.

[@Twentynyne]

as an alaskan, I find it interesting when people I follow come to my state. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay.

[@amh0013]

Very much reminds of a quilting technique called Bargello. Beautiful as always Frank!

[@frankves]

The pattern reminds me of a Gustav Klimt painting. That’s a fine looking cutting board!

[@RobMods]

Beautiful video as usual. Just because you are inspired by nature doesn't necessarily mean your final piece has to resemble the natural world at all. Speaking of inspiration, thanks for your inspirational content!

[@167curly]

That textured pattern of the board reminds me somewhat of your family room trash bin. That "hole" in the board was an interesting study of three-dimentional geometry too. Nice souvenir of yur Alaska trip.

[@legendarygary2744]

Always love the things you make, and the stop motion bits were really great!

[@marcmolinasole6554]

This pattern has vibes of Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" painting.

[@OnkelPeters]

As a IG comment said: It’s a major Gustav Klimt feel to this cutting board. Love it!

[@MichaelHolloway]

The process of art IS legitimate. Delicious story.

[@gilb6982]

At least you can say that Alaska give you great inspiration !

[@jayarmbrister9445]

I'm sure someone has already said it, but that measurement off the Cord is the Middle Ordinate. Love your videos Frank....

[@lilliekelly3406]

Nice project. Thank you for sharing. You make me miss Alaska.

[@mattheld4219]

Those cookies looked great, i want that recipe. Great video Frank, thanks for the entertainment and great work!!

[@brasman8]

The pattern reminds me of Gustav Klimt, especially with the finish applied. Very nice!

[@uspockdad6429]

I got an Ulu from the same place when I visited Alaska about 12 years ago. I still use it a lot. My ulu cutting board has a slot above the bowl so you can store the Ulu with the board when not in use.

[@webchimp]

14 min vid about making a cutting board and my main take away was Ice Cream scoop when making cookies. That'll be going on my shopping list.

[@guyward5137]

As always I enjoyed watching your chart. Thanks for sharing. GW

[@MarkInArizona]

Thanks Frank! For some reason I'm hungry now and need to make some chocolate chip cookies.

[@nothereorthereoranywhere]

Woodworking and a cooking show! Genius. Thank you for explaining your inspiration for the Ulu cutting board.

[@frankmakes]

If I had three times as many hours in the day I would have a woodworking channel, a gardening channel and a cooking channel and they would all overlap a little bit.

[@WhatKnot42]

@@frankmakes do you have garden related projects on your channel? (BTW I have loved your videos for many years and have the dream of eventually trying to do similar projects)

[@58Kym]

The pattern on the board reminds me of the Gustave Klimt painting ‘The Kiss’. It is similar to the pattern on the man’s cloak. That’s my interpretation anyway. Very nice. That knife and board would be great for so many kitchen jobs.

[@eatenkate]

Inspiration is just like that: You see something interesting, and it makes you experiment. Sometimes you can see the source very clearly, sometimes it becomes its own thing - both are equally valid!

[@T1nCh0]

Looks like a Gustav Klimt painting. Beautiful.

[@FrietjeOorlog]

That turned out beautiful!

[@OakesProject]

Great work Frank!

[@jerryohearn5414]

I enjoy how an idea starts and even though the finished work may look different, your work is beautiful!

[@SuperMortiki]

Quality content as always, don't forget to scour your baking pans. 😊

[@philiprykwalder5030]

Frank - well done! You did it again. Thank you

[@BadYossa]

It's interesting that these knives/tools crop up in many cultures throughout the world. A two-handled variant has been used in Europe, as an example. The French call it Hachoir, whilst the Italians call it Mezzaluna (Half-moon). These typically are used for herbs these days, although it is thought earlier versions where used to processing animals - striping skin/sinew from carcasses. Stone and bone examples are often found in Archaeological sites. Fascinating stuff. As ever, great vid Frank!

[@jacobdegeling]

They're used in leatherwork as well. Torbjörn Ahman has a video on making one

[@nikki3879]

This was so beautiful to watch and incredibly relaxing. Thank you for sharing.

[@bobmagnuson]

I was onboard until the walnuts in the cookies! Beautiful work!!!

[@frankmakes]

Pecans.

[@Richard-om7vd]

Another enjoyable video. Excellent as always.

[@rickcimino5483]

we do not deserve you Frank. Your artistry in film making as well as your skill at woodworking is priceless.

[@TDuySculptures]

It was beautiful to watch! Fantastic job!

[@jasonbailey9139]

Glad you got to visit our state! Love that you found a ness touristy version of the ulu. I’ve loved in Alaska for over three decades and have yet to buy one…maybe I should remedy that.

[@steveromeiro]

That came out excellent!...great job!

[@lisahodges8299]

That looks like a truly useful tool much like a mezzeluna. What a nice board to make your holiday more personal. Birdy

[@davidgilbey8884]

Thanks for sharing your trip and this cutting board build. Your videos are so well done. I look forward to the new ones and rewatch older ones all the time. Great with my morning coffee! Truly amazing and inspiring!

[@tombiggs4687]

I bought the board sold along with the Ulu knife. The rounded cutout center is nice. But I could wish that it was a bit shallower, especially when cutting garlic. That is almost easier on a flat cutting board, but a shallower indentation would help a lot. Also, it looks like yours is slightly wider, which would also improve matters. You've inspired me to make a ulu-friendly cutting board more along the lines I think would work best. I'll likely similar proportions, and end-grain, but probably won't do the randomizing.

[@frankmakes]

I'm wondering if mine could be slightly shallower? It seems to work well with nuts though. The random pattern was just to make the project longer. It's completely unnecessary.

[@Photokapi]

Wow! I was just in Alaska the past two weeks, and it was truly breathtaking! We were traveling light (no checked bags) and I worried about getting it home, so I didn't end up getting one, much to my 13 year old's lament. You did an amazing job on the cutting board too!

[@peteaulit]

Years ago I bought some knives without handles at woodcraft and made handles and boards for them. I saw all sorts of crazy jigs to make the hole and thought that they were all too complicated. I decided to turn the board since I had a big lathe and it was ultimately like turning a bowl. I was very scared to get the board in my face as it held on a scrap pice of plywood just with hot glue but it was very strong and easy to turn with a depth gauge and circle on the board. Fun project!

[@TheLindsay720]

Great one! Awesome footage from your trip too.

[@cobberpete1]

Who do you think you are kidding Frank? That's not a cutting board. It is your usual high quality piece of Art!!!!

[@roamingchemist2514]

The pattern is very reminiscent of the robe in Gustav Klimt's painting "The Kiss". Maybe he was inspired by glaciers, too 🙂

[@MASI_forging]

Outstanding work as always. Such a beautiful wood of art 😊😊

[@JimHester]

Great. Now I want a new cutting board _and_ cookies!

[@mitzibud6908]

Another awesome video!! Thank you!!

[@williamellis8993]

That was a lot of work but the results are amazing. Now I want some chocolate chip cookies! Bill

[@idontthinkso666]

Another amazing project. only one flaw: NUTS in the cookies!

[@williamellis8993]

@@idontthinkso666 Gotta have nuts in there (lol).

[@kenc2257]

Lovely cutting board (and it seems to work well).

[@boomfiziks]

Thank you for sharing this. I made an Ulu knife several years ago. I still need to make a handle, but I’ve also wanted to make a “bowl” cutting board for it with a slot in it to hold the blade.

[@thewoodshop]

Very cool board, really like the pattern you ended up with.

[@personalwatching9312]

Absolutely love your videos mate. Such a true craftsman. And the videos arent hyped. Just relaxing, detailed educational and very entertaining. Thanks

[@user-ey6qd5pe1j]

It was beautiful to watch! Fantastic job!. Very cool board, really like the pattern you ended up with..

[@chunkkingmann309]

Convenient - as an Ulu user for more than 10 years, now, my old laminated purchased board needs to be replaced...however, I will have to take a less expensive route. Glad you've found the Ulu. They will cut you, so respect it like you would any of the powered cutting tools in the shop!

[@frankmakes]

With great power comes great responsibility 😁

[@bucknaked31]

Very nice. You should definitely use a 1/2” ball mill. You want to use the largest ball mill you can that fits into the minimum radius of your model. At 7” there is no gain in detail by going with the smaller ball mill. With the larger mill, your cusps will be shorter and you can run it faster and with a lower step over. Less sanding also and quicker. You can go larger if your spindle can take it as well.

[@glenschumannGlensWorkshop]

Wonderful! Thanks.

[@arnhemseptember2009]

Fun piece!

[@ShouldersMoondog549]

Nice!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@officialtree5245]

I just found your youbtube channel, and its really funny, u do like my dream job(arch) and my biggest hobby(woodworking) both so its like a youtube channel literally made for me.

[@fleurdelune5240]

Simply beautiful ❤

[@justinscomp]

This is a woodworker's version of Damascus steel. Great video.

[@MCsCreations]

Amazing work, Frank! It looks fantastic! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@glencrandall7051]

Quite well done, Frank. With all that cutting and recutting, it's a really good thing that the wood does grow on trees. LOL Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@syaiful.reezal]

Nice journey and video with stop motion effect 🤩

[@chrissscottt]

Nice work, both board and video editing.

[@jerryohearn5414]

Okay. Now I want chocolate chip cookies! Love your videos.

[@fadetounforgiven]

Interesting. I don't know about Alaska, but the pattern surely reminds me of "the kiss" by Klimt.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@USFOLLOWME]

very cool pattern.

[@rodneyp5002]

Great video, thanks 👍🏻

[@theodoranorton4779]

A great way to share your vacation. The only people I know who've been to Alaska just seemed to talk about the size of the mosquitos. The glacier shots were mesmerizing, and not a misquito for miles.

[@jasonbailey9139]

You’re not lying about the mosquitos….those things are everywhere…and fly in swarms in the interior part of the state. I’ve heard from military people that during winter exercises on the tundra it’s worrisome because the tents don’t have floors. So you warm up the tent, it thaws the the ground, and mosquitos emerge. Then you have your choice between frostbite outside and a swarm of mosquitos inside.

[@frankmakes]

There were a lot of mosquitoes in a few places.

[@cozydram1]

that is Awesome chap

[@arjunmathur3978]

This reminds me of how Damascus is made! Pretty awesome.

[@MrGerd]

The pattern resembles painting "Kiss" by Gustav Klimt. Nice work!

[@bandols]

Alaska is an underrated place to visit. The most true wilderness left in America.

[@sallyweiner4180]

Love this🎉

[@MonsieurBiga]

The pattern reminds me of Klimt or early Mondrian, beautiful

[@frankmakes]

I should just make a wooden version of that klint painting as my random pattern always reminds everyone of it.

[@jkell42]

What a fun way to share about your trip to AK while making an array of randomized wood layers…

[@geoffreymills1471]

Looks like a Gustav Klimt texture!

[@woodywood1951]

cool! just cool! thansk for your time...

[@scottsimpey2965]

That’s awesome Frank. I can’t imagine how much time you must have put into making that. Those are also great for cutting herbs.

[@AaronSpielman]

"Wood Damascus" - looks *amazing*

[@BrailsfordWoodworks]

I took one of my cutting boards and turned a juice reservoir in it. So it did work on the lathe.

[@Pegusus101]

Looks like a Klimt painting!

[@brikhouse22]

I have one of these knives but its a double blade, kinda like the rockers on a rocking chair. Its just one piece of metal bent in the middle and thats the handle. It came with a cutting board with a concave but its pretty small, maybe an inch or two larger on each side than the knive blade. And mine is from ikea so deff not traditional lol. Its great for cutting herbs.

[@alastairmackay4589]

Nice!

[@geraldkarl642]

Thanks for video

[@lolcec81]

Комментарий в поддержку канала и ролика, а также труда мастера.

[@borjavivanco8600]

Klimt loves this cutting board

[@bocchieri]

would be great for making pesto! nice one as always Frank!

[@Zach-ku6eu]

You missed a big opportunity to do an Ulu justice. I made a halibut Haida tribal engraved stand bowl for mine!

[@billkamps9360]

Very cool Frank. Love to watch and learn from you. However, your cookie sheets need some love from an sos pad. 🍪

[@giovannifiorentino8947]

Very poetic.

[@johnb6763]

Thanks!!!!

[@espnmk]

Thanks for sharing Frank now I want to make some cookies!