The concept of making cutting boards is fairly simple. Right? Cut boards, glue them together, sand flat, and coat with a finish. Viola! A cutting board!
It’s not quite that simple. But also not that difficult . . . especially with the right tools. I have a video on YouTube showing my complete process. In this article, I wanted to highlight the power tools that I use for making end grain cutting boards.
Interested in hand tools for homeowners? Read about my favorite hand tools.
Contents:
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Table Saw – SawStop CNS175-TGP236 (Amazon)
SawStop table saw.
I am a safety and ergonomics professional by trade and the blade brake safety feature is what sets this saw apart from other saws. This was an important consideration for me knowing that I wanted some level of ‘comfort’ when teaching my boys how to safety use a saw. I have never, and hope to never ever use this feature. Practicing table saw safety at all times is always first and foremost.
The quality of this saw and features deserves a blog post on it’s own – but the stability of the base, power of the motor, ease and precision of the fence is incredible. The SawStop table saw is probably the most valuable tool in my shop – not a single project is made without it which helps justify it’s higher price tag. This model and other Saw Stop table saws do sell at a premium, but for its versatility and quality, it is hard to beat.
Surface Planer – 12” Delta Planer 22-590X. (Amazon)
12″ surface planer from Delta.
I use a 12” Delta Planer 22-590X. (Amazon). This tool makes quick work of cleaning board faces and creating uniform thicknesses with all wood stock. I never use this on end grain due to risk of chip out damage and reduce risk for personal injury. I use a jointer for cleaning up edges of lumber and the planer for wider flat surfaces.
Jointer – RIDGID 14668 6” jointer
Jointer cleaning up and straightening edge surfaces.
For truing up the edges of board, a RIDGID 14668 6” jointer (which appears to have been discontinued) makes for quick work. I’ve used routers and table saws and even your old fashion hand planes to do this, but a 6” jointer with cast iron tables sure makes this job quick and near perfect every time. Every single edge is cleaned up using a jointer before glue up for perfect face-to-face contact.
As a side note, when it comes to surface preparation before gluing, take the time to do it right and get a good fit. If anything it off (gaps, uneven edges, anything that does not match up) during or after glue up, you will probably have to work twice as hard to correct it later.
Drum Sander – SuperMax 16-32 (Amazon)
Drum sander cleaning up end grain surface after glue up.
This is the most recent addition to my shop. It works like a planer, but instead of knives, it is a continuous strip of sandpaper mounted on a cylinder (or drum). On end grain, the knives can cause severe chip out or could create a flying projectile. This is not safe, but also ruins the cutting board. A drum sander is not a must have for most wood shops, but for end grain cutting boards – this has been a dream.
Before I would use a belt sander to clean up glue marks and “flatten” boards. This not only took forever, made a mess, and the quality that I expect was difficult to maintain. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for belt sanders. If I were only making one cutting board – a belt sander is just fine. For larger jobs, a few passes with the drum sander makes initial sanding of cutting boards and table tops a breeze and nearly perfectly flat. Just be patient with it as it is slower than a surface planer.
Random Orbit Sander – Bosch GET75-6N (Amazon)
The random orbit sander is the finishing touch on almost everything I make. This particular tool has a variable speed used in both random orbit mode and has a bonus “Turbo” mode. Combined with the best sanding discs that I have used, 3M’s Cubitron II, this tool makes finish sanding simple and quick. I start at 80 grit on “Turbo” mode and then random orbit regular mode, then 180 grit on regular, followed by 320 grit on regular. The feel of end grain cutting boards after sanding at 320 grit is best described as smooth and soft. It’s what creates the high end look and durable surface finish that makes the cutting board easy to wipe clean.
Palm Router – DeWalt DWP611PK variable speed router (Amazon)
DeWalt Palm Router making juice groove in end grain cutting board.
Palm routers are lighter weight than their full sized counterparts. This makes them easier to handle for small l jobs. I like this DeWalt model because of how easy the height adjustment is. It makes rounding edges and making the juice grooves easy work. I used to use a full size Porter Cable 890, but this was simply overkill for what I need to do on cutting boards. Work smarter, not harder, right?
Dust Collection
Keeping the shop clean is paramount to safety and health, but just makes it easier to work. My main unit is a Jet 650 Series dust collector connected to a 30 gallon metal garbage can and Wen cyclone style dust separator Lid. This connects to the table saw, jointer, planer, and drum sander using the Dust Right Quick Connector system. I rarely need to change out the bag on the Jet dust collector due to the pre-separation system. For the random orbit palm sander, I connect that to an old Shop Vac and a Dust Right Separator which is just a smaller system.
When using a random orbit sander, or any sander, with a Shop Vac and a dust separation system, the small dust particulate will be so small that it will cake onto your Shop Vac filter. Make sure you clean this frequently. This will greatly improve the efficiency of your vacuum and improve suction.
Conclusion
Like any hobby or collection, it takes time to build it up. Don’t feel like you need to have everything all at once. You do not need everything here to make a quality cutting board. My shop was pieced together based on the projects that I faced. I use other items like a bench top mortiser, drill press, and miter saw – but don’t use them much for making cutting boards.
Interested in starting your own woodworking or e-commerce business, read about my experiences after my 1st quarter of Practical Woodwork.
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