# FWW Cutting Board



## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Just put the initial glue up together last night.








Anyone who has tackled this project before, I'd love any advice you can give me. I'm equal parts excited, confident, and terrified.... mostly terrified.

Sean


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

I haven't done it, but it is on my list, based on what I saw in FWW it is pretty straight forward once you get your patterns made.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

shoot summ said:


> I haven't done it, but it is on my list, based on what I saw in FWW it is pretty straight forward once you get your patterns made.


It seems straight forward, but something tells me it is deceiving. I'm also a little worried about getting the pattern perfectly smooth and most importantly square.


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## Trav (May 30, 2011)

What issue is it in?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Ttharp said:


> What issue is it in?


Travis, I can see "May/June 2013" when I zoomed in on the picture I took, but I don't know the exact issue #. I'll check tonight and let you know.


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## Trav (May 30, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> Travis, I can see "May/June 2013" when I zoomed in on the picture I took, but I don't know the exact issue #. I'll check tonight and let you know.


That makes since cause I don't have that issue yet.


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

I saw this board build on YouTube. One of the best edited and put together cutting board vids I've seen. 

I tried it using an end grain glue up. It didn't go very well for me. As I was routing the groove along the end grain, the board basically broke in several pieces. I would like to try it again someday, but definitely only on a face grain board. I really like the look of the board though.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Ttharp said:


> That makes since cause I don't have that issue yet.


It's from LAST year not this year, so you probably just need to dig through your stack a little more!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Masterjer said:


> I saw this board build on YouTube. One of the best edited and put together cutting board vids I've seen.
> 
> I tried it using an end grain glue up. It didn't go very well for me. As I was routing the groove along the end grain, the board basically broke in several pieces. I would like to try it again someday, but definitely only on a face grain board. I really like the look of the board though.


I was actually searching for more info on it today, and came across that video as well. It is a really good one, and got me kind of pumped up to dive into this thing!!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Video:


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## Sorrowful Jones (Nov 28, 2010)

I will follow this one. What kind of wood are you using?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Sorrowful Jones said:


> I will follow this one. What kind of wood are you using?


The main board is birch. One of the inlays will be purple heart and I'm not quite sure about the other two. Probably walnut and sapele since that's what I have.

I don't know if I have the courage to try the multiple inlay... inlays yet.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Subscribed big time!!!!
This is awesome


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> Subscribed big time!!!!
> This is awesome


Uh oh... pressures on now boys!!! The man who taught me how to make cutting boards in the first place has pulled up a seat! I just peed a little...


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> Uh oh... pressures on now boys!!! The man who taught me how to make cutting boards in the first place has pulled up a seat! I just peed a little...


I peed too. But it was from laughing at what you posted. :laughing:


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

I fell in love with that board when I first saw it in FWW! 
I'm also in, and good on you for diving in and doing it :thumbsup:
Lots of steps involved, but nothing too terribly complicated.
The one thing I do remember right off was getting the strips exactly the same thickness as what you route out.

Good luck and I'll be watching!


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## Adillo303 (Dec 20, 2010)

If I can offer a suggestion, depending on how thick your inlays are (the pic looks to be about 1/4") you might want to wrap them in a wet towel and give them 10 - 15 minutes in the microwave. This will heat and steam the wood and make it bend easier.

I have not seen the article, maybe it says that.

You're looking at four glue ups aren't you?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Adillo303 said:


> If I can offer a suggestion, depending on how thick your inlays are (the pic looks to be about 1/4") you might want to wrap them in a wet towel and give them 10 - 15 minutes in the microwave. This will heat and steam the wood and make it bend easier.
> 
> I have not seen the article, maybe it says that.
> 
> You're looking at four glue ups aren't you?


It doesn't say anything about that, but I greatly appreciate the advice. I don't know if my microwave will be big enough though. Is there another way that doesn't use the microwave besides building a steam bending box thing?

Yes, counting the initial glue up it will be a total of four.


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## Adillo303 (Dec 20, 2010)

I hadn't thought about another way to steam the inlays. I don't know your board dimensions, mine are usually 11X 17. In that case, I think the inlay might fit on a top to bottom across the microwave diagonal. An oven might work, the Times would be longer. If you have scrap wood, a steam box would be quick and you could rent a wallpaper streamer for half a day.

I have done quite a few purple heart inlays and it splinters easily. Thinner inlays bend easier, but, are less noticeable.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Each inlay is made up of multiple thin strips (I forget what width) so it should be alright. I may do a couple of test bends first to make sure. This will be my first time working with purple heart... and using guide bushings... and doing an inlay of any kind.


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

That looks cool and is a neat video... makes it look easy  

Why do you need to route the groove if you saw the board anyhow? Is it so the squares of endgrain all stay the same width?


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## Adillo303 (Dec 20, 2010)

With multiple thin strips, you should be fine. i thought the inlays were one piece.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Gilgaron said:


> That looks cool and is a neat video... makes it look easy
> 
> Why do you need to route the groove if you saw the board anyhow? Is it so the squares of endgrain all stay the same width?


By making the template perfectly smooth and square, gluing it back together will leave no voids since both sides are identical. 

To be honest, I'm still not 100% sure why the inlay strip needs to be the exact same size as the material removed.


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## bonehed (Jan 2, 2014)

Beautiful board in the video..I'm watching this one, can't wait to see your spin!


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

There's no real reason to rout out the grooves and then use a pattern bit to remove the same amount of waste. That's only to keep the board the same dimensions. You can just plan on making the initial board the total thickness of the inlays less. 

Looks like they spent way more time editing the video than they did to actually make the board.


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## moondawg (Dec 17, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> By making the template perfectly smooth and square, gluing it back together will leave no voids since both sides are identical.
> 
> To be honest, I'm still not 100% sure why the inlay strip needs to be the exact same size as the material removed.


So that the original grain on either side of the inlay will line up.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

For those that are wondering, this is the FWW issue the board was featured in.








I got a little bit done last night but not much. Don't be expecting too many big updates as this thing progresses. I usually can only sneak in an hour or an hour and a half each night to work in the shop, so it will probably be slow going. I'll do my best not to bore y'all to death.

I got the blank out of the clamps and scraped off all the squeeze out. The good news is I didn't find any gaps in the glue up, but it didn't come out quite as flat as I had hoped. I fiddled with a plane for a while trying to get it level enough for flattening, but gave up and went with plan B. Used my melamine sled and some hot glue with shims.








The board is too wide (about 15") to fit through my planer, so I would have to flatten it another way. While the glue was curing, I went ahead and installed a new 80 grit belt on my drum sander. I've been very fortunate in the past year with acquiring some new tools, and I still feel unworthy to have this machine.








Once I had the first side flat enough, I removed it from the sled and started sanding the other side. I probably spent a solid 45 minutes running this through the sander taking off very slight amounts each time. You can also see where I caught a bit with my block plane and took out a chunk. I'll just have to plan one of the inlays to go through this spot to get rid of it.








So here she sits, flat on both sides. Now comes my venture into uncharted territory. Hopefully my next update will show a nice smooth template, and possibly a board cut in two!









Sean


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

I am jealous of your drum sander. I would really like one. Unfortunately I don't think I have the space.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

I step away from the site for a few days and apparently I missed a bunch of stuff. Anyways, when I saw that video a few weeks ago, I thought that'd be neat to try. And now I get to watch its build unfold right before my very eyes. Okay, maybe not quite, but this build thread will be the next best thing. :thumbsup:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

JMartel said:


> I am jealous of your drum sander. I would really like one. Unfortunately I don't think I have the space.


If space is the only thing keeping you from getting one, make some room. I always had the space, just not the cash or use to justify it. I was fortunate enough to get mine through work as a "Christmas bonus" I guess. Having one is such a luxury, and I almost feel guilty each time I use it... almost


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Burb said:


> I step away from the site for a few days and apparently I missed a bunch of stuff. Anyways, when I saw that video a few weeks ago, I thought that'd be neat to try. And now I get to watch its build unfold right before my very eyes. Okay, maybe not quite, but this build thread will be the next best thing. :thumbsup:


It sounds like a lot of people have been wanting to try it, and I was just the first one to get around to it. I also needed another wedding gift to make so it was justifiable. The good news is if I am able to pull this off, than most anyone on here should be able to do the same!


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

The purpose of replacing the material with the exact amount you remove is to keep all your original grain lined up. I think that's kind of important with all the inlays. It probably wouldn't be as critical with only one inlay strip.


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> If space is the only thing keeping you from getting one, make some room. I always had the space, just not the cash or use to justify it. I was fortunate enough to get mine through work as a "Christmas bonus" I guess. Having one is such a luxury, and I almost feel guilty each time I use it... almost


While true, there is a long list of things that are going to require "making some room". Eventually there is no more room to make and no room to move/work.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> By making the template perfectly smooth and square, gluing it back together will leave no voids since both sides are identical.
> 
> To be honest, I'm still not 100% sure why the inlay strip needs to be the exact same size as the material removed.


If the inlay is a different size the radius will be different size and not fit.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Someone help me out here. Would it make a difference if I was using a flush trim bit as opposed to a pattern bit for this?


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I wouldn't think so. Youd have to flip it over and cut off the excess from the underside with a flush trim since the bearing is on the bottom.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I figured but wasn't sure. 

When using the guide bushing, the pattern is on my left, the router is facing me, and I am pushing it away from me to make the cut. Is this the correct method? Should I be pulling it towards me? Does it matter?


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## Sorrowful Jones (Nov 28, 2010)

Here is an example. It would matter in that the router might try to wander away from the pattern if you go the wrong direction


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

captainawesome said:


> I figured but wasn't sure. When using the guide bushing, the pattern is on my left, the router is facing me, and I am pushing it away from me to make the cut. Is this the correct method? Should I be pulling it towards me? Does it matter?


Yes it does matter. You want the bit to be pushing the router against your pattern. Running it the wrong way will push the bit away from the pattern and then you've got issues.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Template*

Since there have been a lot of people interested in building one of these, I'll try to be fairly detailed in my process. Hopefully this will save some of you some of the headaches I've encountered.


After some trial and error, I finally ended up with a template shape that looked good to me.














Once I cut it out on the bandsaw, I made up a sanding block like they suggested in the article and got to sanding.








This is what I was left with when I finally got the template fully sanded.








TIP: While sanding, I would periodically check my progress by closing my eyes and running my fingers along the surface checking for any areas that needed further attention.

My advice - once you think you have it perfect, keep sanding. Once you think it needs just a LITTLE bit more, stop!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Practice makes perfect*

To make sure I wouldn't have any surprises, I decided to do a test cut. Back when I was getting ready to do my first panel glue up ever, I practiced by glueing a bunch of 2x4's together. Fast forward a couple of years, and now I have the perfect test piece for this project.























I clamped in a scrap piece of thin mdf to check for gaps and everything lined up really well.














Everything went pretty smooth, and I'm glad I did this because it made me realize I needed a lot more room to work, and a better way to clamp down the template.

With no gaps, I was feeling pretty confident about cutting up the real board.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*The real thing*

First thing Saturday morning, I grabbed my little man and headed up to the hardware store for a few supplies. A 2 year old in a hardware store went about as well as you'd expect so I had to make it a quick trip. I picked up a 24" quick grip clamp, and a 3/8" router bit.














I did a dry run with the router and scribed a line where the outside of the base would be traveling.








After notching the sides of the template to get the clamps in further, I routed the groove in multiple shallow passes, and cut the board in two.








The point of no return!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Inlays*

Once I had the board flush trimmed and ready, I moved on to the inlay. I started by prepping a 24" piece of 4/4 purple heart.








I then got everything set up at the bandsaw and cut out all of my strips, sending the blank through the drum sander after each cut.








Once I had them all cut out, I sent them all through the drum sander until the three of them fit nice and snug in the slot I routed in a test piece.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Looking very good, can't wait to see the finished product. Gotta' ask, though... where's your upper blade guard for the bandsaw?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Of course*

Yesterday morning, I clamped in a scrap piece of mdf to check the fit before glue up and as fate would have it there were two gaps about this size.








This was the reason behind the questions I posted yesterday afternoon. For the life of me, I still can't figure out what the heck happened. I gritted my teeth, made up a new sanding block, and spent the better part of the day yesterday sanding, testing, sanding more, testing again, etc., etc.








After agonizing over this all day, I think I finally got a nice fit so last night I decided to glue everything up. This was a pretty complicated glue up, and I'm glad I used TBIII for the added working time. Getting the board to close up with just the one quick grip clamp was a pretty big challenge, especially with all of the inlays wanting to walk all over the place.














I don't think I ended up with any gaps anywhere, but I won't find out until I can get it unclamped and cleaned up tonight.








TIP: I did about 3 or 4 dry runs with clamps and everything, and I still felt unprepared. I made the notched cauls as they recommend in the article, and these are a must have. I took my time to mark out the notches so that the cauls would be centered on the board, and that the notches were just deep enough to accommodate the excess on either side. This was crucial when it came time to hammer everything into alignment and I didn't have to worry about driving the inlay strips out one side or the other.
I also ended up ripping down the cauls on top so that the clamp going long ways would be able to reach the board over the top of them.

Hopefully I will have some good news to report tonight.

If I'm being too detailed, tell me to shut up! If you want more info or pictures, just ask because I have plenty more!

Sean


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

difalkner said:


> Looking very good, can't wait to see the finished product. Gotta' ask, though... where's your upper blade guard for the bandsaw?


Thanks. I got the bandsaw used and had a friend pick it up for me in his hometown in NC. Between there and here, the blade tension knob was bent, the fence was broken, and I assume the blade guard was another casualty of that trip.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Capt A, keep up the GREAT work!!! And thanks again for sharing the build. It is inspiring.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Well the first glue up went better than expected. Only two minor gaps that I could find, and I think I can eliminate them by running the other inlays through the same area.

I did however manage to get the top fairly uneven during the process. The cauls weren't strong enough and I couldn't get the pressure far enough in where I needed it (I think I have a fix for this that will show up in the next glue up). So it was back to the sled, shims, and hot glue.














I got the board flat and didn't lose as much height as I thought I would. Here is the board fresh out of the sander and a close up of the purple heart.














I was able to resaw the walnut and sapele needed for the remaining inlays as well. They just need to be run through the sander for final thickness.









My little sister is getting married on Friday, so family should start showing up mid week. Hopefully I can get another inlay glued in before I have to shut down and play host!

Sean


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## Ted Tolstad (Feb 20, 2011)

It is looking great....enjoying this build.


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## calcnerd (Dec 7, 2012)

I saw this video a while back and always wanted to tackle it. Haven't got to it yet. Definitely following this!


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## CPNMike (Jan 8, 2010)

I have made a few of these cutting boards as well as a drop leaf table with this same design in the leaves. Sorry I'm a little late to be offering advice but it looks like you have a good handle on it already. I would just offer this, most of which you're already doing, but maybe for others:

Use slow set glue for the clamp ups
Be careful not to accidently wipe off glue from strips with your hands during clamp up- do this and you may see a gap - DAMHIKT
Don't go with more than 1/8" strips - depending on the curve of your template
Use contrasting woods
Have an odd number of curves in the board
Use strong cauls with notches 
Use extreme caution when routing the 1/4" groove - stay tight on the template
Use extreme caution when trimming the waste on the 
bandsaw - Don't hit the smooth part!
Use a black sharpie or dark pencil in the corner of the 1/4" routed piece so you can see it more easily when at the bandsaw
Think through the clamp up and have everything ready
Make the initial board larger than you want the final board to be
Replace the same thickness you take out or things won't line up
Make sure the edges on your template are dead flat and smooth
Have a extra set of hands for the clamp up

There's probably more I can't think of right now.

Good luck - I can't wait to see how yours turns out.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

captainawesome said:


> Uh oh... pressures on now boys!!! The man who taught me how to make cutting boards in the first place has pulled up a seat! I just peed a little...


Laughing my a$$ off!


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Very cool!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

CPNMike said:


> I have made a few of these cutting boards as well as a drop leaf table with this same design in the leaves. Sorry I'm a little late to be offering advice but it looks like you have a good handle on it already. I would just offer this, most of which you're already doing, but maybe for others:
> 
> Use slow set glue for the clamp ups
> Be careful not to accidently wipe off glue from strips with your hands during clamp up- do this and you may see a gap - DAMHIKT
> ...



Thanks Mike, I was wondering when you would find this thread. I knew there was someone on here who had tackled this one already, but couldn't remember who it was! Your board (and table) turned out great so I will definitely take your advice. 

Most of your tips are things I was already doing, or figured out the hard way after the first glue up. I like your idea of the pencil or sharpie line during the 1/4" slot cutting at the bandsaw.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Round two!!*

Between family arriving mid week, being a groomsman in my sister's wedding Friday, and all the other wedding festivities, I still ended up with enough time to mow the grass yesterday AND do the second glue up on this board!

You know the routine by now.

Setup








Rout








Repeat


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Improvements*

I learned a few things on the first glue up and figured I would post the changes I made to make things go smoothly the second time around.

My cauls are just 3/4" MDF with slots cut in them so they aren't very strong. The first time I had the clamps way too far out and the cauls didn't do me any good. This time, I put blocking under them so that I could get my clamps right up close to the joint.








This is the slot on the bottom caul to allow for the inlay strips to extend out the bottom of the board.








The slots weren't deep enough and were holding the cauls off the board. Luckily, I caught this during one of my many dry runs with the clamps, and cut them deeper.








If you line up the two parts of the board after flush trimming, you will have gaps and think that you have to sand them out. This fooled me the first time until I realized that once I clamp it up with the same thickness inlay as material removed, those gaps no longer exist.








This one went much better than the first, and I hope to have the third slot routed early this week, and start getting into the rounding and finger grips soon. My flute cutting router bit arrived Saturday and I can't wait to break it in!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I am really diggin' this build. It's awesome. The only problem, is that it is making me want a thickness sander. I can feel my back pocket lighten as the money flies out of my wallet. :laughing:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> I am really diggin' this build. It's awesome. The only problem, is that it is making me want a thickness sander. I can feel my back pocket lighten as the money flies out of my wallet. :laughing:


Something tells me that you'd have one by now if you weren't on a quest to make your jeep as bright as the sun!! That 50" light bar is insanely awesome not to mention the windshield mounted ones. 

You envy my sander, I envy your Jeep. Maybe we can work out a trade off throughout the year?!?!


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

What a fantastic job you are doing with your build thread :thumbsup:
Really nice pictures and explanations of your steps. If I could I would 
nominate this as a top 5 build of the year.
Now...let's see a photo of that flute router bit!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Crusader said:


> What a fantastic job you are doing with your build thread :thumbsup:
> Really nice pictures and explanations of your steps. If I could I would
> nominate this as a top 5 build of the year.
> Now...let's see a photo of that flute router bit!


I'm flattered Crusader! I take at least 3 or 4 of the exact same picture so that when I get to my computer, I can pick the least blurry and most accurate one. It is a bit of a pain but I think it is worth it to show the most detail possible.

Ask and you shall receive. It took me a while to find the right bit so hopefully this one will work. It still has the protective goooo all over it since I don't want to risk damaging a $30 bit before I can even use it.









Having a router near this board is nerve racking enough when cutting the slots. In the video, he uses his router and the template to go back over the portions of the inlay that are sticking out on either side. I don't want to risk anything so I choose to remove the excess by hand. A block plane and scraper make quick work of it.














Again, we break out the shims, hot glue, and sled for the drum sander. This glue up was much better, however the ends were still a little uneven.








This is where I usually fall short. I'm not very creative, nor do I have an "eye" for design of any sort. You can see a faint pencil line across the freshly flattened board. Unless I hear any good objections, this is where the final inlay will go. I'm trying to keep all of the open spaces in between the inlays as even as possible which is why it exits the board ABOVE the two on the right instead of in between. If all goes well, I will be routing and glueing in the final inlay tonight.










Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement. Knowing I have a lot of people watching this unfold is great motivation, and the positive feedback y'all give me is keeping my confidence levels high. 

Sean


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

captainawesome said:


> Unless I hear any good objections, this is where the final inlay will go. I'm trying to keep all of the open spaces in between the inlays as even as possible which is why it exits the board ABOVE the two on the right instead of in between. Sean


I think it looks fine, but then again my wife hates my design ideas, not to mention the clothes I pick out for myself. 

Overall, you are doing a great job from this beginner outsiders' perspective. Keep it up!!! I'm looking forward your next post...


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## shadowjfaith (Mar 31, 2014)

Looks great, can't wait to see the final product. My only suggestion with your final pencil line would be to try not to have your inlays touch on the ends. I just can't see it looking right as it would leave a blob on the ends where the lines don't follow cleanly through like the eye would expect so it would draw your attention.


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

It's looking great! One question though - is it necessary to flatten the board after each glue up? It seems to me that it takes a lot of thickness out of the board to flatten it so many times. Could you do all the inlays and then flatten it afterwards? 

I can't wait to see how you finish it.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Masterjer said:


> It's looking great! One question though - is it necessary to flatten the board after each glue up? It seems to me that it takes a lot of thickness out of the board to flatten it so many times. Could you do all the inlays and then flatten it afterwards?
> 
> I can't wait to see how you finish it.


That's a good question and something I considered myself last night. I don't think it would work because any variance or unevenness in the board will be transferred to the following inlay. Since you would be cutting the board apart in a different area, you will have a bit of unlevel surface on either side which will make the flush trimming difficult. Not to mention the face of the cut could come out not square which would affect the next glue up.

I'm only taking about 1/64" - 1/32" off each side so it isn't reducing the thickness too much.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

shadowjfaith said:


> Looks great, can't wait to see the final product. My only suggestion with your final pencil line would be to try not to have your inlays touch on the ends. I just can't see it looking right as it would leave a blob on the ends where the lines don't follow cleanly through like the eye would expect so it would draw your attention.


Good call. It looks like that may happen so I'll be sure to adjust my line and check with the bit in place before routing. I'll make sure that there is at least some of the birch showing between each inlay. I'll probably try to center the exit of the next inlay between the two on the left side, and then have it exit with the same or half the amount of space on the right side (if that makes sense). When I tried to line it up so that it would exit between both of the current inlays on either side, it left a large open space closer to the right that I wasn't a big fan of.

Maybe I'll move some things around and take a few more pictures tonight so y'all can help me make a decision. After routing the second inlay, I immediately wished I had left more room in between the two, but I guess I'll make that correction on the next board.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

Thanks for sharing the details and pics, capt. BTW what issue was that article in?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Maylar said:


> Thanks for sharing the details and pics, capt. BTW what issue was that article in?


Check post #27 of this thread. Issue #233 (June 2013).


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Well, the final inlay is in and clamped up! I also had time to start working on the curved fence for the finger grips.

Also had time to make and then promptly break one of Kenbo's letter opener templates out of acrylic...

I'll post pictures of everything tomorrow.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I moved the template a bit before routing my final slot. I was able to fit it in so that the third inlay exits the board in between the first two inlays on the left and ride side of the board.








I took the advice of "CPNMike" and drew a pencil line at the bottom of the routed slot on either side. This proved invaluable when cutting the board apart at the bandsaw.








Here you can see just how close you want to get to the edge of the slot without cutting into the square shoulder you've created. I also included a picture of the waste that was cut out which couldn't have been more than 1/8".


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

One thing that helps me get the two side lined up for the initial clamping is pictured below. I make a center mark on the top and bottom of the board (indicated by the pencils) which I make sure to line my clamp pads up with. Everything wants to walk around on you a bit and by having the clamp centered, it gets it pretty close to even when fully closed.








Here is the final inlay all clamped in place. Just having to bend the two 1/8" pieces was much easier than having to do 3 or 4.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Having the last inlay in clamps, I started working on the fence needed to rout the finger grips. I started by making a rather large beam compass of sorts and marking out a 36" radius on some 3/4" MDF off cuts.








I then spread glue on the mating surfaces and drove a few screws through them.








Once together, I set a tree on top to make sure they bonded well.








Hopefully I'll have time to get the board flattened and the curve cut in the fence this week. I may be out of town this weekend which is unfortunate, but I'm so close to finishing this bad boy I can taste it!!!


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> Once together, I set a tree on top to make sure they bonded well.


"Set a tree on top" is just hilarious to me! :laughing:

Can't wait to see the finished cutting board - looking very nice!


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

I have a question about the cutting of the board - you cut a shallow groove with the router, then cut to the shoulders with a bandsaw, right? Wouldn't it be possible to cut all the way through with the router bit and not have to clean up the bandsawn edge?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Maylar said:


> I have a question about the cutting of the board - you cut a shallow groove with the router, then cut to the shoulders with a bandsaw, right? Wouldn't it be possible to cut all the way through with the router bit and not have to clean up the bandsawn edge?


Yes, but even doing the slot in 3 shallow passes, I'll often get a little bit of variance at greater depths. Also, with the router being shimmed up on the template I am almost maxing out the depth of my plunge base which would mean readjusting the bit height at some point. Lastly, the final pass would be an issue as the two sides separated.


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

captain, I've been following all along and I must say it looks beautiful. can't wait to see the final outcome


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## moondawg (Dec 17, 2008)

difalkner said:


> "Set a tree on top" is just hilarious to me! :laughing:
> 
> Can't wait to see the finished cutting board - looking very nice!


He looked around the shop for something else to use... but he was stumped.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Inlays are done!!!*

I took the final glue up out of the clamps last night and planed the sapele flush to the surface.








Can anyone guess what I did next?!?!?!?!













If you don't have a glue gun in your shop, go get one today.

Here she is flat on both sides, and a little over 1 1/8" thick.









Lastly, I couldn't help myself and I poured just a little bit of DNA on the surface where all three inlays cross and took a close up picture.








I most likely won't get time to work on this again until next week, but stay tuned for part 2 of this thing. I'm equally as nervous about cutting all of the curved edges and finger grips as I was about cutting the board in half so it should be interesting.

Thanks for following along!

Sean


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

marvelous. and the hot glue gun?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

guglipm63 said:


> marvelous. and the hot glue gun?


Thanks! I use tiny shims to level the board on the sled, and then hot glue all four corners to keep it stable as I pass it through the sander.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Looks great Captain. My only issue is the asymmetry in the line thicknesses. I would have liked the third line to match the first two, but that just me.

I'm not sure what that "DNA" is but I do hope it's sweat. I mean, I know the thing is pretty but let's not get carried away.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

frankp said:


> Looks great Captain. My only issue is the asymmetry in the line thicknesses. I would have liked the third line to match the first two, but that just me.
> 
> I'm not sure what that "DNA" is but I do hope it's sweat. I mean, I know the thing is pretty but let's not get carried away.


The purple heart inlay is 3/8", the walnut is 1/2", and the sapele is 1/4" so they are all different sizes. The article calls for the smallest strip to be 3/16" but I didn't have that size bit so I went with the 1/4".

I picked up the "DNA" abbreviation on here, and thought the same thing you did at first. Although, there were times that this project was so nerve racking that it probably was sweat and not DeNatured Alcohol!


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Its looking truly awesome!! 

And I've wiped down many projects with DNA just to see how they look. It cleans them up nicely and shows where extra glue may be hiding.


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## CPNMike (Jan 8, 2010)

Great job Captain. Your lines look tight and appear to line up correctly. As far as the size of the curve strips, I feel it's personal preference to a large degree. I've made some with 1/8" strips and I like the way they look. Those are really scary on the bandsaw! Try a "sandwich" of different woods on your next one. They're cool too.

I do think an odd number of strips looks better than even though.

BTW - I can't take credit for the pencil in the corner idea. It's in the article as well.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I am in love with this board. So much so, that I am researching thickness sanders.........not buying, but making one.
I'm thinking that could be a cool project and what better project to test the new sander, but a really cool cutting board.
Awesome job on this one. I can't wait to see the rest of it.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> I am in love with this board. So much so, that I am researching thickness sanders.........not buying, but making one.
> I'm thinking that could be a cool project and what better project to test the new sander, but a really cool cutting board.
> Awesome job on this one. I can't wait to see the rest of it.


I read about making one and would have loved to do it, but I wouldn't have had the time. Sounds like a great video series for your YouTube channel and I look forward to the videos!

I'm relieved that you approve of the board. The curves and finger grips will be another area I have little to no experience with so it should be interesting.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

CPNMike said:


> Great job Captain. Your lines look tight and appear to line up correctly. As far as the size of the curve strips, I feel it's personal preference to a large degree. I've made some with 1/8" strips and I like the way they look. Those are really scary on the bandsaw! Try a "sandwich" of different woods on your next one. They're cool too.
> 
> I do think an odd number of strips looks better than even though.
> 
> BTW - I can't take credit for the pencil in the corner idea. It's in the article as well.


Now that I have all the jigs and experience, I plan on making several more. I have a lot of sapele on hand right now and I think it would look really cool with a lighter colored wood laced through it. I also kept all of the skinny offcuts from the first board so I'll have them to try the sandwich method.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Burb said:


> Its looking truly awesome!!
> 
> And I've wiped down many projects with DNA just to see how they look. It cleans them up nicely and shows where extra glue may be hiding.


I've read that on here about DNA and finally remembered to pick some up. I was happy to see no hidden glue spots!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> I read about making one and would have loved to do it, but I wouldn't have had the time. Sounds like a great video series for your YouTube channel and I look forward to the videos!
> 
> I'm relieved that you approve of the board. The curves and finger grips will be another area I have little to no experience with so it should be interesting.




You don't need my approval my friend. I'm a nobody. The only approval you need, is your own. That's what woodworking is all about.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I'll try to keep this update short.

We got back in to town around 4:15, and I was in the garage by about 4:30!

I started by using my homemade beam compass to mark the curves on the end of each board.














I then threw together this curve marking jig thing that was fairly crude but worked well enough to mark the curve on the sides.








I then cut close to the line on the bandsaw. I also went ahead and cut the curve on the fence I will be using later.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

After making sure that my table was square to my belt, I sanded all four sides of the board to the layout lines. In hindsight, I wish I would have marked the lines with a permanent marker or pen to make them darker. The pencil line tends to disappear in a cover of dust as you get close to it.








I swapped out the belt for the largest spindle I had and sanded the fence.








There were a few uneven areas so I cleaned them up with what was left of my second sanding block.








I then got out my bench hook, sharpened my cabinet scraper, and scraped the entire top of the board.








I hope to get all of the edges rounded over tonight, and possibly start setting up for the finger grips routing.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I was able to get a little more done tonight. I grabbed the biggest roundover bit I had and set it for just under a full cut.














I also finished the fence. The bit will sit in the recess for routing, and I cut in a DC channel on the bottom side to make sure the chips can be cleared away and don't end up in front of the stops.





















Happy Easter everyone!

Sean


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## nmacdonald (Jan 13, 2012)

Man that's looking awesome. You might give Scott a run for his money


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## nmacdonald (Jan 13, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> I am in love with this board. So much so, that I am researching thickness sanders.........not buying, but making one. I'm thinking that could be a cool project and what better project to test the new sander, but a really cool cutting board. Awesome job on this one. I can't wait to see the rest of it.


I second a build thread on your YouTube channel


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## sharbin (Feb 21, 2013)

That is gonna be too beautiful to actually use as a cutting board!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

This is just looking sexy!!!! I absolutely love this board and the job that you are doing is just gorgeous. This, my friend, is a project that you should be proud of. I sure as hell would be.
:thumbsup:


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

WOW! What an amazing cutting board. Thanks for taking us on this journey through your build!


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## Wendel17 (Apr 20, 2009)

Very nice work!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

nmacdonald said:


> Man that's looking awesome. You might give Scott a run for his money


I don't know what you're smokin but I want some haha! Thank you for the compliment.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

sharbin said:


> That is gonna be too beautiful to actually use as a cutting board!


I've heard that statement from a few of the recipients of one of my boards. I always tell them that if I come over, and there aren't knife marks on the board I gave them I would take it back!! I love creating a beautiful (in my mind) board, but I love seeing it be useful more.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> This is just looking sexy!!!! I absolutely love this board and the job that you are doing is just gorgeous. This, my friend, is a project that you should be proud of. I sure as hell would be.
> :thumbsup:


Thanks Kenbo! This is by far the most advanced board I've ever tackled. If I didn't have your original tutorial, I probably never would have tried cutting boards in the first place so YOU should be proud of your pupil!



MapleMoose said:


> WOW! What an amazing cutting board. Thanks for taking us on this journey through your build!


Thank you! I don't think I've ever done a build thread on here that has had as much of a following as this one. It was a little stressful at first, but knowing that everyone was right there if I ever had a problem was very comforting and motivating.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

*Grips routed*

I started off the evening by setting up the curved fence and running a test piece across the bit to test everything out. I can't stress to you enough how important running test pieces are with this project. At this point, I'm way too invested in this board to jack it up now.








Next, I set up my end stops on the fence, crossed my fingers and routed the grips. I did it in three passes, moving the fence back about 1/16" each time. I would run the board past the bit, flip it over, and run it again to make sure the grip was centered on the board.














I then let my branding iron heat up, and decided to brand it next to the finger grips so that the board could be used on both sides.








Now I'm going to let all of you in on a little secret of mine when it comes to getting a glass like finish on my boards. Now, this may not even be a secret and I'm pretty sure I picked it up somewhere on here, but it's worth explaining.

I sand the board through 220 grit and wipe all the dust off. Then I use a DAMP (not wet) rag, and wipe down all surfaces. This raises the grain so that the board feels a little rough again. Once the moisture has evaporated, I go over the board one more time lightly with 220 grit.








Be sure not to soak the board too much. I learned the hard way not to do this, and ended up having to completely re sand an entire board to get rid of a bunch of tiny little mold spots that formed overnight.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I finally finished all the sanding by about 9:00 pm tonight.









I won't leave y'all in suspense any longer. Here she sits in my "cutting board finishing room" (aka the spare bedroom closet) with a coat of straight mineral oil.









I will update this thread once I have put on a few more coats of finish (Kenbo's paraffin wax and mineral oil mixture) and given the board to the lucky recipient.

I want to thank all of you for your compliments and positive words of encouragement. As I said before, this is the first build thread I've done that has gained this type of momentum and it was truly a joy to bring all of y'all along with me as I fumbled my way through this project. The pictures may have made it look a lot easier than it actually was, and at times I had no clue how it was going to turn out. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised as to how well this thing ended up. As far as I can tell, all of the grain lines and inlays match up which is shocking to me seeing as how I cut the thing apart and glued it back together 3 separate times!

Gentlemen (and ladies?) it was a pleasure, and be on the lookout for more of these boards leaving the awesome garage. I've got a bunch of sapele off cuts right now, so I'm envisioning almost a negative of this board. Dark board, with lighter colored inlays. 

For any of you considering doing this board, go ahead and get started. If I am able to pull it off, I know anyone else on here can too. If anyone has ANY questions about this build, please ask and it will be my pleasure to answer them.

Thanks again,

Sean


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Nice board:thumbsup:


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## Sorrowful Jones (Nov 28, 2010)

BRAVO!! Great job! I am curious as to how much thickness you lost during the build. What is the final thickness? Did you start with 8/4?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> If anyone has ANY questions about this build, please ask and it will be my pleasure to answer them.




Can I have it? :huh:


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

Fantastic job! The board looks amazing. I'm a fan of the reversible board so one side can can be for display and the other for actual kitchen use.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Sorrowful Jones said:


> BRAVO!! Great job! I am curious as to how much thickness you lost during the build. What is the final thickness? Did you start with 8/4?


Thanks! I started at about 1 3/8"+ and ended up just shy of 1 1/4" so it wasn't nearly as significant as I thought it would be.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> Can I have it? :huh:


As difficult as that would be, I told you at one point that I would send you anything short of my wife and son. If you really want it, it's yours but you'll have to fight the person it was made for to acquire it....... and I know from experience that she ALWAYS gets what she wants hahaha!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Masterjer said:


> Fantastic job! The board looks amazing. I'm a fan of the reversible board so one side can can be for display and the other for actual kitchen use.


It's funny, I never even thought about it that way! I usually rout a recess on the bottom of my end grain boards making them one sided, and my mom keeps the one I made her on display behind her cook top. It's still in pretty good shape but she uses it all the time and it would have been nice to have a "show" side.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

captainawesome said:


> As difficult as that would be, I told you at one point that I would send you anything short of my wife and son. If you really want it, it's yours but you'll have to fight the person it was made for to acquire it....... and I know from experience that she ALWAYS gets what she wants hahaha!


:laughing:


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Very nice build thread and very well done on the entire project - thanks for doing this. I loved the FWW video when it came out last year but this was actually more informative and detailed. Thanks again!


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

Excellent looking cutting board. Thank you for sharing this with us as a build


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

Thanks for the detailed thread.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

difalkner said:


> Very nice build thread and very well done on the entire project - thanks for doing this. I loved the FWW video when it came out last year but this was actually more informative and detailed. Thanks again!


Thanks! I didn't even know the video was out there until I started this thread. I was thinking it would be funny to do kind of a spoof video that was filmed in the same sort of manner and dramatic music, but have everything go wrong instead of right. The swooping motions with the router would be replaced with super slow and sloppy movements ending with me throwing the board across the shop or something.

I don't think I'm creative enough to come up with something that people would actually find funny, and not offensive. Besides, I have way too many projects on my list!

Thank YOU for following along!


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Sean, the finished board is outstanding! The asymmetry, colors and contrast are very pleasing.

My favorite quote from this thread: "Once you think it needs just a LITTLE bit more, stop!" Words to woodwork by!


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## CPNMike (Jan 8, 2010)

Great job Captain. I really like that look. That's definitely a piece you can be proud of.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

That's fantastic. Lives up to your name, Awesome!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Who's up for round 2?!?!?!?!


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I forgot to give the final details of where the first board would end up. I had been planning on giving it to my wife for mother's day. After as much work as I put in to this thing, I didn't want it leaving the house! I also figured I could get away with making this her birthday present as well.

She doesn't normally get excited about anything, never has, probably never will. When I gave her this board.................... nothing changed hahahaha! She didn't freak out, or get all giddy. She said she liked it and that I did a good job. She was thankful for the gift, and later that day she revealed to me what she was planning on getting me for my birthday (which is the day before hers). She will be getting me a one day class of "intro to character carving" at Highland Woodworking and Hardware in Atlanta in June!!!

Here is the board with the "show" side in our kitchen. She hasn't used it yet, so maybe she does think it's pretty nice.


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## Hwood (Oct 21, 2011)

I think most of us would like our work to be used but I couldn't cut on that, way to cool.


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## Ted Tolstad (Feb 20, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> Who's up for round 2?!?!?!?!
> 
> View attachment 93922


I am definitely interested in round 2....sure enjoyed round 1. That is a beautiful cutting board....:yes:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I got the first inlay glued up in the second board last night. Apparently I got a little "cocky" and this one did NOT go so smooth. I think it will be alright, but it was a good reminder that I still need to take my time and plan everything out before glueing.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

captainawesome said:


> Apparently I got a little "cocky" and this one did NOT go so smooth.


 This happens to us all as we become more familiar and confident with the tools we use.

Either way, I'm looking forward to this project. :thumbsup:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Burb said:


> This happens to us all as we become more familiar and confident with the tools we use.
> 
> Either way, I'm looking forward to this project. :thumbsup:


Fortunately it wasn't a safety issue or carelessness with tools. The routing, bandsawing, and flush trimming went smoother than it ever had before. I dry fit the inlays with no gaps anywhere as well.

I started the glue up without doing a FULL dry run and didn't have all of my clamps ready to go right away. There was a good bit of fumbling around and the glue made the inlays slide around a good bit. One of them may not be extending from either side of the board, but I'll have to wait and see.


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

Gonna look good


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> Apparently I got a little "cocky" and this one did NOT go so smooth.
> View attachment 94161
> View attachment 94162


Yep, that's how one of my first _*real*_ woodworking projects with some pricey Canary Wood and Ebony became an Ebony toothpick and Canary Wood holder. I gave it to a friend and told him I designed it just for him - he still doesn't know it started out to be fancy desk. :laughing:


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Just realized I had photos, so for your entertainment -


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## shadowjfaith (Mar 31, 2014)

difalkner said:


> Just realized I had photos, so for your entertainment -


Most gorgeous toothpick/toothpick holder I've ever seen :thumbsup: at least it didn't become firewood :blink:


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Would've been a small fire... :icon_cool:


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Fast forward 10 days and I've got another all finished up!!

Woods are sapele and maple.








I have more build pictures, but they were pretty much the same as before. I like the contrast of just the two different types of woods, but I'm not totally pleased with the layout of my inlays. I the curves on my template are a little too tight, and I will be making another with more gentle curves before I try another one of these boards.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks really nice. Has the first one been used yet?


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

difalkner said:


> Looks really nice. Has the first one been used yet?


Thanks, and yes it has! I made the mistake of making sure she was using the "cutting" side and not the "show" side... She kindly reminded me that I gave the board to her, and that she could use whichever side she wanted hahaha. (She then said that of course she was using the cutting side)


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Another spectacular cutting board! Keep 'em coming (build pic's, too).


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