What’s the big deal with end grain cutting boards?

[@DIYMontreal]

Get the plans here: www.diymontreal.com/product/brick-pattern-end-grain-cutting-board-build-plans/

[@terrencelong6436]

You send me the Hardwoods or the $500 needed to purchase it here in the UK and I'll have a go......😂

[@gsilcoful]

I was a meat cutter for 50 years and our butcher blocks were all end grain. We didn''t call them butcher blocks, just blocks. They were orininally about 3 feet thick and tremendously heavy. With all the use a block would get, side grain would never last. I used the same blocks for my entire career and they were old when I started. They would wear out in the area where you worked and get a large cup like spot like a little pond. A man would come with some pipe clamp set up he made with a router and flatten them much like you did. You did a wonderful job on your cutting board.

[@MakerBoyOldBoy]

The comments are very relevant. With cutting boards the issue of maintenance rises. Oils and mineral oils are standard solutions. I never found them useful. I use a different concept. I use a commercial block of clear parafin wax and rub it hard over the cutting board. Using a heat gun or hair dryer I soften the wax and use a 6" taping knife to distribute and smooth out the wax. Continuous applications yield a protective surface easily refinished when needed.

[@charlesfyfe7282]

@@MakerBoyOldBoyoop

[@garyburnett7378]

I’ve been doing woodworking for almost 50 years and have always struggled with thin rips. Your jig is genius. You thought an old dog a new trick.

[@DIYMontreal]

Amazing! Thank you for that :)

[@CanadianCitizenshipTestKit]

I agree! Figure out a way to make it height-adjustable (maybe with removable spacer blocks) and you'd have a pretty solid addition to the pantheon of standard workshop jigs!

[@thefreemathtutor]

Repeating something I learned once: if bacteria slip between the fibers that make up wood, which bacteria can do as they are so small, once they penetrate deep enough, they will die from lack of oxygen and sunlight, and no longer pose a danger. All cutting boards, face grain, edge grain and end grain, allow this to happen, but end grain does it best. Yours is one of my favorite woodworking channels, keep the videos coming!

[@daveknecht5252]

Marie, you do a terrific job of describing your process. I watch a lot of 'Maker" videos and find yours to be one of the best. I needed to make a Miter saw hood and after watching dozens of other videos, went back to yours as the most common sense. Great job on this and others!

[@AB-nu5we]

I'm of the Jögge Sundqvist school of thought on cutting boards: anything glued and exposed to moisture over time will eventually break apart. I'm thinking of mine and three family members cutting boards in said condition right now. Instead, Sundqvist says to use one-piece boards to make a cutting boards. The brick pattern is a nice change from what you normally see. Clear packing tape for clamp protection in my experience works better than blue tape. There's also a nifty paint-on wax that industrial makers use for wood glue-ups. I've got some and really like it.

[@AlexGarcia-ur9dy]

This is obviously your calling. Excellent instructional video, and I greatly appreciate that you did not edit out your mistakes (since we learn from those too). Thank you! BTW, I use parchment paper to protect my clamps. NOTHING sticks to parchment paper.

[@Bacchaus66]

thanks for sharing the mistakes and danger moments as well, really helping me build up safety intuition as a total noob

[@GroundedFlyboy737]

I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I really appreciate your instructional techniques. Thank you for not making any assumptions about my woodworking prowess. Also, thank you for pointing out the areas where your techniques might be considered a bit wonky. Seems I need another garage just to fit in all the jigs required in woodworking. Please do another of these end grain cutting board videos once you get your drum sander as I was lucky enough to get one for Christmas. You've quickly become my go-to woodworking channel, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with me.

[@briansegit2562]

I follow Ryan Hawkins who makes really nice boards. What he does after the flattening process is uses 60 grit with a belt sander to get rid of the router marks and then switches to an orbital sander. I have found this makes the sanding process much quicker when trying to get out all of the router marks from the flattening.

[@ohallifax]

Really loving how much you show the care you take for safety when using your tablesaw. Most youtubers might work safely enough for them, but often show their work so sped up that it looks like they're grabbing the cut wood whilst the blade is still spinning. Some definitely do hold thin pieces by hand, right next to the blade when cutting. Your video was really nice in showing how it should be done. Thank you.

[@SawdustmakerLori]

Yes, end grain cutting boards are sure a lot of work but worth it to have such a beautiful and functional piece for the kitchen. Yours turned out awesome and thanks for the helpful tips!

[@Nyro254]

Watching an experienced woodworker get nervous when using the table saw let's me know you should never ever feel too comfy around them. They can tell

[@324bear]

Just..... W-O-W!!! I would like to know how much time this project takes. You are obviously a professional, yet I feel like this is a project that can be accomplished by a novice! Thank YOU so much for the motivation!

[@DIYMontreal]

I don't mind sharing that it took me 3 full 8 hour days to build from start to finish. This includes filming (which slows me down) and all the jig building. Hope that won't discourage anyone! Definitely think it's a project that even a novice can tackle, piece by piece.

[@324bear]

@@DIYMontreal thank YOU So much for your candor! I really appreciate that you share! I'm not quite sure that I'm ready to tackle this, but your reassurance is comforting!

[@forgotrafe]

Loved the video, loved all the mini-lessons and tips along the way. Anyone complaining about the digressions just need to learn how to skip the bits they're not interested - you even took the time to put chapters in to help them!

[@drewachong]

Marie, thank you for doing such a good job explaining the how and the why of everything you did in this build. It was very informative and extremely helpful. Now I think I understand well enough to try it on my own. Keep up the great work!

[@DIYMontreal]

You are so welcome!

[@chubbibots]

what worked for me was paste waxing the clamp bars, and its easier to remove dried glue! amazing build as always!

[@nickoz6960]

Great video and explanations! Another good trick with clamps is to give them a coat of paste wax. Prevents the glue from sticking and once it's dry it just pops right off.

[@tarah8496]

Thank you, thank you, for showing and explaining the flattening router bit! So many people show the router sled used to flatten, but never show the bit used, and I've been wondering about it!

[@bibiyeya5388]

Thank you so much for all the explanation of do’s and don’t’s and I agree with you 100% on the (theories) of the end grain charcuterie boards

[@larrymoore5778]

Great tutorial Marie! Really love your videos.

[@roskw]

Looks great and lots of general tips in there. Thank you.

[@DarrellLicastro-qq3kl]

Hi your right doesn't matter end grain side grain or any other type of grain it's the type of wood that matters must be a tight grain wood I am a microbiologist who worked in the food industry for 30 yrs . PS no wood is allowed in a food processing plant

[@pollauritsabrahamsenjq1618]

Probably depends on where you are. Wood pallets are better than plastic in my area.

[@Lutzboater]

A lot of work but a beautiful result. I like the simplicity of your router flattening gig and how well it worked.Thanks for sharing!! Happy New Year from West Coast Florida.

[@stevewilkins5418]

Another great video with bonus tips that can be used on other projects.

[@drewlittler6794]

I made a similar router planing jig just last week. I also sanded down the upper and lower sides of the jig to 240 and applied finishing wax to reduce friction of sliding ply against ply or the router against ply. Might not be a problem if you've got good quality ply though - I've got some pretty rough stuff!

[@johnford7847]

Nicely detailed presentation, and an interesting board pattern. Thank you for sharing.

[@rickbell3402]

Great looking result! Well done! Thanks for the tips on some very useful but simple jigs!

[@barryroberts6470]

You did an Excellent job on that Cutting Board Marie it looks Fantastic so well done. Take Care. Barry (UK)

[@dalemarsh7783]

very nice work. I've made a lot of end grain boards in my time. but i always added scrap wood to my sides and cut off later.(only to clamp side) yes your right planing end grain on a plainer sometimes it works or it chips off at the end. instead of routerfor finger slots 45 your corners both ends or all the way around easy to pick up my boards i make are 20 to 36 inches long people love the 45 corners. beautiful work you did and great presentation .

[@nian60]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Learnt something new. I don't use wood cutting boards at all because of the difficulty of keeping them bacteria free. So I have never even thought about end grain. I don't think I have seen one for sale either. The others in the comments say that butchers use end grain.

[@nickgraham2002]

I’ve been wanting to find plans to (attempt to) make this kind of board with a friend. Thank you for making it look simple.! Hopefully it comes out as nice as yours. Good work!

[@garysobczak9931]

Another great video with super easy to build jigs that can be used on other projects!!

[@victo44344]

Hi Marie. Wow that was both a cutting board and jig building video. I haven’t built a cutting board because I prefer to do other stuff but if I make one it would be end grain. Love how clean and organized your shop is in that small space. You need to ship one of those Princess Auto stores down here to the states.

[@vincevasquezii9586]

Very nice instructional video. I like to use electrical tape instead of painters tape. It works so much better due to the plastic construction of the tape. Thank you for the video.

[@eternalfizzer]

I learned so much from this one, especially little tricks like the masking tape - thanks!

[@asc23channel]

Great work, great safety precautions!! Small side note: Potentially consider using PTFE (Teflon) tape in your clamps! Can be found in epoxy mold making, water sealing etc. That won’t stick to your project! Best wishes ❤

[@JFP-ktl2]

I put the finger grove in the center of the board. I take 1/6” passes starting in the center move side to side relatively fast. Keep going until your desired depth. No burning.

[@ronboe6325]

Very nice! I finally made my first cutting boards this fall so some observations that may be of use: I made a flattening jig but the cutter gave very poor performance, too much end grain tear out. The plywood piece used to mount the router probably didn't support the mount parallel to the top so I got some shallow sawtooth to the cut. Need to change it out and I've ordered a different cutter. On the advise of another youtuber I ended up using tung oil to seal the grain. It actually cures and won't leach out like mineral oils. I then melted and buffed on bees wax. The bees wax method needs a wee bit of refinement but I really like the results. There is a wood worker in Alaska that does huge batches of cutting boards (hobby got carried away - big time); he uses a Delta planer to flatten his boards. Other folks do to - it can be done. Some glue on a flat grained sacrificial board on each end to control blow out. Look up Kris DeVoe - very impressive operation! I use a thickness sander (blessing and a curse - when it works it's a godsend, but getting it to work and making sure the sandpaper is of proper tension is a huge faff, not sure it's worth it). I typically use 60 grit to flatten and remove glue - it's too coarse but 80 grit is typically sold out when I need it....... :P So this leaves deep scratches which take forever to sand out. The fact I am forced to use extension cords so the sander and vacuum don't have enough juice to properly run don't help. sigh. So far the biggest problem I have: family and friends are loath to use them as "they are too pretty". Which is nice, but dang it, they are meant to be used!

[@pastarocket1]

I'm new to woodworking. The detail on how to in your video was excellent. That cutting board came great.

[@alsaffarstudios]

Amazingly beautiful board and great useful information. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@EthanColchiski]

I use a generous coating of paste was on my parallel clamps for glue ups instead of blue tape. The glue chips right off when it dries. I like the cutting board you made and I am thinking of doing one of my own only smaller.

[@kennymysak2079]

Great job and thanks for explaining everything been wanting to tackle something like this for awhile now its added to my woodshop list this year. Keep up the great videos

[@russellfay81]

I LOVE your thin rip jig! It's the most consistent method I've seen! And beautiful in it's simplicity! Same "kudos" for your panel sled. I'm going to make one immediately! As far as wood being antibacterial, you started on the right track about the porosity, but it's not about the knife marks. To quote from the Internet, "At the heart of wood's antibacterial nature lies its unique cellular structure. Wood is composed of a network of fibers and vessels, which, in living trees, transport water and nutrients. When used in kitchenware, this structure creates a hostile environment for bacteria. The capillary action of the wood fibers draws in moisture, depriving bacteria of the wet environment they need to thrive. As the wood dries, the bacteria trapped within the fibers are deprived of water and nutrients, leading to their eventual death."

[@dewaynebaker2924]

Very professional and well made video. The pattern possibilities is what got me hooked on end grain boards. I make a lot of wide thin components for my boards. The band saw and drum sander are key.

[@tonyborzumato8510]

Nice job; well explained. I'm really liking that this board only uses two species of wood. The endgrain boards I've made have all used several species, of different colors/grain patterns. Some came out better than others, but all were striking in appearance. They were all given away as gifts; if I accept payment, it's a job, not a hobby. Jobs are stressful. I'm retired, and don't want another job, LOL. You mention that endgrain boards are much more complex than edge grain; you should try a "chaos" endgrain board... now THAT'S complicated. I haven't tried one yet, but hope to soon. Wish me luck.

[@markd.621]

Nice video. I like the jigs you made. Don't worry about the offcut getting stuck in the saw blade, it happens to me even with a zero clearance insert.

[@CarolMcGill-z3y]

Wow beautiful!! Love your videos Marie, , they are awesome, and you make it so easy to follow!!

[@DIYMontreal]

Thank you so much!

[@Musicpins]

Omg it first hurt seeing you cut that nice wood to smitherines, however, when I realized it looked exactly like a brick and mortar wall I became happy again, what a nice result. Good job

[@timothycreasy2161]

I love the look of the cutting board. Very nice

[@BobBob-eh5sb]

I like the thin strip jig. Nice idea.

[@brgovender8879]

A very lovely cutting board. Thanks for sharing.

[@OregonPanoramas]

Wonderful video and many helpful tips. I am just finishing my first batch. Thank you!

[@jaimeecaballeros9742]

Very nice work and detailed instructions for the jigs. It came out looking pretty nice.

[@Vrsetter]

New to woodworking ... started Nov /23, but your plans were great. Board came out nice!

[@deborahamy1225]

Great job!! It is Beautiful and you should be very happy with your accomplishments !!!! You probably have tried this, but I find a good quality shiny sided packing tape works very well for “glue’s”. If it’s a nice thicker and sturdier tape, the glue should peel right off like dried paint in a plastic paint bucket and you wouldn’t have to remove it every time. Or you could also try a silicone mat on the thinner side, you could leave it whole with a thin base, or cut into strips for each clamp length to keep level with a removable two sided tape. The tape is my choice for my projects. Thanks for sharing your videos, blessings!!👏👏👏🇺🇸👍🙏🤓

[@anwolfs9804]

You should be proud of that piece of work, it's lovely!

[@enterprise59]

THAT is gorgeous looking ! Will have to look into this project. WHEN I get a planer haha..

[@greggordon6215]

Gorgeous board and great tips on jigs! I've made two end grain boards and they were such a pain that I haven't done it again! lol

[@whales302]

Nice work, excellent tutorial! I make these all the time too, what a colossal amount of expensive wood they take though huh? Over the years I stopped doing the finger grab, I did it the same way too. Recently I've gone with a 15 degree bevel all around the block which acts like a hand grab anywhere you want it. I stop the bevel about 5/8" from the top surface. It's easy enough on the table saw and easier to sand out any burns. Its a nice look, give it a try someday :)

[@MCsCreations]

Stunning cutting board, Marie! Fantastic work!!! 😃 Thanks a bunch for all the tips!!! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@OregonPanoramas]

Thanks!

[@patseevers262]

Nicely done as always!

[@michaelsnyder4642]

Plastic wrap instead of blue tape works great. Nice and useful video! Thanks!

[@Anunnaki-z7i]

Beautiful piece and great job!

[@Otto-W]

I just made my first brick end grain board, it's 27" by 115" it's my new kitchen island countertop.

[@DIYMontreal]

😲

[@Juangaba]

Great class. Excellent instruction, clear and precise.

[@mikecarter6758]

Nice build and story!

[@timothybaker8234]

I run end grain cutting boards through my small Makita planer all the time. I just glue on a sacrificial board to take all the chip out on the trailing edge and trim it off later. I also take very shallow passes. I’ve never had a problem doing this.

[@John-cf4iv]

Same with me. I've run end grain cutting boards through my planer without issue using sacrificial starter and backer pieces.

[@BobBob-eh5sb]

Me too. Sacrificial boards and shallow passes.

[@JASinIL2006]

Same here. Just take shallow passes and use a sacrificial end board.

[@tommcnally3646]

Very useful information, your videos are always direct and full of great info

[@AndreaArzensek]

Cool end grain board! Pro tip: Instead of taping the clamps to protect from glue, use couple 2x4s and tape them with packing tape. Then you can use them as separators for board (panel) glue up and the panel stays elevated from clamps. This way you only wax the bars of the clamps if you get few drops of glue on them. I have learned this from Jay Bates and it is one of the best trade tricks I have learned. Another pro tip is to use a bit less glue than you did (less messy, more economic) but that comes with experience. You can also pass engrain board through planer but you need to glue sacrificial "edge" grain piece to the end of your endgrain. Spiral cutters help a lot on end grain planing. I hope I don't come of as smartass, just wanted to give you some time tested advice that has worked for me and many people I know. Best regards from Croatia 😊

[@CharlieMikeWoodworks]

Beautiful work, makes me want to make one. I also love the way you explain your processes and the why. Thank you as always!

[@ronaldmiller6822]

Well constructed video. I appreciate the reference for Total Boat Wood Honey. Thank you!

[@studiolezard]

Just last night I was trying to plane an end grain board made from kiln dried sugar maple baseball bat blanks (say that 3 times fast), and sure enough, the Dewalt planer complained a lot. I thought that maybe I'd badly installed the new blades, but you've reassured me. Won't do it again. Thanks!

[@unclebob8746]

Helical head planer blade works much better than a straight blade. Glue a sacrificial board to the ends to help prevent tear out. Take light passes.

[@djVania08]

I think cauls would help too. I'm not glueing any cutting board without them anymore. Actually most glueups I do with them. :)

[@TotalBoat]

This board is absolutely beautiful!!

[@Bernardgrubb]

I was watching a video from tight bond and the guy presenting it gave a recipe for getting all the glue off your clamps as well as any glue on fabric before it's been put in the dryer. The recipe is (by volume) mix 1/3 water, 1/3 vinegar, and 1/3 acetone. I've tried it and it works wonderfully. Hope that helps...

[@Zenkai76]

Beautiful, well done, great video

[@GibClark]

Beautiful board, I've had no issues, if I glue a sacrificial strip on the back side of the cutting board before sending it thru my 20" helical head jet. My buddy does it as well on his grizzly 20" 3 blade. Just take light cuts

[@mitchchandler1529]

Titebond 3 is a must and it's s waterproof!

[@jimrosson6702]

Looks amazing great job

[@joelcopeland3018]

Well done... Nice looking board...

[@Walking-d9o]

Interested in the combination blade you use. The blade seems very capable of nice looking rip and cross cuts.

[@personperson2149]

Hello Marie! As always, you are on top and, as usual, everything turns out beautifully. And you're wearing a warm jacket, which means it's cold in Canada...

[@jeffbaker8808]

The pennies were the giveaway?

[@personperson2149]

@@jeffbaker8808 Какой подарок ?!

[@Klorel123]

well done video. Lots of these videos exist. few explaine how to get the long "mortar" strips to be endgrain.

[@Shimmyausmwohnzimmer]

Why wood is strong against bacteria Studies have shown that wood has an antibacterial effect due to the tannins it contains. Pine wood is the biggest germ killer, but larch and oak also have similar antibacterial properties. The germicidal effect of wood is constantly renewed, as fresh cuts in the wooden board release antibacterial substances again. In addition to the chemical component, the physical properties of wood also contribute to its antibacterial effect. While the porous structure of wood used to be seen as a disadvantage compared to plastic, today we know something different about it: With its large surface area, wood has a strong hygroscopic effect. Due to its cellular nature, wood deprives the bacteria of the moisture they need to live and they die.

[@nelsangelin9667]

Glue up in your clamps helps to have cauls behind your work pieces.

[@nicolassimard5847]

I made a few of these so far and I have one close to 10 years old now and have almost no marks and we use it every day. It totally with the effort. Bravo ! As for the finger, I put the dado stack 3/4" thick. I clamp the board vertically on the rip fence and gently raise the blade about 1 inch high. It makes a nice rounded shape in a safe manner. I adjust the rip fence in so that the cut is at the bottom of the board, not in the middle of its thickness. I buy my feet at Lee Valley. The 1/4" thick by 1/2" diameter. To me, they are the perfect size. I use standard #8 stainless screws. I have a colleague who had no feet, the bottom is rotten, It has splitted in the middle and took a potato chip shape. This was all due to moisture not being able to dry on the underside that straight into the countertop. The little feet are mandatory. Well done, thanks for the video 👍

[@DIYMontreal]

Thanks for sharing some great tips!

[@petenelson8136]

How the melamine assembly/outfeed table top working out? I'm about to purchase a top for my assembly/outfeed table and am planning on using black melamine like you did so I wanted to see if you'd do it again, or go with something else. Love your video's, and this one was very timely as I'm teaching my grandkids how to make cutting boards.

[@DIYMontreal]

Still love it and would do it again!

[@petenelson8136]

@@DIYMontreal Thanks, that seals the deal for me. I'll be picking up a sheet this week.

[@PaulO-mv6ku]

Clear explanations as usual - thanks.

[@hanspijpers2100]

For the Makita you should use 3 wrenches to tighten the bit, Kind regards Hans

[@Langhorstiness]

I made a hard maple end grain board and was really careful with my glue ups and had them with less than 1mm proud of each other for a massive 45x60x8cm board (so heavy!). I wasn't looking to build a flattening jig due to costs for a one off board so I just palm sanded with cubitron and used pencil and long ruler to find high spots. It took about 3hrs. For me, that cost a few discs but it is doable for people without a router and flattener if people want to go for it with minimal tools.

[@tomroume3178]

Super amazing video. Well done!

[@nitehawk1224]

Awesome job.

[@misfitramone]

I've ran end grain through my thickness planer with out issues, you just don't want to take off to much in a single pass and you want to glue on a sacrificial piece on the back to avoid blow outs. Also, sharp knives are pretty crucial.

[@RickyVonPooper]

Awesome stuff! Looks great!

[@satxsatxsatx]

Amazing work! Congratulations! Nit: How about a 1/4 inch round over for the top edge?

[@DIYMontreal]

I think that's what I did.. or maybe it was 1/8

[@ZeroColdx911]

You can still send end grain cutting boards through the planer as long as you glue a sacrificial piece at each end and take very light passes. The alternative is using a belt sander or a router sled as shown

[@andrewrussell26]

The University of Wisconsin did a study about cutting boards. Being porous was a benefit to being antibacterial.

[@jvmiller1995]

5 cut method is the best way to square a sled. To rip the small strips you can make or buy a jig the clamps to the miter left of your blade. Simple set it 1/4" left of the blade then bump your work into it while sliding your fence against the work. Make the cut and bump the work against again and bring the fence against the work. You can make the same cut over and over and not fight a 1/4" cut between the blade and fence. I do not mean to sound like a know it all I just been doing this a long time. You are doing a damn fine job though.