Hard Maple Strip Cutting Board

The creation of this board as you can see is being done out of hard maple strips creating a width of around 16 inches, length of 20+inches and thickness of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches.

The strips have been cut and turned and they will be glued up face to face. This eliminate the warping of the board and makes a very stable surface.

The next step is to run each piece through the thickness planer to make sure that the surface are flat and will get a good glue seal.























As usual when finished, this is the food grade mineral oil I use to preserve each and every board that I create.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Big Cutting Board heading to Berkley, Califorinia.......... UPDATE

This is the after photo with the new cutting board in place.

"Picked up cutting board from Fed Exp on Saturday. "Very nice work and we're quite pleased." Thanks Howard
Berkeley, California

This is the before shot of the old cutting board. It sits in a custom counter top where an indent has been made to contain the board and allow it to slide up and down the counter. This contains the board nicely and it can easily be moved near or away from the sink.










The new cutting board being created out of 8/4 hard maple is 20 3/4 inches long, 17 inches wide, and 1 3/8 inches thick and weights in at 15 pounds.
It will replace the well used one in the first photo. Here it is in clamp up stage. Because of the size and weight I slotted and glued biscuits to assist in holding this big boy together.






This is after it has been cleaned up and oiled for the first time.















This is the food grade mineral oil that I use to preserve and protect my boards.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom Hard Maple Cutting Boards heads out to new home........

This custom cutting board was created out of one piece of hard maple.

It was hand finished using a food grade mineral oil to preserve the wood and enhance the beauty of the wood.

The board measures in at 3/4 inch thick, 9 1/2 inches wide x 18 1/4 inches long.

This board also comes with a routered 3/8 inch drip line around the edge to catch water or juices depending on what is being cut.

This wedding present is on the way to its new home in Missoula, Montana. The proud new owners were very excited to receive this custom creation and will create many wonderful meals using their new board..

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Solid Maple Cutting Boards are heading to California....

These are the two finished cabinet cutting boards. They were created out of one inch thick hard maple.


The breadboard ends were added to give the heavy boards a little added uniqueness and biscuits were glued in the joint for extra strength.

In the under side of each opposite ends I routed in fingergroves to assist in pulling the boards in and out of the cabinet.



The boards were hand sanded to a ultra smooth surface and finished by applying a food grade mineral oil.


The following care instructions are included in each board we create.

We highly recommend oiling your cutting board frequently using a food grade mineral oil.
Over time oiling will preserve and protect wooden ware from splitting and cracking.
Wash your board with a mild detergent,not allowing it to soak.
Dry your board and apply an even amount of a safe food grade mineral oil with a soft cloth. Remove any excess oil.
Do not use any kind of vegetable or olive oil as they tend to turn rancid.

Your cutting board is not dishwasher compatible.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Solid Maple Cutting Boards.....cont'd....

The first Maple cutting board is almost ready for finish sanding and oiling. The finger groove in the top of the photo also has the same type groove on the other side opposite end.

The second board is in the final stages of glue up and will be ready for sanding and scraping tomorrow.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Solid Maple Cutting Boards

This project is an order for two heavy duty cutting boards that pull out of the cabinet. They will be made out of hard Maple, with rounded edges and finger groves on the ends. Once completed these boards will be heading to their new home in San Bernardino, CA.

The biggest board will be 20 7/8 inch wide x 23 inches long and 1 full inch thick. The second board will be 15 7/8 inches wide x 23 inches long.

This photo shows the width of the board being initially glued up. The strips of wood are to ensure everything stay flat.


Another view of glueup. Once glue is applied I let it cure for at least 24 hours before removing clamps.



This is the look after clamps came off, not pretty but nice and level. Now time to square up and glue up the end pieces.



Getting ready to glue up biscuits in end pieces.
The breadboard ends work well to keep the board flat.





Biscuits and bread board ends have now been glued and clamped.







Another view of the clamps. Once again it has to sit for at least 24 hours before removal of clamps.




This allows me to get a strong bond between the woods being glued.


The glue has dried and the clamps have been removed. Now the scraping and sanding process begins.


Still not a pretty picture yet although I can tell by looking close that it will have a very nice grain pattern and is going to turn out very nice.

Once surfaces are sanded and smooth and the routing of the edges and grooves are done, several coats of a food grade mineral oil will be applied.

The second board will be started soon. It is exactly the same except for the size of the board. I will post photos once it is in progress.


For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Maple Cutting Board with Walnut Ends and Custom Drip Line.....

This custom cutting board is ready to be delivered to another excited client today. The beauty of the two different wood grains really compliment each other quite well.

This beautiful board was created out of Hard Maple with Walnut strips giving it an elegant style of its own. It measures out at 16 inches wide, 20 inches long, and 3/4 inch thick and comes with a custom drip line.

Both sides of the board were completed to give the client the choice of cutting meats on one side and vegetables on the other if they prefer.

The Walnut and Maple board ends were milled to create a crisp edge and then glued and biscuited to provide a strong joint. This also helps keep the board flat. I know this client will love and appreciate this project.

All cutting boards are coated with a food grade mineral oil to protect the surface. The oil should be applied lightly after each washing.


This photo shows the drip line requested by and created for this client.

Drip lines are handy for collecting any drippings you might have. It was cut with a 3/8 inch router bit and goes all the way around the top edge of the board.

The edges were also given a slight rounded over effect to remove sharp edges.




This photo shows the finger slots I created on each end.

They are added to the board to make it easier to pick up and also add to the distinct appearance of the board.

1/22/9
It fit perfectly. Not too big for the counter, but big enough that I can cut, push it off to the side and still have plenty of room to cut some more! It is even MORE beautiful in person. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!........Dayna.....Columbia Falls, Mt...

....Now back to the shop for me with some much needed cleanup, organization, and preparing for the next projects. Future orders will take me into the realm of woodturning on the lathe, as well as the creation of some much requested travel size cribbage boards. Have a great day!

Maple w/ Walnut ends Cutting board.....

Another custom cutting board is soon on its way to its new home, this time to a client in California.

This board is made out of Hard Maple in the center and Walnut strips for the ends. It measures 16 inches wide and 19 inches long and is being created to slide into a slot under a countertop.

The ends were biscuited to the center board during glueing to assist in keeping the board flat and to add to the look of the board.

I am not sure why, but the photos did not come out as nice as the board looks in person.



In the second photo, notice the finger slot I routed on the underside so it is easy for the client to pull the board out to use it. This slot was put on both ends and both sides in case they wanted to take it out of the slot and use elsewhere, or flip it over and use the other side.

For more information go to: http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom Hickory Cutting Board with Walnut ends

This 12 inch wide by 16 inch long cutting board was created using 1 inch Hickory for the center




Walnut strips were used for the breadboard ends. Wood biscuits were inserted in the ends during glue up to create a strong bond between the two woods. As on all my cutting boards a quality food grade mineral oil was applied to preserve the wood. It was created for a friend to give to her dad for Christmas. She was very excited to see the outcome of her idea.









This photo shows the finger grove I routed in the ends to make it easier for the use to pick the board up.



Next up on the project list: Two large Cherry Cribbage boards 28 inches long and 8 inches wide and a large version of this board...24 inch x 24 inch... stay tuned I hope everyone is having a joyful holiday season...Thanks for everyones support and patience....

Deschutes Beer Bottles, Counter Cutting Boards, Cribbage Boards and other happenings

With the starting of the spring market season here in Northwest Montana it has become a very busy place around the workshop. That is the primary reason for the lack of regular posts here for a while. I will try and do better.
I am still receiving steady orders from my website and also maintaining stock items and creating custom work for folks at the local farmers markets. Being a one person shop with regular help from only my favorite little sanding and finishing elf keeps her and I very busy most all of the time. Please be patient if you are expecting a custom creation. We take our time and do the job right the first time.

Next week the Whitefish Farmers market begins and there are now plans to start a Farmers Market in the Village of West Glacier beginning on Friday June 27 of this year and continuing each friday from 4:30 to 6:30 PM throughout the summer season.

It is really great to have the freedom to do something you love, be your own boss, and make money doing it all at the same time. I will admit it is hard to stay focused here with spring breaking and the flowers and the woods coming alive, however I do try to make time to take the dogs and myself for walks a couple times a day for a break and to refresh the body.

In addition to all of this we have started clearing the land for the new shop. Although at this time I am not sure when or if that will happen(more to follow on that later).

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Deschutes Brewery Beer Bottle Cribbage Boards


My main project currently is a repeat order for the Deschutes Brewery in Bend Oregon. As I posted previously I created a cribbage board for them in the shape of their beer bottle with their logo. The first order came out very well and they have now reordered. The boards have all been cut out and they are in various stages of being lasered, drilled and finished. Because of the steps involved and planning I am able to work other projects in between the creating and the finishing. It will be extremely nice to get the new shop built and have more room to spread out and create even more projects. I love it!

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Custom Oak/Maple Cutting Board


This is a custom Oak/Maple Cutting Board counter top order I received at the Kalispell Farmers Market. It measured 2 1/4 inches thick x 15 1/2 inches wide x 25 1/2 inches long. The maple ends were biscuited and glued to the main oak center board. The board was finished using a food safe mineral oil. It is going into a new house kitchen and was very well received by the client.

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Oak RV Cribbage Board


This two person oak cribbage board in the shape of an RV was created for a client as a retirement gift for someone. The cutout was created by using a Shopbot CNC router system . The lettering was laser engraved by Blue Dragon LLC in Columbia Falls, Montana using an Epilog Laser. This process creates a very detailed sharp image. Using these processes we can create just about any shape you can image.

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Paws


This is Paws during a evening picnic trip to Lake McDonald last weekend. She is growing up to be quite a lady and a great guard dog. As some of you may remember we rescued Paws and her sister after they were abandoned in the park two years ago. It has been quite an experience raising these two. Callie was not being photogenic when I took this photo, I will keep trying.