This end grain chopping board was made as a (late – shock) housewarming gift for some close friends. Made from walnut, maple and cherry. I used the CB Designer program to design the board.
After milling the stock to size, and glue up, the long grain was run through the planer.
The long grain board was then cut into 1 1/4″ chunks, turned to end grain, and flipping every second strip to create the checkerboard stripes on the outside.
Following the second glue up, the end-grain board was planed (carefully!), and the board was trimmed on the cross-cut sled.
A small round-over was used on the edges, and then handles were carved out at the router table using a bowl-cutting bit.
The unfinished end-grain board was then oiled up with mineral oil on my favourite finishing surface – a big long-grain board that always enjoys the left over oil, but is obviously not great for taking photos against…
After oiling the bottom of the board, the top got several treatments. I added four rubber feet to complete the chopping board.
The finished article – End grain chopping board in cherry, maple and walnut. Not perfectly aligned, but still a good looking board, and the recipients have been hacking away nicely at it and using it as intended! Here it is after a few months use:
Then we cut it to height using a cross-cut sled on the table saw, and line them up on end, and flip every second piece to create the pattern
Then round-over the edges
I’m still not 100% convinced about it’s longevity, but it looks good at the start!
Added feet
First I cut the walnut, maple and cherry stock to the desired length and widths, following glue-up, the board was run through the planer to make a straight board. I marked out dovetails to cut and attach an extra piece of wood to act as a pull for the board to remove it from it’s slot in the cabinet. I then hand-cut dovetails and glued the pieces together.
I then routed a juice channel in the walnut, maple & cherry cutting board, as well as adding a groove on the underside of the dovetailed walnut piece to allow for easy removal from its slot. The cutting board was then finished with several coats of mineral oil. 
Voila – one walnut, maple & cherry cutting board. Now, only 8 months later, I managed to get round to cuting a chunk of the handle off as it won’t fit in the slot, and fixing his cabinet as the board is too thin for the existing rickety rails. Note to self: start too big next time. Here are some more shots of the finished article with the trimmed handle and a new groove routed in to make it easer to grab.
