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Best glue to use for cutting boards

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#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I was looking through some of the wood scraps in my storage bin and heard a sound . I couldn't make it out so I turned off the radio and listened. "If you build it, they will cut on it" That's right some cutting boards are in that bin, I just have to make them. I've seen some real works of art on this site and I'm wandering what kind of glue is best for cutting boards. Due to the function they perform, it seems like they can come in contact with water on a regular basis and I don't want to make something that looks great but self destructs when someone leaves in in a sink with hot water for a couple hours.
 
#32 ·
I have one additional question since I am pretty new at this. Do most of you join using biscuits? How about when you are using thin strips to you just cut and join them? How do most of you square up the surfaces? Just a table saw or do you use a joiner to true the edge?

Thanks!
 
#33 ·
I dont use biscuits, but keeping the edges aligned is a pain, and unless you have a thickness sander, you need a lot of sanding work to get the joints smooth and flat. I'm gonna try dowels the next time I make one, but you have to plan the locations carefully if you use them on the first glue up for the complex two cut boards.

Table saw works fine for me for the edges. I might use the jointer on the first edge of a rough stock board, but then it's planer and TS only.
 
#35 · (Edited by Moderator)
Tightbond II. I dont use biscuits. Just surface glue the strips. If you are making a endgrain cutting board you are glueing to sidegrain and none of mine has failed yet.
 
#36 ·
I started using the Titebond III when it first came available mostly for cutting boards but also in some outdoor applications.
I gave a couple of cutting boards to a nephew for a wedding gift and about 6-8 months later I was invited for dinner. Before dinner we were in the kitchen and the larger of the two boards (20" X 24" X 1 1/2") that I had given them was in use and looked great. I inquired about the smaller one (9" X 14" X 5/8") that was it's companion and they opened the dishwasher and there it was. Yes, they had been washing it in the dishwasher and it looked terrible, really dry and the grain had raised horribly, but it had not De-laminated. So Titebond III is the only wood glue that I use.
On the thinner boards I put a strip across the ends using biscuits
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Beige


to help in keeping them from warping. I do not use biscuits on the rest of the board.
 

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#37 ·
I've used TITEBONDIII but in my recent build I needed a glue with a longer open time and I found TITEBOND II EXTEND to work very well. It's FDA approved but it isn't listed as FDA approved on the bottle or their website but I called their company and was told it is FDA approved.
 
#41 · (Edited by Moderator)
TBIII is my choice also. I have made approximately 50 cutting boards and not one has failed at a glue joint. I use only mineral oil on my boards, two generous coats and let them soak in. Wipe off any excess after two days and they are ready, after I put on the rubber bumpers for feet.
Willie; I only make end grain cutting boards, I have used mine for 3 years and the knife marks are almost non-existant. Not so with edge grain cutting boards like the ones sold in stores from foreign countries, nor do they hold up nearly as long.
I also tell those that I give or sell my boards to, too not put in dw, no raw meat, and after use, clean with water or soap and water, dry board well, let air dry overnight, and then apply a light coat of mineral oil, and allow to soak in. .

I am also late in posting to this post, but hope it will get seen.
 
#42 ·
I usually use TBIII, but recently got a hold of a bottle of elmer's wood glue max. Elmer's markets it as a direct competitor as it has the same water proof and longer open time characteristics. So far so good. I like it a lot. It seems to be less runny than TBIII.
 
#43 ·
I always use Titebond III, end of story. It has a hold that I find scary. Everything I build, I test, and even on hard scrap like oak, the wood breaks before the glue bond.

Your cutting board looks beautiful. Great job.

I don't biscuit anything anymore. I have three methods of choice, depending on a) who will see it, b) function of the piece, and c) what it's made of. First, you have just brute force - clamp that thing together, as tight as you can, and use face clamps to draw it in. This works quite well with wood that isn't warped, and is preferable on some projects. I try to do this on my cutting boards, but I usually use method two. Second, you can try dowel rods. My father has a dowel jig, and it works so amazingly well… when you remember to tighten the screws. Again, this is preferable if someone will see/use both sides, but beware - I once planed through to my dowel hole because I forgot how deep I was. My wife still adores her cutting board, but it pisses me off that I messed it up. Either of these methods is just fine, just prepare for a bit of sanding regardless of your method.

Third is unfeasible for cutting boards, but I like my pocket hole screws a lot, and they work nice. Couple face clamps, couple bar clamps, TBIII, and you've got a fortress. See my desk project - the entire top was fabricated in this fashion.
 
#47 ·
I also use Titebond III on all my boards. Not only is it food safe and tolerant of water, it is easier on knives than some other glues out there, especially non-PVA glues that are much harder once dried/cured. They can wreak havoc on a knife's sharp edge, which will lead to more frequent sharpening. I think this fact unfortunately tends to be overlooked quite a bit.
 
#49 ·
I suspect that many of the "artwork" cutting boards never see a knife or a sink. They likely are deemed too beautiful to deface. But if they do get wet on occasion, I would say Titebond III is good enough unless you leave them to soak, in which case epoxy is likely the better choice.

Most of the fancy cutting boards have joints that involve one or both surfaces being end grain, and we know that's not good. In some cases I would bet that repeated exposure to water would cause a joint failure.
 
#50 ·
I am surprised to hear that the gorilla glue doesn't hold up over time. I used it to repair some deck furniture that was falling a part (plough and hearth…) and it has held together beautifully, outside, through winter.

That said, still going to take the advice here and use TB3 for my first cutting board!
 
#51 ·
Titebond III. Hopefully you will be making end grain boards. There are several tutorials. I've made dozens of them and enjoy the design process. I have witnessed professionals say you can NOT plane end grain, but it's not true. On my second glue-up, when you roll the pieces 90 degrees to get the end grain up, I put a sacrificial board on the two narrow ends. When you plane the board, you take only 1/32 or less. The sacrificial boards act as a backer for the end grain and you get ZERO split out. Then I run them through a drum sander over and over and finish with a ROS to 150 grit. I use tung oil and get great results. It really brings out the color of both cherry and maple. I mix woods to make a patchwork design. Who knew maple could have so many colors?
 
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