A laminated
cutting board adds functionality to any kitchen and they look great. Making your
own is easy and rewarding ... here's how:
These are the steps to
follow for the cutting board:
-
Cut the timber
-
Laminate the boards
-
Finish the board
Cut the
Timber
-
The block thickness is determined by the width you cut
the individual pieces. A good thickness is 25 to 40mm but you can suit
yourself. You can use "off the shelf" sizes or cut your own if you
have the equipment. Avoid timbers such as Oregon which are really too soft
for the job.
-
Cut the stock a little longer than you wish the length
of the cutting board to be. You can cut the board to the finished size
after it has been laminated and sanded.
Laminating the
Timber
 Use resorcinol glue on both sides of the stock to glue
them together. Resorcinol glue is water proof and will provide stability if
the board is soaked in water.
After gluing, clamp the boards together and let dry
overnight.
Scrub off extra glue before it dries to
make it easier when finishing and shaping.
Finishing the
Cutting Board
-
After the board dries,
remove the clamps and
use a sander to smooth the top and bottom surfaces. Use coarse,
medium and then fine sand paper ... aim for a really smooth surface.
-
Using a hand or power saw,
trim the board to the desired
length. A fine blade will minimise damage to the cut edges.
-
Round off the top edges
using a shaper or router and fine sand.
-
The addition of small
screw-on rubber feet to the bottom of the board will prevent scratches
to you bench top.
-
Don't be tempted to use an
Estapol type finish to coat the board ... instead apply a copious amount
of a cooking vegetable oil to all sides and let soak in. The idea is to
get as much oil into the wood as possible, so apply as many coats of
oil as the timber will absorb ... let stand for 24 hours after the
last coat then wipe with kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
-
Maintain your board with
regular applications of oil.
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