# Joining cutting boards



## Autorotate (Nov 18, 2015)

Hello,

I am looking to go another round in making a black walnut end grain cutting board. I am looking for advice on how to join (2) 12 inch boards together once I am done.

I know it's an odd size, but I want a cutting board 24"W x 36"L and need to do it in (2) separate 12 inch wide sections so it will fit through my 13 inch planer. Is it safe to just glue and clamp the ends together that would have normally been glued together at the end after the planing?

Or is it better to plane the wood strips originally and not plane once it is put together? I'd just have to sand away then. I like planing once everything is together, but I end up with (2) 12"W pieces that need to join.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

Running end grain through a thickness planer is asking for trouble, it can easily damage the work piece and the machine.

I am not following the order in which you would like to glue the parts. Do you have a picture of how the parts will be laid out and glued?


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## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

Welcome to LumberJocks.

As Joey502 said it is not wise to run end grain through a planer. Instead many will use a drum sander.

As for alignment of different pieces I use this to keep everything aligned. Other companies make similar products. If you use wood for the cauls be sure to wax them or apply a finish to them so that glue squeeze out does not glue the caul to your cutting board.


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## Autorotate (Nov 18, 2015)

Thank you very much for the replies. I am sorry if there was confusion.

My planer is only 12 inches and I waned to make a 24 inch board. So what I did was make two exact same boards at 12 inches a piece so they would fit through the planer originally. They have all been jointed, planed, glued, and cut into their respective strips. They were then cut again and as you know flipped end grain up and glue again. Each board being 12" wide.

I know not to run through the planer again and in hindsight (found a local mill with 24" drum sander) I would have made the whole board one piece. But now I have two 12" wide blocks ready for final glue, sand, and routing.

Hope that cleared it up a little.


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## CueballRosendaul (Jul 16, 2012)

I think I would use some big fat dowels for strength and as alignment pins. Clean up the squeeze out after an hour while it's still gooey, then if you played your cards right, you'll only have to hit the joint with a card scraper and final sanding.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

Could glue them together and make a router sled to flatten it out.


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