# Advice Sought: Cracked end-grain maple board. Is it dead or can it be saved?



## DitmasPork (Jan 14, 2019)

It's been a bad winter with me and wooden things.

First my Tanaka ebony handle cracked near the ferrule—I'm fixing it now by filling the crack with Krazy Glue, drying now.

Yesterday I was very bummed out to find two significant cracks on my beloved BoardSmith! Urgh! It's an end-grain maple, 14 x 20 x 2, which I've had for nearly 8 years, oiling it regularly.

Question is:

• Does my cutting board need to be repaired by a professional woodworker, or is the crack likely to close up once the weather gets more normal? I'm an urban dweller without much wood knowledge. I've no idea what woodworkers charge.

• Is it beyond saving—should I just write it off and as a lost cause and be happy that I had 8 wonderful years with it?

• Since I don't have clamps or a workbench, can I just fill it with some sort of food-safe putty (is there such a product?)?

Would appreciate feedback from anyone whose had a cracked board and how they dealt with it.


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## McMan (Jan 14, 2019)

Intersting... the maple appears to have a lot small checks perpendicular to the grain starting...
Is it stored near a heat source or somewhere with heat/humidity fluctuation? Has it cycled from being very wet to very dry? Are this and that ebony handle in the same place in your house?--for example, super close to the oven's vent (i.e. source of really hot and dry air)? Might point to variables to think about...



DitmasPork said:


> Question is:
> • Does my cutting board need to be repaired by a professional woodworker, or is the crack likely to close up once the weather gets more normal? I'm an urban dweller without much wood knowledge. I've no idea what woodworkers charge.


The crack's not going to close up. If you're lucky, it won't get any worse. Probably, it'll lengthen over time.
A woodworker could fix this easily. A glue-up would be cheap.
If you wanted to get fancy fancy, you could also ask about having a butterfly added to stablize things--but have the butterfly put on the side of the cutting board not on the top..






DitmasPork said:


> • Is it beyond saving—should I just write it off and as a lost cause and be happy that I had 8 wonderful years with it?


Nowhere near beyond saving. Easy fix.


DitmasPork said:


> It's been a bad winter with me and wooden things.
> • Since I don't have clamps or a workbench, can I just fill it with some sort of food-safe putty (is there such a product?)?


The easiest solution is also more or less irreversible, so might not be the best solution... Soften (not melt) some beeswax, jam it in the crack like putty until entirely full, let harden, reapply as need. The problem is that once you do this, you can't clean it out and use glue easily (if at all) due to the wax penetration.


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## WildBoar (Jan 14, 2019)

And once repaired keep up with the mineral oil applications. I suspect that board could soak up a lot.


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## DitmasPork (Jan 14, 2019)

McMan said:


> Intersting... the maple appears to have a lot small checks perpendicular to the grain starting...
> Is it stored near a heat source or somewhere with heat/humidity fluctuation? Has it cycled from being very wet to very dry? Are this and that ebony handle in the same place in your house?--for example, super close to the oven's vent (i.e. source of really hot and dry air)? Might point to variables to think about...
> 
> 
> ...



Cheers! Just found a 1 minute YouTube on a method to fix cracks, by pouring wood glue into the crack.

Will need to do research on how food-safe wood glue is.

Regarding storage, It's kept upright when not in use, during the winter our apartment gets very dry because of the radiators.


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## Matus (Jan 14, 2019)

Glue that is most often used for making cutting boards is Titebond III which is food safe. O have used it myself. But it is not really a crack filler. You may want to try to mix it with wood dust or very fine shavings. I would definitely recommend to test that first. If the food safety would not be a concern , than a thick CA glue (e.g. from Chestnut) mixed with wood dust would definitely work, but CA glues are normally not food safe (they are pretty nasty stuff actually)


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## bahamaroot (Jan 16, 2019)

Sounds like you need a humidifier in your apartment in the winter.


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## DitmasPork (Jan 16, 2019)

Fixed it. Filled the crack with Krazy Glue, waited for it to cure and subside, filled it some more—used a small piece of wood as a sanding block, used a coarse sandpaper, followed by a finer wet sandpaper. Not a perfect job—might go back and smoothen it more—but good enough, handle overall is smoother, since I took the wet sandpaper over the entire handle. Doesn't need to be perfect, not planning on selling it. I may have taken off a hair too much ebony around the crack, but needed to in order to get the glue to be seamless with the wood.

Yes, I need a humidifier.

Looking forward to a slow night when I can oil up all of my hos to avoid a repeat.

Thank you for the advice!


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## DitmasPork (Jan 16, 2019)

DitmasPork said:


> Fixed it. Filled the crack with Krazy Glue, waited for it to cure and subside, filled it some more—used a small piece of wood as a sanding block, used a coarse sandpaper, followed by a finer wet sandpaper. Not a perfect job—might go back and smoothen it more—but good enough, handle overall is smoother, since I took the wet sandpaper over the entire handle. Doesn't need to be perfect, not planning on selling it. I may have taken off a hair too much ebony around the crack, but needed to in order to get the glue to be seamless with the wood.
> 
> Yes, I need a humidifier.
> 
> ...


 Apologies! I put this on the wrong thread!!!


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## milkbaby (Jan 16, 2019)

It's alright, I got to like it twice that way.


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## Bert2368 (Jan 16, 2019)

I do a bit with wood. Fixed a few cutting boards and pieces of furniture with such problems-

Problems like this are usually caused by change jn moisture content of wood, which does a good bit of expansion/contraction across the grain, and some (a lot less though) in direction of the grain.

A wise wood worker is careful to choose quartersawn wood and then alternate growth ring directions as he lays up an end grain board like this to even out the stresses- Look for this if you're buying a board and save yourself some future grief?

About filler for repairs:

If your board dries out, opens cracks and while board is still dry, you fill those cracks with something incompressible and hard? Then next humid season, the board will EXPAND, like it is trying to close those cracks back up.

But you just put something HARD there, and it can't compress/close the crack because of your filler. The expansion pressure against your well intentioned but dry season applied filler may just split the board some more-

I have gotten into this cycle, ended up with boards split in two after a couple of seasonal changes.

Best thing is to never let this cycle start! Think about humidity control and keep the board very well oiled/waxed to slow down changes in moisture as much as you can. If you take anboard to the sink and wash the dirty top side of it? DAMPEN THE OTHER SIDE TOO, YOU WANT MOISTURE TO BE EVEN THROUGHOUT. Then at the end of the day, prop boards up to dry so air can get at both sides, if you just leave it on a counter, it will cup away from the damp (bottom, can't dry) side and begin to go to hell on you.

I like to melt and mix 50:50 by volume of (food grade) bees wax and walnut oil in a double boiler. I will use a blow dryer on low to medium heat and go over the board (or a linseed oil finished rifle stock, my Garand, Springfield and model of 1917 stocks get this touched up yearly), rubbing the wax/oil into the warmed wood grain generously with my finger tips, leaving a bit more than the wood can take up. After the whole piece is covered, I take a small piece of old cotton towel and buff it smooth to remove excess. I often save the buffing towel pieces (now loaded with excess oil/bees wax) in a ziplock in my freezer, I can just whip one out and microwave for a few seconds to do little touchups.


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## Kippington (Jan 16, 2019)

The solution is simple: *Get yourself a glass cutting-board!*


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## mc2442 (Jan 17, 2019)

Involuntary cringe with that Kip.


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## madelinez (Jan 17, 2019)

Glass is too soft, it could have small scratches that harbor bacteria. Better to use a hard ceramic cutting board.


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## daddy yo yo (Jan 17, 2019)

OT: I use diamond plates as cutting boards. Those have never cracked! However, I am quite unsatisfied with edge retention on my knives. Can anyone recommend a good knife?


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## DitmasPork (Jan 19, 2019)

I reached out to a woodworker who has experience fixing cutting boards, the estimate is fair, but more than I expected—it's about 75% of what I originally paid for my board. For a little more than the price of repairing it, i can get a new end-grain. Thinking of maybe a DIY job, or getting a cheap maple edge-grain to hold me over until I can save up enough to get another quality end-grain. Gotta research food safe wood glues.


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--penetrating-epoxy--P015023724 for repairs. Use blue painter tape on bottom side, mix small amounts and fill in the cracks, let dry (epoxy will build slowly) and refill until the it finally fills to top of crack. The amount supplied is good for many repairs and the directions for use are pretty clear. It is food safe when it dries.


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

While I like the butterfly solution to re-enforce the structure, it's not a solution for non-woodworkers. If the penetrating epoxy looks too expensive, look at another of their products that has some elasticity to the bone;

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west...epoxy-resin-and-hardener--9223132?recordNum=4

Again mix small amounts and fill the crack in multiple steps (let dry in between layers).


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

Don't pour wax into the crack if you are going to use one of the epoxy solutions (the wax will block adhesion).


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## DitmasPork (Jan 19, 2019)

jacko9 said:


> https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--penetrating-epoxy--P015023724 for repairs. Use blue painter tape on bottom side, mix small amounts and fill in the cracks, let dry (epoxy will build slowly) and refill until the it finally fills to top of crack. The amount supplied is good for many repairs and the directions for use are pretty clear. It is food safe when it dries.



What's your opinion on Gorilla Wood Glue, it says "Compliant with FDA standards for indirect food contact." I should've been paying attention during my 7th grade wood shop class.


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## milkbaby (Jan 19, 2019)

DitmasPork said:


> What's your opinion on Gorilla Wood Glue, it says "Compliant with FDA standards for indirect food contact." I should've been paying attention during my 7th grade wood shop class.



It's probably similar to Titebond II. I used to use Titebond II for making sayas, but then since I got Titebond III, I just figured I'd switch over...

I think all of the wood glues are only rated as safe for indirect food contact. Probably not considered a big deal since it's really supposed to only be used to join stuff together. I think almost all the custom cutting board makers in the USA use Titebond III for their boards.


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

Gorilla Wood Glue and Titebond III glue both need clamping to close the gaps while drying (overnight). While Gorilla glue advertises that it is a "gap filling" glue the reality of it is that with any gap the glue dries as a foam which doesn't have any real structural strength. Epoxy can fill the gap (a little at a time) and has structural strength. If you use any kind of glue you need to clamp the joint tight.


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

While I would also clamp the joint with epoxy it is not absolutely needed if you can get it to flow into the gap (the penetrating type) I have used blue tape to dam the gap and filled the gap, let it settle and dry then repeat until it fills to the surface) I finish with a sanding block and wet/dry 120 grit paper.


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## Bert2368 (Jan 19, 2019)

milkbaby said:


> It's probably similar to Titebond II. I used to use Titebond II for making sayas, but then since I got Titebond III, I just figured I'd switch over...
> 
> I think all of the wood glues are only rated as safe for indirect food contact. Probably not considered a big deal since it's really supposed to only be used to join stuff together. I think almost all the custom cutting board makers in the USA use Titebond III for their boards.



Gorilla glue IS NOT similar to the Titebond II/III glues either chemically or in mechanism of curing!

It is cyanoacrylate, similar to "superglue" or the "Great Stuff" types of foaming insulations dispensed from pressurized cans. It cures by a chemical reaction on contact with water vapor and air, NOT by "drying".

I have used a LOT of it to assemble our mortar racks and other wooden field equipment. Never used it on a food contact surface, would not do so without manufacturer's specific instructions. One thing to be aware of: Wear gloves. If traces of it harden on your skin, it is there until it wears away, along with your skin
And it is BROWN. Looks like you have dirty fingers for a week or so!


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## milkbaby (Jan 19, 2019)

Bert2368 said:


> Gorilla glue IS NOT similar to the Titebond II/III glues either chemically or in mechanism of curing!



Are you talking about the Original Gorilla Glue or the Gorilla Glue Wood Glue?


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## Bert2368 (Jan 19, 2019)

milkbaby said:


> Are you talking about the Original Gorilla Glue or the Gorilla Glue Wood Glue?


My bad-

The "original" (used to be the ONLY!) gorilla glue. They have slapped their name on a ton of unrelated things since I started using the "original". Brand recognition, marketing bull #$&%!!!

Just checked SDS and manufacturer's recommendations.

Same general chemistry as Titebond. OK for cutting boards.

Sorry, should have read that post more carefully.


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## Kippington (Jan 19, 2019)

jacko9 said:


> While Gorilla glue advertises that it is a "gap filling" glue the reality of it is that with any gap the glue dries as a foam which doesn't have any real structural strength.


The foam Gorilla Glue forms in gaps has always reminded me of the crumbly consistency inside honeycomb chocolate bars...




I bet it's just as delicious!


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## jacko9 (Jan 19, 2019)

Yeah - it does look a lot like that. Also for people suggesting using wood glue without clamping the joint shut the hardened glue in a open gap joint is not much better. Just pour a little yellow glue on your bench or a scrap piece of wood and let it dry 24 hours and see what you have.


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## parbaked (Jan 19, 2019)

Kippington said:


> I bet it's just as delicious!



I finally stopped sniffing glue and now you're encouraging me to eat it?????


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## Jon-cal (Jan 19, 2019)

I understand where you’re coming from. It kills me when I can’t just fix something. In this case though, I think I’d say 8 years was pretty good and use this as an opportunity to buy something new and fun


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## bahamaroot (Jan 21, 2019)

8 years is not a long time for a cutting board.


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## jacko9 (Jan 21, 2019)

Buy a new board and then experiment fixing the old one, you can always use two boards.


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## DitmasPork (Jan 21, 2019)

bahamaroot said:


> 8 years is not a long time for a cutting board.



Honestly thought is would’ve lasted much longer, took good care of it. I’m hoping that when weather warms up, the crack might close a bit—it’s still usable two inches in from the edges. Planning to just pickup a cheap edge-grain until my budget allows for another end-grain acquisition.


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## kdeleon (Jan 21, 2019)

If you pick up another one and have the tools, maybe turn the current board into several smaller ones. Like a cheese plate. It sucks but at least make lemonade out of lemons.


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## Bert2368 (Jan 22, 2019)

We have an edge grain maple board that has been on the kitchen counter continuously since 2001.

Board has an extra piece of wood bolted on vertically to two of the edges, one up and one down perpendicular to the glue joints. This has been great, it is very stiff, never warps, has never opened a joint. Sanded down every few years and re-oiled as needed.

I'll try to get a picture up, can't find it listed on line. Came from Williams Sonoma.

(Edit)
Found it- Tableboard Co Reversible Cutting Board PBB1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005RK8JF6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## DitmasPork (Jan 22, 2019)

Bert2368 said:


> We have an edge grain maple board that has been on the kitchen counter continuously since 2001.
> 
> Board has an extra piece of wood bolted on vertically to two of the edges, one up and one down perpendicular to the glue joints. This has been great, it is very stiff, never warps, has never opened a joint. Sanded down every few years and re-oiled as needed.
> 
> ...



Nice! Unfortunately that wouldn't work for me, I'd end up jamming my knife tips into the backstop. Good for kneading though!


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## wilburh (Jan 22, 2019)

I'd send it to Boardsmith. That's not a crack caused by mis-use. At the very least send him an email with a picture.....


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## DitmasPork (Jan 22, 2019)

wilburh said:


> I'd send it to Boardsmith. That's not a crack caused by mis-use. At the very least send him an email with a picture.....



Might do that, though wouldn't exprect anything other than advice, it's been too long since the purchase.


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## wilburh (Jan 23, 2019)

I sent an message to Boardsmith referencing this thread....hope you don't mind. I reckon it doesn't matter since I already did it.


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## John Loftis (Jan 23, 2019)

Hi Ditmas, sorry I didn’t chime in earlier. Out of town with the family for a few days.

I will try to write a long response when I get home for those interested.

But for now, please email me directly and I will do my best to take care of you.

[email protected]


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## DitmasPork (Jan 23, 2019)

John Loftis said:


> Hi Ditmas, sorry I didn’t chime in earlier. Out of town with the family for a few days.
> 
> I will try to write a long response when I get home for those interested.
> 
> ...



Cheers, will do!


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## Bert2368 (Jan 23, 2019)

DitmasPork said:


> I'd end up jamming my knife tips into the backstop. Good for kneading though!



How long is the knife are you using? 

I've been using this with a 240mm and not done that once in 17 years. I stand 5' 10", the board is at standard counter top height.

GF is 6'6" (no, she does not play basketball. Or much like people who ask her that question). She has not jammed a knife into the back stop either, AFAIK.

Yes, great for kneading, I've made many pies, pizza crusts, spaetzle, egg pasta and bread on this. Best to reserve one side for cutting and flip to the smooth side for dough.


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## John Loftis (Jan 24, 2019)

Ok, I'm back from a 20th anniversary trip with the wife and kids to Colorado. Exhausted but had a great time with the family. 

There's SO much in this thread, it's hard to know where to start or how to respond. Before I get into the nerdy woodworking stuff- on the customer service front, I've decided to make Ditmas a new board; I asked him to pay me what he believes to be fair. He's had eight years of use out of his first board from us, and my goal is to give him, and the rest of my customers, excellent customer service as well as the best butcher block in the world. I would encourage any customer with questions, concerns, or issues to email or call me directly. I'm covered in sawdust most days and don't check the forums as often as I should. I truly try to take care of my customers, sometimes more than is 'reasonable.' But there's nothing I can do if I don't know about it. 

So what happened to Ditmas' butcher block? You can never say for sure, but in this case there's strong supporting evidence. Ditmas nailed it in his initial assessment-- it's January, his kitchen is hot and very dry from the blasting radiators. As a result, he had both a wood knife handle crack and his butcher block crack. That's not a manufacturing issue; it's a wood/temperature/environment issue. The cracks are all perpendicular to the annulary rays, which is characteristic and indicative of dry wood that got angry and threw a fit.

I have thousands and thousands of data points, and can say that when we get comments about warping or cracking (maybe 5 or 7 out of every 1,000 orders), somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 of those are in January. The first culprit is when one of my boards is given to somebody for Christmas and the recipient doesn't pay attention to the do's and dont's... eg not putting in the dishwasher, etc. The second culprit is the weather itself. I make the board in Dallas, and it ships elsewhere, sometimes experiencing extreme cold in transit. Then it goes inside a warm, dry, kitchen. We take several steps in the manufacturing process to try to induce warping in the shop, to get any internal stresses in the wood out 'here' rather than in your home. But sometimes the new environment is more than the wood can handle and something gives. When warping or cracking occur, it's almost always in the first month or two (normally in the first week). So having this happen 8 years later is really unusual. My guess is something happened... either the kitchen is SUPER hot and dry this year or maybe the board didn't get quite the care it needed recently. I'm not saying that to lay blame; I'm just trying doing the best I can to armchair diagnose in order to help others. 

So what can you do? The easiest thing is to give the butcher block TLC, especially in dry months. The best way to take care of an end grain board is to use a two-step process. After washing the board and letting it dry completely, use food-grade mineral oil LIBERALLY on both faces of the board; let the oil penetrate fully. If oil isn't beading up on the surface, keep oiling. The butcher block will hold more oil than you think. Wipe away excess residue. Then use board butter to protect the surface of the wood. Buff some in on both faces with a paper towel. The board butter I make has a much higher percentage of beeswax than is typically found in board butter, because I want my butter used in concert with mineral oil/butcher block oil. In my experience, this two-step process is the best protection against warping or cracking. Oil goes deep, board butter protects the surface. Combination products work ok, but it's better to let each product do it's thing and not try to get a one size fits all solution. 

As another member suggested, a humidifier also would be helpful if your living space is extremely dry. Nobody wants to live in a sauna, right???

Ok, now a bit on butcher block repair. I'm not going to get too deep into the weeds on this, but I'll touch on some points. For small checks or cracks, I recommend using board butter, or rubbing in a harder wax like a Crayon (yep, food safe) or rubbing in or melting in pure beeswax. It's not a permanent solution, but it's easy, and not something that will need to be re-applied too frequently. If the small cracks or checks retreat with seasonal changes, the wax or board butter won't prevent the butcher block from closing back up, which is a good thing. 

Another option, as Jacko9 noted, is to use an epoxy like West Systems (good stuff). Epoxies are food safe when fully cured, and offer a permanent solution. The risk, as bert mentioned, is that epoxy is a hard, unforgiving surface, and will create a hard wedge of glue that won't allow the board to contract. So in a larger crack, it can actually become a wedge that splits the board further. Ditmas' board is in bad shape, and if I weren't making him a replacement, I would recommend using wax/board butter on the small checks and then using several applications of epoxy in the big cracks as a hail mary. But that thing is riddled with cracks from the dryness, and it's time to put the board to rest, thanking it for 8 years of good service. As Bones said:






Bert2368, most of your advice is spot-on, and it's clear you are an experienced woodworker. I do need to address one point, though: "A wise wood worker is careful to choose quartersawn wood and then alternate growth ring directions as he lays up an end grain board like this to even out the stresses- Look for this if you're buying a board and save yourself some future grief?" I do make quartersawn butcher block, but I also make riftsawn boards, and flatsawn boards. The key is NOT to use nothing but quartersawn wood, but to take the time to make sure that the wood grain is consistent in each butcher block. Alternate the 'waves' in flatsawn wood, alternate the "V's" in riftsawn wood, and leave the quartersawn wood straight up and down (NOT to alternate the grain up and down vs sideways). Then the blocks in each butcher block can expand and contract freely and in concert in QS wood, and with stresses balanced in riftsawn or flatsawn wood. I've been doing this for a lot of years and, with well over 10,000 data points for this, I can say that the flatsawn butcher block below has superb integrity: 






As a snarky aside, I'm glad you like your reversible face grain cutting board. But c'mon man, pimp that stuff on someone else's sub-forum. They are apples and oranges to what I make. Surely you aren't touting the wonders of Cutco on JKI's sub-forum???  

Final point, and then I'll stand by in case there are questions or comments. A well-made end grain butcher block is a Porsche. It performs beautifully, but it requires some attention and care. If you take it off-roading or don't change the oil in the engine, a Porsche isn't going to be happy. So to with butcher block. A face grain or edge grain cutting board functions ok. The wood fibers get severed and it scratches up more, it doesn't feel nearly as nice when you chop on it, it doesn't wick away bacteria like end grain, etc. But it also doesn't require much care. Ditto with plastic boards. At the end of the day, you can cut your food on pretty much anything. In my informed opinion, end grain butcher block offers the 'best' cutting surface, and I really try to live up to our legacy and have the BoardSMITH butcher block be the best of the end grain makers. That's what makes what I do hard, but satisfying. I love striving to be the best, even if it's at something as 'small' as making end grain butcher block. If we take care of our Porsche's, hopefully they will stay on the road a lot longer than 8 years.


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## Xenif (Jan 24, 2019)

John Loftis said:


> Ok, I'm back from a 20th anniversary trip with the wife and kids to Colorado. Exhausted but had a great time with the family.
> 
> There's SO much in this thread, it's hard to know where to start or how to respond. Before I get into the nerdy woodworking stuff- on the customer service front, I've decided to make Ditmas a new board; I asked him to pay me what he believes to be fair. He's had eight years of use out of his first board from us, and my goal is to give him, and the rest of my customers, excellent customer service as well as the best butcher block in the world. I would encourage any customer with questions, concerns, or issues to email or call me directly. I'm covered in sawdust most days and don't check the forums as often as I should. I truly try to take care of my customers, sometimes more than is 'reasonable.' But there's nothing I can do if I don't know about it.
> 
> ...


Now THAT is a craftsman that stands behind his product. You have sold me and will buy my next board from you sir.


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## DitmasPork (Jan 24, 2019)

John Loftis said:


> Ok, I'm back from a 20th anniversary trip with the wife and kids to Colorado. Exhausted but had a great time with the family.
> 
> There's SO much in this thread, it's hard to know where to start or how to respond. Before I get into the nerdy woodworking stuff- on the customer service front, I've decided to make Ditmas a new board; I asked him to pay me what he believes to be fair. He's had eight years of use out of his first board from us, and my goal is to give him, and the rest of my customers, excellent customer service as well as the best butcher block in the world. I would encourage any customer with questions, concerns, or issues to email or call me directly. I'm covered in sawdust most days and don't check the forums as often as I should. I truly try to take care of my customers, sometimes more than is 'reasonable.' But there's nothing I can do if I don't know about it.
> 
> ...



Thank you John for the remarkably detailed insights! Gotta say that NYC is a different beast when it comes to dry winter air. This season especially cracked not only my cutting board, but an ebony wa handle on my gyuto. Lesson learned for me to be a bit more diligent on oiling the board. 

Wasn’t ‘til it cracked that I realized how much I depended on that maple end-grain! Have resorted to my Sani-Tuff for the time being, stearing clear of my wife’s cheap bamboo board that would destroy my edge.

The two other places I’ve lived—Honolulu and San Francisco—were blessed with moist air. In Hawaii it’s the opposite problem, with salty humidity rusting carbon knives like crazy.


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## Bert2368 (Jan 24, 2019)

John Loftis said:


> Bert2368, most of your advice is spot-on, and it's clear you are an experienced woodworker. I do need to address one point, though: "A wise wood worker is careful to choose quartersawn wood and then alternate growth ring directions as he lays up an end grain board like this to even out the stresses- Look for this if you're buying a board and save yourself some future grief?" I do make quartersawn butcher block, but I also make riftsawn boards, and flatsawn boards. The key is NOT to use nothing but quartersawn wood, but to take the time to make sure that the wood grain is consistent in each butcher block. Alternate the 'waves' in flatsawn wood, alternate the "V's" in riftsawn wood, and leave the quartersawn wood straight up and down (NOT to alternate the grain up and down vs sideways). Then the blocks in each butcher block can expand and contract freely and in concert in QS wood, and with stresses balanced in riftsawn or flatsawn wood. I've been doing this for a lot of years and, with well over 10,000 data points for this, I can say that the flatsawn butcher block below has superb integrity:
> 
> View attachment 47387
> 
> ...



Not so much an experienced fine wood worker here, more of a long term wood butcher... I don't get to do much finish work or furniture building these days, just building field equipment, temporary show set ups and structural repair/remodeling to our facilities.

Thanks for the point by point analysis and the corrections to what I THOUGHT Mr. Sabatke meant when he taught us how to glue up an end grain slab back in 8th grade wood shop.

Sometimes, the things you don't know are less of a problem than the things you know which just don't happen to be true...

---------

I had only a few years experience as a restaurant prep cook and line chef, which ended in 1989. I have more experience at sharpening, but would like to improve (that's why I originally came here).

I will try to explain what I have been doing and why. I would value any input which might help me to improve equipment or technique?




This is a 12" X 12" end grain block, one of a couple we have which are used for most day to day meal prep. GF picked these, hence the non utilitarian pattern.

The big maple board with back stop is on the kitchen island counter top full time with a woven rubber rug anti skid mat underneath, allowing some air to circulate underneath and preventing slips- Air circulation and occasional flipping sides along with regular oil and bees wax treatment is probably why it has aged so well.

The end grain board may be used on TOP of the big edge grain board, it's easier to clean the small board at the sink than to clean the big board in place.

If there is a LARGE job, usually during canning or otherwise processing large amounts of produce from our garden and orchard or we have slaughtered birds we raised, the maple board gets used for cutting. It gets flipped for working with dough-














Yes to all of the remarks about superiority of end grain for a cutting surface. I don't have an end grain board over 12" X 12" on hand.

When the big board starts to get rough, I have used a cabinet scraper to smooth it out. Mr. Sabatke taught us that you only sanded after ALL your cutting was finished, grit left in the wood from sanding dulls tools.

How is the final surface smoothing done on your end grain boards?

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About the boards I linked to? Ours is NOT from the linked Amazon supplier (I bought it from a dead tree catalogue sometime before 1999). It is also 6" wider than the one on Amazon, but the same depth from front edge to back stop- I don't know WHO made it and only wished to comment that it has held up well.

My parents got a Cutco set in the 1950s as a wedding presenr.

I have known Cutco knives sucked since about 1968 the first time I tried to work on one and dad explained why I couldn't sharpen them like my Swiss army knife or the "Shapley's Hammer Forged" carbon steel knife we also had.

Recommend Cutco?! A low blow, sir.


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## John Loftis (Jan 24, 2019)

Bert2368 said:


> Sometimes, the things you don't know are less of a problem than the things you know which just don't happen to be true...



Probably the most profound thing I've read this week... words to live by, thanks for that. 

(I don't know how to do multiple quotes so I'm just replying under your statements)...

"This is a 12" X 12" end grain block, one of a couple we have which are used for most day to day meal prep. GF picked these, hence the non utilitarian pattern."

That's a fun, funky pattern. Cherry and maple? 



"When the big board starts to get rough, I have used a cabinet scraper to smooth it out. Mr. Sabatke taught us that you only sanded after ALL your cutting was finished, grit left in the wood from sanding dulls tools." Good process. Nobody uses card scrapers any more, but they are really effective. Raising the burr is a challenge for some. 

How is the final surface smoothing done on your end grain boards?"

I invested in a ridiculously expensive wide belt sander last year (Viet S1, two head, 53") which has reduced my hand sanding considerably. But we flatten and sand to a fine grit on the wide belt, then grain raise and do some other mystical incantations, then random orbital sand. In terms of labor, 70% of end grain butcher block manufacturing is actually sanding. 



"Recommend Cutco?! A low blow, sir."
It was! Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.


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## Nemo (Jan 24, 2019)

John, I admire your service ethic.

Thanks for the tutorial on end grain care. You have inspired me to give my board some mineral oiley love.


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## Bert2368 (Jan 25, 2019)

John Loftis said:


> That's a fun, funky pattern. Cherry and maple?




Yup! Cherry & maple.

This is the other board- Cherry & maple + walnut.

And drat, ITS OPENING A SEAM!!!


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## DitmasPork (Feb 12, 2019)

John,

New board and butter arrived last week! Over-the-moon. Gotta say it's almost too beautiful to cut anything on it. Besides being overly impressed with your service, knowledge, the craftsmanship is stellar. On my previous board I opted to have no feet on it—mainly because I've seen some boards where rubber knobs are just screwed in—love the design of the feet on my new board, and the wood cylinder is a nice touch.

Looking forward to putting it to good use and getting it worn in. 

Cheers again!


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## WildBoar (Feb 12, 2019)

Great stuff, John.

Over the years I have talked to quite a few BoardSmith owners. Some rarely -- if ever -- apply mineral oil, as they like the beeswax. Or, they apply the mineral oil on top of a well-waxed surface, so the board does not absorb much oil. I personally would rather keep the boards oiled than than waxed in order to prevent shrinkage. I guess the proper thing to do is strip the wax (scrub with water/ salt mix?), oil the board, and the next day apply a new beeswax coating.


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## Bert2368 (Feb 12, 2019)

My procedure may not be the ultimate, I would appreciate any comments?

What I have done is melting the beeswax and oil together in a water bath, mixing them up well. Then I apply the mixture to an already oiled board.

My 50:50 mix is kind of solid at room temperature, I have to use a heated rubbing pad. I tried using a blow dryer once, ended up blowing wax all over the counter top.

So now I put about 1/2 cup of rice inside a pouch made of several layers of heavy baking foil, set pouch in thenoven at 225 F until heated through. Then I wrap hot rice pouch in a scrap of an old cotton T-shirt to prevent burning my fingers and use the hot pad to rub the waxy mixture into the board.

Is "board butter" an oilier, softer mixture than what I've been making?

And how can I buy some, I'm pretty much out of my "home brew".

My sister lost her queens repeatedly the last several years, gave up and didn't keep bees last summer. No more free bees wax for me.

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(Edit)

I figured out how to order... And that from Boardsmith, it's cheaper than I could make for myself, now that I will have to buy beeswax at market price + shipping.


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## John Loftis (Feb 13, 2019)

Bert2368 said:


> I figured out how to order... And that from Boardsmith, it's cheaper than I could make for myself, now that I will have to buy beeswax at market price + shipping.



With $7.50 in shipping costs via USPS Priority Mail, we really don't make much at all on board butter. The kids and I brewed up a batch yesterday. By the way, if your tub gets a slightly crooked label, it was almost definitely applied by the 11 year old son. If the label is perfect, it was almost certainly applied by the 8 year old daughter.  

I think melting/softening board butter and letting it penetrate more deeply would be a perfectly acceptable way to go. My board butter has a higher concentration of wax than most, but it's still 2/3 mineral oil. So if the board butter is taken out of its semi-solid state by softening or melting, that oil can get deep down into the wood fibers. That would greatly lessen or maybe even eliminate the need to oil with butcher block oil. 




WildBoar said:


> Great stuff, John.
> 
> Over the years I have talked to quite a few BoardSmith owners. Some rarely -- if ever -- apply mineral oil, as they like the beeswax. Or, they apply the mineral oil on top of a well-waxed surface, so the board does not absorb much oil. I personally would rather keep the boards oiled than than waxed in order to prevent shrinkage. I guess the proper thing to do is strip the wax (scrub with water/ salt mix?), oil the board, and the next day apply a new beeswax coating.



Frequent oiling with occasional buttering is the more traditional approach, for sure. I wouldn't strip the wax, though. I'd just let it 'wear' off naturally over time and then give a deep oiling. 

Ditmas, I need those pics! You have skills. Pretty please email me those and some action shots so I can put them up on the website!


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## milkbaby (Feb 13, 2019)

I've always made my own board butter and have varied it from 3:1 to 10:1 mineral oil:beeswax ratio, i.e. 1/3rd to 1/10th the weight in beeswax to volume mineral oil like 33 to 10 grams beeswax to 100 milliliters of mineral oil. All ratios seem to work decent for me on my boards, ymmv tho?


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## John Loftis (Feb 13, 2019)

milkbaby said:


> I've always made my own board butter and have varied it from 3:1 to 10:1 mineral oil:beeswax ratio, i.e. 1/3rd to 1/10th the weight in beeswax to volume mineral oil like 33 to 10 grams beeswax to 100 milliliters of mineral oil. All ratios seem to work decent for me on my boards, ymmv tho?


Our formula has a higher percentage of wax because we designed it to be used after and in concert with mineral oil. If you are only using butter, then a 5:1 or 10:1 would be fine I think.


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