End Grain Cutting Boards

Recently, I made my first end grain cutting board. I really enjoy making cutting boards because they are quick to make, they can be quite attractive, they are useful and you never know how they will look until you apply the finish, so there is an element of surprise.

Pic #1 is my first cutting board. It is about 12×12x3/4 inches in maple, cherry and walnut. So far, I have only finished with mineral oil. The faces on all 3 boards are sanded to 220 grit, but I think I will try taking that to 320 or 400 grit to see if that makes an appreciable difference.

#2 is about 8X8×3/4 inches. The woods are purpleheart, white oak and cherry. I was just trying different woods to see how they would look when finished. I really like the look of purpleheart, but as others have noted, it is quite susceptible to tear out.

#3 is about 12×12x1 inches in walnut, zebrawood and maple. I was trying to get an interesting transition from the dark walnut to the light maple using the zebrawood as the intermediary. I will let the viewers decide for themselves if this was successful or not. I realize that zebrawood is open grain and, therefore, not the best choice for an end grain CB, but okay for a display piece.

I also want to thank those of you on this site for the inspiration you have provided and those that have shared their processes in making these works of art.

-- Art