Website: unbelievabowl.etsy.com

Location: IN

Hobbyist or Pro: Hobbyist

Experience: 0-2 yrs

Project Name: Hexagon Wood Bowl

Wood Species: Walnut, Oak, Maple, Aspen

Finish Used: It has 5 coats of a salad bowl finish that is non-toxic made by General Finishes.

Project Description:
I saw a video on how to make a bowl with a router. A lot of wood was wasted. I decided to try making the same bowl out of 1 X 2 boards using corner halving joints routing out a lot less material. First I made a square bowl, then a rectangle, then the major challenge of the hexagon bowl. I bought a Powermatic band saw to cut the joints. This six sided wood bowl is made from Walnut, Oak, Maple and Aspen wood. On the six corners of the bowl you will see the beautiful end grain of each of these different woods. The top is Walnut. The rest is laid out in a pattern that climbs around the bowl. The bowl stands 3 1/2 inches high and 9 1/2 inches from point to point of the hexagon. Four different jigs where made to make this bowl. The most extensive jig is pictured. Each corner halving joint had to be cut perfectly and each board had to be the exact same depth to make this bowl fit together perfectly. I dry fitted the bowl together as seen in the jig numbering each board. I checked each joint for fit and made adjustments if needed. This is one of the many steps needed to make this bowl.

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. I’ll cover the preparation and construction of the board itself, as well as the various finishing options available. I’ll also discuss how to maintain the board and keep it looking fresh for years to come!

Update (9/25/10)
I never thought when I made this video that so many folks would find the plan useful and make their own. I think its safe to say this is the video that launched a thousand cutting boards! So you may already be very familiar with this design. But what you may not know is the fact that this design came about almost by accident. Once of my first cutting boards was a very large board made of purpleheart and birch (left). It turned out to be far too large for our kitchen. Nicole asked that I cut it down. So instead of just cutting trimming the length and width and calling it a day, I decided to have some fun with it. I sliced it into pieces, flipped the pieces 90 degrees, alternated their direction and glued them back together. The end result is the cutting board you see in this video. Quite a transformation! And I am so glad that so many of you were inspired to make your own, and even make some amazing variations on the concept.

Helpful Links

Learn more about my cutting board finish.
Download the PDF plan!
Purchase a materials kit for this project.
Read this before running your board through the planer.
A Custom Program for Designing Your Own Cutting Board