Episode 7- A Cut Above (Pt. 2)

18 Responses to “Episode 7- A Cut Above (Pt. 2)”

1. Skee on January 3rd, 2007 8:32 pm

   Marc,

   Great episode. I noticed you didn’t mention poly as a choice for the finish. I assume this is because it is completely unsuited for the purpose.

   Nice plug for Matt’s Basement Workshop - I have really enjoyed Matt’s content over the past year.

   Thanks again for all the effort you put into this - they really are fun to watch.

2. Martin on January 3rd, 2007 10:38 pm

   Marc,

   I enjoyed this episode. Keep up your positive attitude - it makes a difference.

   And thanks for the nice words about Matt’s BW and our LumberJocks.com

3. Jonny on January 4th, 2007 6:22 am

   I just found this podcast from some woodworking forum and went through all the episodes in a few days. Great fun to watch and I really like the cutting boards.

4. Kiff on January 4th, 2007 10:52 am

   Just want to second the “pro-others” approach to your stuff here, Marc. Mention of Matt’s podcast actually turned me on to a resource I’d not yet taken the time to look for, and now am the better for. I’m really starting to digg (hint, hint, everyone) your style and just want to thank you again.

   -kiff

5. TheWoodWhisperer on January 4th, 2007 3:26 pm

   DIGG. haha I get it! :)

   I guess one of these days I should mention Digg and Podcast Alley. Couldn’t hurt right?

6. CZ on January 6th, 2007 4:03 am

   Hey Paul,

   I’m assuming that you treat both sides of the board as well as the edges. Any specific advice on how to do that?

   ~CZ

7. TheWoodWhisperer on January 6th, 2007 1:19 pm

   Who’s Paul?

8. Johan on January 6th, 2007 4:36 pm

   Hi Marc,
   I also want to know like CZ if you finish both sides, and also, I don’t have the Salad Bowl varnish. Can you use mineral oil now, and in a month or so refinish with Salad Bowl Varnish?

   Love your site, humor, tips, and I’ll have to find out about digging…

   Cheers

9. TheWoodWhisperer on January 6th, 2007 5:16 pm

   Hey guys. I do indeed treat all surfaces of the board. I didn’t necessarily show that in the video due to time considerations. But all surfaces are treated exactly the same with the same number of varnish coats.
   You can use mineral oil first. Just make sure the finish has plenty of time to cure before applying the varnish. And before applying the new finish, I would give the whole board a nice wipe-down with lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to remove any surface oil. Once it flashes off, you can apply your salad bowl varnish.

   Good luck!

   Marc

10. Peter on February 12th, 2007 11:38 am

    Marc,

    Wow! Love the site and I am working my way through all of the podcasts while my six week old son is napping…

    A couple of quick questions regarding this cutting board episode:

    1.) I noticed that you cut the board on the table saw with the fence up against the slice you were taking out. I don’t own a table saw yet, but I thought that was a no-no. I also noticed that you had a wood block running the length of your fence. What for?

    2.) You answered someone question about recoating all sides of the board, but I was wondering if you had to wait for the top side to cure/dry befor flipping it over to apply the finish to the underside? Or is there a trick that lets you save a few days…

    I can’t tell you how great I think your podcasts are! Keep up the great work!

    ~Peter

11. thewoodwhisperer on February 12th, 2007 5:37 pm

    Hey Peter. Well first off, congrats on the mini-woodworker! Getting any sleep lately? :)

    1- I agree that that type of cut is not ideal. But in cases where you need a consistent sized cut, it just makes more sense to do it that way. And with some experience and the right push sticks, that cut is relatively safe. I would not recommend doing that as your first cut on a tablesaw, but once you are comfortable with the machine, you should be in good shape to try it. Just be sure to use a good push stick.

    2- You would need to let the board dry before coating the other side. That is, unless you come up with a system that lets the board breathe while it dries. One way to do this is to take a piece of scrap ply and put a few nails into it. Then you can coat the whole board and lay it with the bottom resting on the nail heads. The nail heads might put a slight blemish in the finished surface, but its nothing that a light sanding wont take care of. And if you use a little finish nail. you shouldnt see anything at all.

    Hope that helps Peter. Good luck with your woodworking!!

12. Kenneth Poirier on February 16th, 2007 6:54 pm

    Marc:

    By vocation I am a consultant in Regulatory Toxicology and by avocation a serious woodworker. Your comments about the toxicity of various finishes were right on the money and I wont get into an elaborate discussion here except to say “the dose makes the poison” and when using non-approved (FDA) finishes that holds true. I would have no issue personally using food contact items that have been finished with any type of polymerizing (or cured) finish. However, any woodworker who either gifts, donates or sells these products should consider the potential legal ramifications of using a non-approved finish. For this reason I would strongly encourage that these products be finished with FDA complient products such as mineral oil, Salad Bowl Finish or other natural oils.

13. The New Norms: Top Online Woodworking Videos from Woodsmith and the Wood Whisperer - ToolCrib.com Blog on March 20th, 2007 12:32 pm

    [...] Once you watch Episode 7- A Cut Above (Pt. 1) be sure to watch Episode 7- A Cut Above (Pt 2). [...]

14. Tutu Saad on August 24th, 2007 12:55 am

    Dear Marc,

    I am from Bangladesh. Can you give me the basic formulation of Salad Bawl Finish. Can you tell me is mustard ( brown) oil FDA complient for wooden utensils like cutlary, serving plates etc?

    Thanks

15. thewoodwhisperer on August 24th, 2007 1:02 am

    Hi Tutu. Most salad bowl finish in the US is just varnish. As for mustard oil, I never even heard of it. From what I can see though it seems to be a kitchen oil. Most oils like canola oil, vegetable oil, and oilive oil will go rancid on a cutting board. So please, do your research on mustard oil before applying it to the board.

16. Jerry Marshall on October 31st, 2007 5:06 am

    Hey Marc,
    I really enjoy your podcasts–they’re lots of fun to watch. Regarding the cutting boards, it’s important to get the first lamination dead level. I don’t have a drum sander, and when I flip the 1 1/4″ strips over on their side and swap ends on every other strip, things get a little gappy. I could throw a cat through some of those gaps. All I know to do is to go back to the table saw and shave each side of the strips. Then, when I line up the strips, they’re gap-free, and we’re good to go on the last glue-up. Love the podcasts–keep “em coming!

17. Troy on November 9th, 2007 6:57 pm

    Thanks Marc. I love the design and simplicity. I instantly knew this would be a great holiday gift. I made two, cause initially, I was supposed to make one for my M-i-L, but I let the LOML see it and she took ownership of the first one. So, I made two. My wife said quote “Mom will wet her pants when she she sees this.” Apparently, the other two gifts for the other fair-gendered family members are going to freak when they see it and they don’t get one yet.
    It’s all part of the master plan. They are getting one next year.
    BTW, I am going to need you to come up with another fantastic holiday gift within the next few months please.

    Troy

18. Mapleman on March 20th, 2008 10:29 am

    Great videos … I was just given an unfinished cutting board as a gift and was wondering the best way to finish it … Now I know!

    BTW, a great little extra for this board would be a groove about a 1/4″ inside from the top edge to collect the juices from a juicy roast.

    Thanks again and keep up the great work.

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