# 60 year old cutting board



## jp1953 (Feb 9, 2012)

My parents brought this cutting board from Peru in 1951. Been in the family forever and have great memories associated with it. Found it at my older brothers stashed away a few days ago. Would love to be able to fix the splits without comprimising the integrity of the piece. Solid mahogany 3" thick. How to I make this a solid piece again? Soak in mineral oil? Do not want to use fillers. Thought about sanding and then using the dust mixed with epoxy to fill yet that would probably look funky…..All thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated…Thanks for your input.

Will try to attach photos….James


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

My 95 year old mother still uses the cutting board I made for her in 8th grade shop in 1954.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

maybe some 'nakashima' stile butterfly splints 
across the bad ones
them some tapered splines 
glued in and beat down
sand and finish

nice treasure


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## SuburbanDon (Mar 15, 2010)

My wild guess is that you can't pull these cracks together or others will develop. So it seems the only option is oil. Or "Dutchman" in some wedges where the cracks are.


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## premieretreeservices (Feb 9, 2012)

Mixing sanded particles from your board with carpenter's glue and just filling them is probably your best bet. I agree with Don. I would be worried that using splints would do more damage, especially because of the age of the wood. Are you more interested in using the board or having it look nice?


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## JoniHamari (Apr 17, 2008)

Does it need more structural support? Or just need to be filled? If it were mine, I would put a support on the outside edge, and fill the crack with a beeswax…foodsafe, and can be tinted if needed, A light sanding and finish it off with olive oil. Nice find!


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## yank (Feb 1, 2007)

First of all I would clean it up, let it dry good, and sand it really well, and save the dust. Mix with type III glue, and fill the splits. After it has set, usually 24 hrs, sand again and put lavish coats of mineral oil on it, let set for 24 hrs, add another coat, you my need at least 3 coats of mineral oil, all over top and bottom. I use finish nails on the bottom for it to set on and remove them after board is finished.

Hope this helps.


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## Ed_Pirnik (Aug 26, 2010)

The top split in the photo seems to be going in a pretty straight line, with the grain. One options might be to somehow secure the board to a tablesaw sled and rip right along that split, and re-glue (Titebond III). Of course, the fact that the kerf will take away 1/8-in. will alter the diameter of the circle segments you have now cut apart and this will show when re-glued. You'll thus have to re-cut the circle at the bandsaw and re-roundover those edges.

That takes care of split number one. For split number two, I might consider making a long skinny wedge and gluing it in with an epoxy that will fill in any gaps, handplane the whole thing, re-oil, and call it a day.

It's gonna be tedious.

The other option would be to first handplane the cutting board to get back down to nice uniformly-colored wood. Then just cut two wedges and glue them into each crack with epoxy tinted (using powdered pigments) to match the color of the wood. Plane the wedges flush, seal with oil - done.

Good luck! Heirlooms are worth the effort


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

If there are only a couple of bad splits I would probably saw through it, plane it and reglue. it would be out of rround, but that can be redone as well. At least it would be usable.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

You might try gluing lit with titebond III. I would soak it in water first to swell the wood and then let it dry until the crack opens a little and then apply the glue. That should swell it again, and the glue should hold it together when it drys.


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## JohnMeeley (Jan 5, 2012)

Wouldn't the idea of filling the checks with glue and saw dust create a built in wedge that would force its way further down the board?

I like *Joni Hamari* and her idea of beeswax. Protect the antique with love, not surgery. Masking tape around the perimeter would create a dam for the wax. easily shaped and as Joni said, completely food safe.

I would first scrub it with coarse kosher salt to clean and sanitize it. Let dry for more than a day. Then before all else start the oiling process as though it were new. Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, and once a month for life. Leave all of the character that took sixty years to accumulate. Somewhere along the line try the beeswax if you feel the need.


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## jp1953 (Feb 9, 2012)

Thanks everyone for replying. Do not want to saw through the piece for it has always been one solid piece of wood. That is the "Heirloom" part I wish to keep. So it comes down to sanding saving the dust and mixing with either Type 111 glue or Titebond. Or the beeswax.. Not familiar with that. Does beeswax harden? Would I have to keep a "dam" on the outside perimeter--if so that would not work. Yes I want to use it not look at it. Worried about the glue though getting into food…Further thoughts before I start….Thanks again…..James


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## premieretreeservices (Feb 9, 2012)

The beeswax sounds like a good solution. It should keep water from soaking into the wood and damaging it further. I would apply a beeswax finish to the outside of the whole board if that't what you're going to do. It does get dirty easily though, so watch out for that.


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## triw (Jan 30, 2012)

If you gave it several good coats of oil could you use something like a large hose clamp to bring the cracks closed?


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## packymule (Jul 24, 2014)

I agree with "trig".. The Tite Bond III Glue and a perimeter clamp around the outside .. Have used that glue on many of my own cutting boards and not even a hint of a crack after.. Would use some of the wood dust in the glue to hide the glue up area.. If you go to a cook site though they will caution you about cracks and open wood poses the risk of bacteria being trapped in the wood.. But there are ways after the repair to lessen , but not totally eliminate the bacteria issue.. Even that said , have read that wood cutting heirloom boards sometimes just have to be admired for what they were.. and retire them ..


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

I would cut, joint and glue as well.


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