r/Cuttingboards

Hello from Germany again, it has been very hot here (and now it's quite cold).
I managed to source some cool wood (500+km trip), but it was worth it! I also upgraded my wood storage and now have enough wood to be very happy and I can build whatever I want :D

I wanted to make something cool geometrically, so I made that pattern on second picture (not sure what it's called, but there are many variations of it, this is my variation), I think it went really well. Then I wanted do use some of the new wood to create both end grain and edge/face grain boards, depending on the wood. For example some of the wood had really nice face grain pattern, so I really had to make a board with it that would showcase it, some had really nice end-grain pattern so i did that.

I also spent some time making coasters from the offcuts from these boards and they ended up nice too, but they took way too long to sand to a point where I was satisfied.

Woods used in these boards in total are.. : American black walnut, Maple, Padouk, Wenge, Steamed beech, Birch, EU Oak, Ash, Thermo Ash, Zebrano, Sipo mahogany, Purple heart + one wood i'm not 100% sure what it is it could be bubinga or sapele (neither me nor the seller were 100% sure)

I’ve done many edge grain boards and furniture pieces but this is my first end grain board. 8/4 Walnut and maple oiled with the brass feet attached.

My contractor saw isn’t that accurate so I planned each joint and squared the butt joints on the shooting board prior to final glue up to ensure there weren’t any gaps. No drum sander in the shop and it ended up flawless. 😍

Flattened the board using a low angle jack and smoother. Was a ton of effort but worth it in the end as I didn’t want to risk it going through my planer.

18” x 14.5” x 2.25” total

Finished with Walrus Oil cutting board oil

Hi community!

Do any of you know what are those black dots in the horizontal edges of my board?
They started to appear after 1 or 2 years of use and when the board is wet they're even worse.

I tried scrubbing lemon and salt, tried warm water, more abbrasive sponges, tried bleach (it was my last resort 😢), and today tried sanding it. Nothing removes those for good.

I'm scared this might be fungus or something bad for my health. Do you know what this is and if I should be worried?

Hope my cutting board is not doomed 🤞

Thanks for the help/attention!

It’s a 2.25 inch maple board. I use Howard conditioner every week or week and a half when it looks particularly dry. Hand wash only, dry immediately and stand it up on its long edge. Any reason why the edges are cracking? Cutting surface is good. Thanks

I got it for 20$ cad and I already refinished it. But I can’t find anything on the brand or the type of wood. Any ideas?

Lighting slightly differs between the photos

Some of the comments on one of my previous cutting boards said the pattern looked like something from Star Trek. That got me thinking... what if I leaned even further into that sci-fi vibe?

So I challenged myself to create a pattern that feels truly alien, like something you might find on another planet.

I built it from wenge, purpleheart, and cherry, and once I applied the oil, it exceeded all my expectations. It honestly turned out to be the most epic cutting board I've ever made.

I'd love to hear what it reminds you of.

Size: 44 × 29 × 3.5 cm (17.3 × 11.4 × 1.4 in)
Material: Wenge, Purpleheart & Cherry
Construction: End grain
Finish: Food-safe mineral oil

A few of the boards I've made recently. I welcome any critiques!

1. "3D zig zag" - Purple heart, hard maple & cherry.

2. "Chainmail Weave" (The one with the lighter accent colors) - Black walnut, padauk, hard maple & cherry.

3. "Chainmail Weave" (The one with the darker accent colors) - Black walnut, padauk, hard maple & zebra wood.

** The Chainmail Weave plans were from Feldthouse Family Woodworks (no Reddit account??) **

I purchased this beautiful end grain-chaos style cutting board a little over a year ago (june 2025). I don’t use it super often, but when I do, it’s mainly to slice protein. I keep it conditioned with howard’s mineral oil and/or board butter the seller provided.

this week when I was doing my monthly oil maintenance, I noticed a hairline/fingernail size crack. I messaged the seller for advice and they recommended liberally applying the board butter (ensuring it fully covered the spot) and let it sit overnight. So I did just that.

coincidentally, I was scrolling through my photos from last summer and found a photo I took when the board arrived. Lo and behold, the crack was there from the beginning. I messaged the seller and they are willing to swap my current board for a nearly identical chaos board with the same specs. I know it’s small but for something $200+ that I intended to have last a long long time, is it worth exchanging if no cost to me?

TLDR: should I keep my current board that has a hairline crack or exchange for a nearly identical new one at $0 cost to me. last photo is what the new board looks like.

So i’ve been slaving away trying to make this end grain cutting board with hand tools and have gotten one of the sides to be almost flat. I have a few issues and would like your opinion on how to fix:

1. Pictures 1&2: Gaps. There are two noticeable gaps, the first image is the much larger one. Can i just shove some glue in there? Or do i have to cut it and reglue…
2. Pictures 3&4: saw marks where i cut the strips unevenly. Are these dangerous to leave for food safety reasons? I can’t plane any more or my hands will fall off
3. Pictures 5 is just an overall pic for context

Any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

I barely ever used this butchers block. It split pretty quickly but I also can’t say I took good care of it. Think it’s salvageable with oil/wax or toss? I know bacteria loves to find those tiny cracks…

I brought together my passion for woodworking and my affection for Red Dwarf and made these two tributes.

Sturdy end grain cutting boards made from Dark Red Meranti, Padauk, and Red Oak.

Fully immune to the triple fried egg chili chutney sandwich. Partially resistant to the chameleonic microbe.

Which one do you like more? The simpler model with bevelled edges and rubber feet or the utilitarian version with recessed handles and a juice groove?

So i’ve been lurking this sub for a while and i’ve found myself super drawn in wanting to make a very nice end-grain cutting board someday. I know it won’t happen overnight especially with my situation. I know you need lots more tools than i have in order to make an end-grain board look decent. I only have a circular saw and an orbital sander so it would be hard to say the least without proper equipment. so i made an edge-grain board instead since i saw somewhere that it was easier. I used an old pine 2x6 i had laying around and decided it was perfect for practice at little to no cost. I cut, glued, clamped, drank a fizzy apple juice in a glass bottle that made me feel weird, and finally sanded it. i know it’s not gonna be amazing at all, like at all. I wanted to at least get familiar with the process and know what mistakes i could make and which ones i will make. Now, I want to ask you guys just looking at this practice board what I can do moving forward to keep getting better at this beautiful craft and getting closer to mastery with every board i make?

yes i tightened it like hulk and bowed it :/

Hello! Long time lurker first time poster.

The goal is a basket weave end grain board. I didn’t realize what changing the dimensions would do until I went for the second glue up. They are not squares like I was going for but rectangles. I’d like to fill those little square voids, but
Not sure how to proceed.

Thanks for any advise

Just wanted to highlight another handcrafted American black walnut beast board. 18x26 with two plate routs/handle grips.
It’s always a joy to blend sapwood (exterior light sections of the tree) with the heartwood (interior darker sections) to make each board unique. Enjoy.