Photo: Cutting Boards

Mike Tate

Member
Messages
13
Location
Shannon, MS
This past July, I was asked to make end-grain cutting boards for our church's annual fall bazaar. As I had never made one, I had several questions for this Board. Thanks for the great responses by everyone. By the day of the bazaar (the first Saturday in October), I had made 36 boards. I felt a bit foolish with that many, thinking that none might sell. All were gone immediately, and, during the days and the weeks that followed, I received orders for 51 more. I finished the 87th one this past Wednesday. At this point, I hope never to see another one - ha! Attached is a photo of some of the first 36.

Cutting Boards Resized.jpg
 
Good looking boards Mike. That is a lot of boards fore sure. Your designs look great. Congrats on all the sales. Hopefully you have started production on next years run already????
 
Great looking boards, Mike! I especially like the one in the center of your photo.

After 87 of them, I can understand having to take a break!!!
 
Beautiful boards Mike, you've been one busy guy. Hopefully you were getting a fair price for them. Just bought my FIL a book on cutting boards for xmas, he's show a lot of interest in making boards like that, hopefully it will get him back in the shop again after a year or two away from it.
 
Great boards. I have never made an end grain board for fear of things going cockeyed during clamping. And, I don't really know how I would clamp all that before the glue grabs and prevents adjustments.
And, like others, I'm curious about your selling price.
 
Mike, You are a machine!! Really nice looking boards. Did you use a design program?

Thanks Ted. I don't have a design program. I saw pictures on line of the board in the center and the one in the upper left and just took time to figure out how to make it happen. The center board requires 8 different panels and is a major pain. The upper left board requires 4. With a 12 1/2 inch planer, I keep the widths under 12 1/4 in. For most patterns I use eight 1 1/2 in. strips or sixteen 3/4 in. strips. For "scrap pieces" I just continue measuring and add or subtract to get the desired width.
 
Thanks for your positive comments. Your approval means a lot. As for the charge per board, I know you will think it dumb, but we are in a rural area and few in our community or church could or would pay $80 to $100 dollars for a board. Since this was the annual fund raiser for the United Methodist Women, I knew we would realize more at $40.00 than at $80.00 or so. I felt no guilt asking for $40.00 since most were bought by church members for Christmas gifts. It is something I won't do again, but I have no regrets.
Mike
 
I think you were wise to price these according to your market, Mike. And the bottom line is you made a lot of money for your fund raiser. :thumb:
 
Great boards. I have never made an end grain board for fear of things going cockeyed during clamping. And, I don't really know how I would clamp all that before the glue grabs and prevents adjustments...

They are easier than they look. Typically, several boards are glued together in face (or side) grain orientation, then those slabs are flattened and re-cut into strips. Those strips are then turned so the end grain is pointing up (and often the order is re-arranged or each strip is offset to create an interesting pattern), then re-glued and re-flattened. Usually the sides and/or ends of the board also need to be trimmed. The final glue-up is typically only 8-12 of these strips, so it's not much different than gluing up a striped face-grain or side-grain cutting board.
 
They are easier than they look. Typically, several boards are glued together in face (or side) grain orientation, then those slabs are flattened and re-cut into strips. Those strips are then turned so the end grain is pointing up (and often the order is re-arranged or each strip is offset to create an interesting pattern), then re-glued and re-flattened. Usually the sides and/or ends of the board also need to be trimmed. The final glue-up is typically only 8-12 of these strips, so it's not much different than gluing up a striped face-grain or side-grain cutting board.

Thanks. I'm sure I'll try it sometime. With a HF store in town now I just know I'll be buying more clamps.:rolleyes:
 
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