# Expansion on a cutting board



## skogie1 (Sep 1, 2014)

This is a cutting board that I finished in the summer. Now that it's winter you can feel the edges between the strips of wood. This, I assume, is from the contraction of the wood now that's winter. Different species of wood expand and contract by different degrees, therefore, at the glue line, I can feel the line where they transition. That's my assumption anyway and I'm pretty sure I'm right. My questions is, any way to prevent this? It's annoying as this is a gift. Thanks in advance.

The woods, from center out, are: maple, cocobolo, maple, tiger wood, maple, purple heart, maple, walnut


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm guessing you mixed the grain orientation - wood expands along the growth rings (with a flat cut board it along the width of the board, with quartersawn it along the thickness of the board). It expands and contracts very little perpendicular to the rings. Keeping the growth rings in the same direction should minimize the issues you are seeing.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

Skogie, I have seen this before and attributed it to sanding the board before the glue was totally cured.


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