# Wood species for end grain cutting boards



## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I think my wife is more excited about my woodworking hobby than I am. At first she was jealous of the garage. Now I have a list of projects a mile long and she even comes out to help a bit. She was in Williams and Sonoma today and saw some really nice end grain cutting boards she liked. Since she signs off on my purchases, she knows what wood costs. because of that she was able to deduce that 220$ for a simple maple cutting board is about 45$ in materials. So now I have another project.

Because I am a glutton for punishment, a simple maple cutting board won't do. I want to mix and match some woods and make a nice end grain board. Are there any woods I should specifically avoid? I know Oak is a no-no, however I see it used a lot (not here though). I also know some people are allergic to walnut, but I see it used in a lot of cutting boards.

In addition, what are the best choices for end grain boards?


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## knotheadswoodshed (Jun 14, 2012)

maple, walnut and cherry are the most commonly used woods for end grain boards.
I will be making a few of those up myself next week.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Walnut and Maple, yeppers.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Also, for an end grain board that will actually see heavy use, I should probably get 8/4 stock? Not implying yours do not, but waho6o9, I would cringe if my wife took a cleaver to that!


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

8/4 is the way to go, good call Joe.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

8/4 stock only matters in regards to the pattern you are choosing to make. The glue lines on a board built with thinner stock are no weaker or stronger then one built with thicker stock. I assume you're referring to the board thickness based upon the cleaver comment, in which case thickness is based on how far from the end you crosscut the pieces that will be glued together. So a 12" long board can produce 12 cuts for a 1" thick cutting board, 6 cuts for a 2" thick cutting board or 4 cuts for a 3" thick cutting board for endgrain. Personally I like my endgrain boards to be about 1.5" thick, sturdy but not too heavy.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I was referring to glue lines. I was worried that the more glue lines, the weaker the board could be. It's good to know structural integrity will be intact. Another question - glues. Titebond III I assume? It will likely get wet a lot


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

You should review the chart at this link. I find it interesting that maple is a more potent sensitizer than walnut. I use purpleheart which is also less potent than maple. I know that if a person has a true allergy that it doesn't require much of the allergen to cause an allergic reaction, but in an end grain cutting board, there will be little if any allergen transferred to consumers. My personal approach is to clearly indicate all the ingredients and let the consumers make informed choices.


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