Did you ever see one of these? (LOL)

If it’s another surfboard you need some aerodynamic instruction.LOL Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

I like surfing! Cool story, and great cutting board! I love rock maple! and just maple in general.

Hey, I have heard this too, that woods produce resins that are toxic or inhibit growth to most bacteria… I actually have here in my possesion a sheet that says that boards made of pinewood (Kiefer is what we call it) is supposed to be the best. I think I will have to ask my cousin, he is a Biological Chemist and does all sorts of experements and stuff at the Uni in Cardiff, Wales. I wonder what his opinion would be or if he could research a little on the side to find out what woods would be the best… In fact he would probably only need wood samples to try to grow stuff on, or perhaps find out if they have the proper chemicals.

If anyone here lives near wales or would be willing to ship wood, let me know, then I could ask him if he would do it if anyone is interested!

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

I think I would hate to drop the thing on my feet! Rock maple is very heavy

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

Michael:
I agree with your statement about plastic vs. wood. I spent 30 years in the sanitation chemical industry and we used to do tests on surfaces in food plants. A lot of those old wooden butcher blocks were just thrown out. I helped a guy who got one resurface it using a router and two boards screwed across opposite sides. Just for grins, I checked the bacteria levels after we had scrubbed it using the bleach solution. Much less than the plastic cutting board in his butcher shop. He really wanted to keep it at work but the inspector would not allow it.
He came across another one and offered it to me, but it was too heavy to move and I really had not use for it. We fixed it up and he gave it to some relative.

-- jstegall

could not you guys show the inspector the test results? they seem irrefutable.

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

I agree with Waldshrat

-- making sawdust....

I agree, about the inspectors… But, they are there for a reason. And I always hated the plastic cutting boards… I’ve always stuck with wood.

And, i love your cutting board. Very simple, effective and practical. Especially with the fact that it fits in your pan.

-- - Alex. Ontario, Canada

Great job. Cant beat those wooden boards. Glad you were able to rescue that one.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

Nice cutting board.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

My son is a profesional chef also and I made him an 18X24” cutting board out of one piece of birds eye maple. he uses it all the time at home. I’m about to bring one into my home also.

I was using it as a counter top for a while and now it will become a cutting board.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Thank you all for your nice comments!
Scotsman: I hadn’t thought of a Surfboard, but now you’ve got me thinking that I could take it out snow sliding! Wax it up real good and off I “wood” go!
To those who commented on the Wood versus Plastic debate: The Inspectors are just following their rules, and the rule now is plastic. I’m not going to find fault with them, they do a very necessary job. It might comfort everyone to know that the majority of professional kitchens are very clean, at least where the work is happening, but there’s always a bad apple in every bunch and the inspector’s job is to find them and remedy the situation. They do not field test cutting boards for sterility, only check to see whether they’re being used, and whether they’re too hacked up to be of further use.
If I had a bone to pick with them at all, it would be with the use of the “surgical gloves” that are now required to be worn. Clean hands were good enough literally forever, and I can’t help but be a little concerned about the introduction of chemicals that were used in the manufacture of the gloves into our food. There is an upside though. The gloves are great when one has to slice up 50 lbs. or so of Onions! Your hands don’t smell like Onions for the next three days!
I did have questions about the prevalence of End Grain in so many of the projects made here. While they’re all tremendously eye-pleasing and I’m sure they’ll be fine for home use, isn’t driving an axe or wedge (or knife) into the end grain the way we all split our firewood? And wouldn’t things be more readily absorbed into end grain? To my knowledge, the only work surfaces made with end grain were butcher’s blocks, and they were frequently anywhere from 6 to 18 or more inches thick, sometimes banded with iron or steel. I believe this was primarily for the pounding of meat for tenderizing, like Veal for instance, and not for any slicing purposes. The advantage to having a sort of “Wooden Anvil” are obvious when you use a kitchen mallet on it, it’s an absolute dead fall and transfers your work or energy directly to the meat, making it amazingly easy! The surface a butcher cuts on doesn’t really matter, he’s cutting the meat not the surface….
Anyway, thanks again! I use mine nearly every time I eat and it works great for me! Michael C.

-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.