7- A Cut Above (Pt. 1)
High Resolution Version
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One of my favorite woodworking projects is a butcher block end-grain cutting board. Im not sure if its the “back to basics” simplicity or just the fact that it is one of the most useful projects a woodworker can make, but something keeps bringing me back for more. A custom cutting board makes a great gift and many woodworkers make them in batches every Holiday Season. And if you are relatively new to woodworking, this is a great project to hone your milling, glue-up and tablesaw skills. In Part 1 of this two part series, we cover the preparation and construction of the board itself. I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do.
Want to learn more about my cutting board finish? Check this out!
***New Plan!!*** We finally have a plan available for the cutting board. The plan was made by my good friend (and a heck of a woodworker), Ron Jones. You can download the plan as a pdf here: Cutting Board Plan.
Having trouble finding materials for this project? Check this out!
Thinking about running your end-grain board through the planer? Read this first!
Go to Part 2 of the cutting board series.
A DVD of this project is available in our store. Purchase your copy today!
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Repairing Minor Chipout- Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Anonymous, who writes:
“New to woodworking. I am using oak plywood and red oak trim for a TV stand. What can I use to fill in small gaps and chips prior to staining?”
And here was my reply:
“First, there are several methods that I like to use for filling chipout and gaps. One solution
is CA glue. This stuff is fast-drying, hard, and sandable. Only drawbacks are that the solution is clear and it doesn’t accept a stain once cured. You can deal with the color issue simply by adding some wood dust and making a paste. You can then pack this paste into the cracks and holes for a reasonable fix. It won’t look perfect, but it will definitely look much better. And another easy way to fix small holes and gaps is to simply place some CA glue on the offending area followed by a quick sanding with some old sandpaper. The sawdust you create will mix with the CA glue and make a nice paste right there on the spot. Of course this also destroys the piece of sandpaper.
Another option is to use a commercially-available filler. You can use something simple like Durhams Water Putty (available at most hardware stores), which is water-based and comes in a light cream color You will need to dye it to match the color of your oak. I have had mixed results as far as this material’s ability to absorb stain. Be sure to experiment on scrap first.
Another great filler is a product called Famowood. This stuff is actually lacquer based and comes in different wood colors that are a really close match to the natural color of the wood. They also take a stain fairly well.
One last filler you can use is epoxy. Epoxy will be similar to CA glue in that it is clear and will not accept stain. So coloring or the addition of wood dust will be necessary in order to get the right look.
Now the last method I use is usually the best in terms of color matching. No matter what filler you use, things will change once you coat the piece with stain. Its going to be very difficult to predict what the change will be so you will almost never get a perfect match by filling first and staining second. So one idea would be to stain the piece first. Once dry, you now have a very specific color that you need to match. You can use any one of the above filling methods, along with some dye and/or sawdust to fill your gaps and chip outs. Just keep in mind you should try to experiment on scrap until you get your home-made filler just right. I find this to be the best way to get a proper filler match, although it is clearly the most time-consuming.
And one last thing to keep in mind, especially when repairing oak. If the fix is fairly large, the repair will almost always be visible unless you simulate the dark grain lines that are the hallmark of oak lumber. You can do this using a soft colored pencil. You will be amazed at how much of a difference this can make in disguising your repair. Good luck!!”
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Natural Looking Bartop Finish? – Viewer Question
This week’s question comes from Doug. He writes:
“I am building a bar top from 8/4 Walnut for my son’s new home, and he wants to have a very natural finish on it – no film finish allowed. My first thought was to use BLO, but some research has led me to think that Pure Tung Oil might provide better protection. Is Pure Tung Oil a better option than BLO for an open grained wood like Walnut?”
And here was my reply:
Hello Doug Sounds like one beautiful bartop!! When it comes to protection, BLO and pure tung oil are pretty similar. One thing they have in common is that neither one offers a great deal of protection. If you had to choose, I would say to go for the BLO, since the pure tung oil will take longer to cure. BLO does have a tendency to “yellow” a wood over time, but that is a non-issue with walnut.
Now obviously your son is the boss here. But indulge me while I make a small suggestion. I can totally understand why he doesn’t want a film finish. I can’t stand the way they layer those thick finishes on bar tops. They should have just used something made of plastic, instead of wood. But there is a compromise between the plastic look, and the natural (unprotected) look. Just to clarify, BLO will certainly be better than nothing at all. But for a bartop, your son might regret this decision after the first few spills.
So my suggestion would be to try to achieve the best of both worlds. Give the bar top a very natural-looking finish, while imparting a great deal more protection than an oil alone. There are a few products on the market today that contain oil and varnish together, like Watco Danish Oil. Because there is so much oil in the mix, you would have to put on about 5 or 6 coats before you really start to get an appreciable film. But applying 2-3 coats will give you a really nice and natural look, while protecting the surface with a little varnish at the same time. And if you go with matte or satin formulas, I think your son will be even happier with the results. The great part about it is, you can look at the surface after each coat and determine whether or not you want to add another. Dilute the mix with mineral spirits if you want even more control. And also keep in mind you can simply make your own oil/varnish blend by mixing 1/3 mineral spirits, 1/3 BLO, and 1/3 polyurethane.
Either way, make sure you sand lightly between coats to keep the finish nice and smooth. After the final coat, either sand with 1200 grit paper or buff with 0000 steel wool. The wood will not only look natural, but will easily repel the occasional spill.
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6 – The Jointer’s Jumpin’
Small MP4 Version
In this episode, I review one of the most critical and fundamental aspects of woodworking: milling lumber. I review my 4-step milling process, which requires some big tools. And since I know many folks don’t have a fully outfitted shop, I also present numerous alternative methods for jointing edges and flattening faces. The jointer’s jumpin’ baby!!!
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