Problems with Large Cutting Board

That’s not a big cutting board by any means…

Wrong approach. The dowels don’t prevent warping and even worse is to use threaded rod. Wood expands and contracts so the rods restrict movement and create other stresses. Don’t even compare concrete and rebar with wood and threaded rod.

The big butcher block top companies do it the right way…
http://www.buybutcherblock.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=mmb&Category_Code=cuttingBoards

You original problem is from the wood wasn’t all dried the same.

-- Few folks really know how to maximize the potential of their tools!

Rick-
Thanks for your response. I went to the link you posted, but I can’t find any construction details. But I hear you; I need to check the wood with a moisture meter, then use Gorilla Glue.

-- Jim in Tennessee

Rick-
One other thing: You said that my ”...original problem is from the wood wasn’t all dried the same.” I don’t think this was the case. All of this wood had been stickered and stored in my humidity-controlled shop (i.e., 60% RH) for several months. Based on my experience and your input, I’m beginning to think that the problem on this particular board was not using Gorilla glue in the first place, especially since the top of the board stays wet much of the time. And since it’s got “feet,” turning it over and using the other side isn’t an option.

-- Jim in Tennessee

Gorilla glue isn’t going to prevent warping. Gorilla glue isn’t the best polyurethane glue on the market anyway. Jowat and others make a better less foaming glue. Keeping the top surface wet would cause warping. What are you applying to the surface? The site I listed tells more than you realize. They use radio frequency gluing to speed up the process. You should read their recommended maintenance. They also talked about flipping cutting boards over so you need to rethink your project.

-- Few folks really know how to maximize the potential of their tools!

Which way is it warping? up/down or side-to-side?

I’m also wondering about the wood choice: Maple is very tight grained and does not absorb moisture quickly. I think cherry is much more absorbent. (I’ve never made a cutting board – so maybe that’s a common combination and works for others?) So how are you sealing this – to prevent moisture absorbtion which would cause uneven swelling? What about grain orientation? All grain vertical?

A look at Rick’s link – they use 100% maple and I saw a comment that they always use vertical grain. (what they call “chopping blocks” are end grain)

1. a urethane glue will not weaken when wet
2. use stainless rods and nuts if you go that route – overkill perhaps, but rock solid

-- Some problems are best solved with an optimistic approach. Optimism shines a light on alternatives that are otherwise not visible.

A cutting board needs to stand up to how it will be used. Cutting boards are subjected to moisture, heat and sometimes in ways they were not intended. I think 3/4” is pretty thin for a sturdy board. Rick I has it right. Butcher block construction uses end grain as the working surface. If you use it for chopping, end grain is the only way to go. For cutting and slicing, I would still go with the end grain block or plastic. Those alternating wood boards may look nice, but they weren’t designed to stand up to heavy duty use. I would treat them as decorative and maybe use them for slicing and serving cheese. To keep one of those boards from warping, never wash it, but only wipe it down with a damp cloth and dry it. This precludes you from using it for cutting, slicing or chopping meats, poultry, fish or vegetables. Once the surface is breached through knife cuts, the woods will be subject to warping.

I realize that posts come and go so fast here that the responders may never see this, but …

As always, thanks for your comments & questions. I’ll attempt to answer them here:

1. MrRon: I misled you on the board’s thickness. It’s not 3/4”; it’s more like 1-1/4”. 3/4” was the thickness of the individual pieces before I turned them on edge and did the glue-up. But the site that RickL linked to sells boards w/ minimum thicknesses of 1-3/4”, and some are as thick as 3”. IMHO, the thicker the board, the less likely it is to warp.
2. Everybody: Yes, I’m also convinced that end-grain boards are the best, but I’d like to think that edge-grain boards still have a place.
3. RickL: I Googled Jowat glue, and I agree that it looks like a superior product compared w/ Gorilla glue (GG). But it’s kinda discouraging to learn that GG is already somewhat obsolete! But how come Marc (who has a good cutting-board video on Lumberjocks) is still using Titebond II?
4. Everybody: Before the board was ever used, I finished it in the standard way: I flooded it w/ mineral oil, wiped it in, and then followed up w/ a mixture of mineral oil & paraffin. Did this on both sides. So I’m convinced that the finish was thorough, and wasn’t the cause of the warping.
5. Everybody: It looks like you all agree that a board this size needs to be used (i.e., wetted) equally on both sides or it’ll warp.
6. Everybody: I still haven’t given up on the idea of reinforcing a board w/ steel rods. As an engineer, I understand the risks w/ different degrees of expansions due to heat, moisture, etc. But hey, it’s a challenge, and you’ve gotta admit that the idea is kinda unique (stupid?)

-- Jim in Tennessee