# Be Careful What You Wish For



## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Since my custom closet business has dropped way off due to the economy, I have had a lot of free time on my hands for the past couple of months. I decided to occupy my time (more like amuse myself) with building some cutting boards using some of the wonderful Lumberjocks examples. I built ten 12×16 boards and gave them away to friends and family. Then the phone started ringing from people wanting to buy these boards. So I made up ten more and sold them for a tidy profit. After that, more people called and wanted custom sizes, especially large ones. I didn't realize the pent up demands for these boards. Nobody will spend $3000 for a custom closet right now, but they will spend $200 for a cutting board. Go figure….

This is the latest one at 20×23 x 1 ¾. The thing weighed in at 25lbs. I need a bigger drum sander.


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

wow thats a beautiful cutting board. its cool when things happen like that. you give a gift and then word spreads and sooner or later your making beautiful monsters like that. great job. make sure to post some more cutting boards. keep it up!


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## SawdustMill (Mar 7, 2008)

Whew, that's a crazy big cutting board


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

That IS one big board. Looks nice though!


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## Zuki (Mar 28, 2007)

Good luck with the new venture.

That is one big board.


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## shangrila (Apr 5, 2007)

I travel around to shows with my furniture and always run into a guy that just makes cutting boards.That's all he does for a living and is always very bust at the shows(busier than I usually am)There seems to be a big market for them maybe you found a new calling!!!!!!


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## MarkE (Feb 26, 2008)

Big cutting boards are GOOD! And not so easy to find.

My second hobby is cooking, and I love a nice big cutting board to work on.

If you keep making them, especially as nice as that one, I'll bet you will have no trouble at all selling them.


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## jcees (Dec 31, 2007)

Go with the flow, mon ami. Lemons to lemonade. Make the boards, pocket the money and remember to smile.

always,
J.C.


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

Not sure I'd have the counter space for that monster! But it sure is pretty and I'm sure a professional or serious cooking hobbiest is really going to love having that in their arsenal of tools.


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

They look great and people want to by them. What's not to love?


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## HallTree (Feb 1, 2008)

Nice work. Can you give us some more details on how you put it all together?


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## motthunter (Dec 31, 2007)

these look great


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

This is very nice board and it certainly isn't your run of the mill cutting board. It is a very unique and interesting design. What type of woods did you put into it?


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## Thuan (Dec 12, 2007)

I sell cabinets and granite counter tops. I've been getting more and more inquiries for Butcher block tops, especially for islands. It might benefit you to look at local kitchen design places (low volume, high profit). Drop off some wood species and edge treatment samples and prices on a checklist order form and see if they would represent your custom Blocks and Tops. People are more willing to spend money on more affordable luxuries like Starbucks and maybe chopping blocks.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks for the kind words. The lady who commisioned it has a big kitchen with a lot of counter space. It will probably stay in the same spot all the time. Many of the first ones I made were TWW design which everyone likes. I like making this design because it is so simple to resize and second glue up alignment is not as critical. For example this one goes:

3" walnut
3" Maple
3" Maple
3" Maple
3" Maple
3" Maple
2" Walnut

To change the finished size, just change the width of the maple strips. I draw it out of graph paper and adjust the maple widths so the seams are offset. Some of the smaller versions use two 3" and two 2" maple. You can also change the width of the walnut or whatever contrasting wood you use.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Thuan, I felt like I just arm wrestled a grizzly bear after running this one through multiple passes on my drum sander. I can't imagine makiing one 25" x whatever length for a kitchen counter top.


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