How to make a wooden cutting board
A few months ago I took a Fundamentals of Woodworking class, and I learned how to make a cutting board. Since then I’ve made a few more and I hope to make a ton more this year. Cutting boards are a great way to use up scrap hardwoods and make awesome gifts. Today I’m sharing the steps I take to make a cutting board.
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What you’ll need
- Jointer
- Planer
- Table saw
- Orbital sander
- Hardwood (such as walnut, maple and cherry)
- Mineral oil or Butcher block oil
- Wood glue
Recommended reading: Make Your Own Cutting Boards by David Picciuto of Make Something.
How to make a wooden cutting board
Step 1: Select hardwood boards
There are a few things you want to consider when you buy wood for a cutting board. Avoid soft woods like pine (it cuts and scratches easily) and very porous woods such as red oak (the large pores can harbor bacteria). For durability, also avoid soft hardwoods like poplar. Domestic hardwoods such as maple, walnut, and cherry make excellent choices for a cutting board.
Step 2: Rough cut boards to size
Typically when you purchase hardwood it comes rough sawn and will need to be milled before it is ready to use. The objective here is to get the board flat on all four sides. To begin the milling process, cut the boards down to rough size. I take the final measurement that I want the cutting board to be and add 2-4 inches to get a rough length.
Rough sawn maple cut to a rough size
Step 3: Face and edge joint the boards
Determine which face of the wood wobbles the least. This side will be the first side we flatten with a jointer. (Selecting the side that wobbles the least on a table helps reduce board waste as we try to flatten all the sides.) Once the first face is flat, place that side against the jointer fence and joint the edge of the board until it is flat.
After this point we have 2 faces surfaced.
Recommended reading: S2S, S3S, and S4S Lumber — What Gives?
Face jointing walnut
Step 4: Plane the rough face smooth
Next, move to the thickness planer. With the jointed side face down, run the board through the planer until you reached the desired thickness of the board.
After this step we have 3 faces surfaced.
Step 5: Rip the boards to size
Finalize the design of your cutting board. Go to the table saw and rip the board to the desired width.
After this step all 4 sides have been surfaced.
Ripping walnut, cherry and maple
Step 6: Glue up the boards
Arrange the ripped pieces of wood, glue and clamp them together. I use Titebond III wood glue. It’s waterproof and food safe.
Applying glue
Clamping the pieces together
Step 7: Remove the excess glue
After the glue has been curing for about 15 minutes, get a scraper and remove some of the excess. It is easier to remove the glue while it is tacky versus waiting until it is cured. Once the glue has completely dried, take a light pass through the planer to remove any remaining glue.
Watch out for planer snipe.
Running a cutting board through the planer to clean it up
Step 8: Trim off the excess wood
Cut off the excess wood from each end of the cutting board.
Clean the ends
Step 9: Decorate the edges
Add a corner radius or route the edge of the cutting board with a round over router bit.
Adding a corner radius (see the planer snipe?)
Using a router table to round over the edges
Step 10: Sand, sand, sand
Give the cutting board a really good sanding.
Step 11: Apply the finish
Seal the cutting board with your favorite food safe finish. I like to soak the cutting board in a layer of mineral oil. Allow the oil to absorb into the wood before wiping away excess. Over time and use, you may need to reapply mineral oil to refresh the cutting board.
Wooden cutting boards ready for a finish
Homemade cutting boards
I enjoy making cutting boards and look forward to getting more creative with my creations.
A maple and walnut cutting board.
A maple and walnut cutting board.
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How to make a wooden cutting board!
Software engineer by day. Woodworker by night. Geek. Gamer ( video and tabletop). Beginner woodturner. Bringing you new tutorials each month! 
I would love to get my wife a homemade cutting board. I know my wife would appreciate having something that would last longer. I would like to have something that is brings great appeal as well.
Wooden boards can be much more hygienic than those made of plastic, rubber, or glass. Most boards are made from tightly grained hardwoods. Because the grain is so tight it has smaller pores, which in turn allows less bacteria and dirt to accumulate. Maple is one of the most common woods to be used for these boards, however as we said a tree can take decades to grow. http://www.kitchenfolks.com/best-cutting-boards-reviews/ This link may help you for finding different type of cutting boards.