The Butcher Block

This was my first attempt at making a "Butcher Block" cutting board. Butcher block meaning that it is considerably thicker than a standard cutting board.  This one checked in at 12" wide x 22" long x 1.75" deep.  

I bought some pre-surfaced Maple and Walnut boards from Rockler Woodworking.  They have a decent selection of Domestic and Exotic hardwood lumbers to pick through.  However, I am really wanting to try out a hardwood specialty lumber yard here in the DFW area just to get a wider selection of some "fancier" wood.  

So after I picked up the wood, I chopped it up into 22.5" planks to make it a little more manageable on the table saw.  I then ripped it down to 2" strips on the table saw.  The boards were just wide enough  (~6.5") to get three 2" pieces per plank with very little waste.

Next was just the process of gluing up the 2" strips on edge, alternating colors, and clamping them together.  You definitely want to use a waterproof glue like Titebond 3 and make sure you cover 100% of the surface area between the individual strips.  This will make sure your board doesn't have any cracks to allow water and bacteria to sit and ruin your board.

Allowing at least 24 hours for the glue to dry, I then removed the claps and began shaping the cutting board.  One problem you might have is a lot of glue squeeze out (which is actually a good thing) or your boards may be a bit uneven.  One way to address this is by using a sander, a hand plane, or a power planer.  

I used a combination of all 3 on this board.  

I started out with a power hand plane like this one (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-6-Amp-3-1-4-in-Corded-Hand-Planer-HPL52K/205509610).  These things will remove a lot of material in a hurry, so any large differences can be fixed pretty quickly.   BUT, they can also get out of hand pretty quick taking off more than you mean or in areas you didn't mean.  It is hard to match the amount being taken off across the whole board also since the blades are only about 3 inches wide and your board is much wider than that.  

Next, I switched to the hand plane to help knock down any slight inconsistencies.  A good sharp hand plane really works miracles to flatten a surface.

After you get a pretty smooth surface, you can switch to sanding.  I used an 80 grit on a power sander to finish shaping, then stepped up to 150, and 220 grit until it was super smooth.  It takes a lot of time to sand down this hard of wood so you have to be pretty patient.

A few optional steps I took on this cutting board was to round over the edges on the router to make it a little easier to handle and also to prevent any major denting along the sharp edges.  This works well to keep the corners from chipping off as easily.  The other step I did was to take a rabbeting bit in my router and rout some hand  grooves on the bottom side of the board.  This just makes a heavy board like this easier to pick up off of the counter and move around.  However, you could definitely leave these two options out and you would still have an option board.

My next board I am going to experiment with routing a blood groove on one side.  I think this will make a great addition to the boards!

My last step is to soak the entire board in Mineral Oil.  You can buy some cutting board specific oils/finishes, but these can be quite pricey so I got with the food safe mineral oil (~$3.50).  You can find this at any pharmacy or Walmart.  Just take a look in the laxative section (no that's not a joke).  I let the board soak the mineral oil in for about 24 hours and I reapplied 3 or 4 times until it no longer absorbed the oil.  This helps ensure the board is well protected against water and bacteria.

Your board is now ready to go!  Grab your favorite fruit, vegetables, and meats and get to choppin'!  After about a month of good use, it is always a good idea to re-apply some mineral oil to help keep the board sealed.  A well made and well taken care of board should last a lifetime!