Archive for the ‘Cheese Board’ Tag
“We have a big family,” they said.
I love doing special orders for people, so they get exactly what they want. This lady wanted a Lazy Susan.
A big Lazy Susan.
So, that’s what she got.
This Susan is 30″ across. It actually took me 6 glue-ups after a couple of mistakes that had to be fixed. The woods used are Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Hard Maple, Cherry & Purpleheart. And, as you may have surmised from seeing the pictures, this was a chaos Lazy Susan.
However, the story doesn’t end there. Since this is a really, really big Susan, I had to make a really, really big square to cut the circle out of. And, when you cut out a big circle, you leave big corners behind … and these were big enough, I just had to do something with them. In my latest batch of boards, this new cheese board was the one that everyone commented on, as it’s a new style for me.
“Make more, make more!” they all said.
Now if I can just find someone that wants to buy several large Lazy Susans….
Lazy Susan 17 – 01. Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Cherry, Hard Maple & Purpleheart. 30″ diameter. Commissioned piece.
Here’s the Susan with 12″ steel rules included in the picture to give the size of the piece some perspective.
Sometimes the need for inspiration propels the ability to have it. Doing things differently can be a very good thing!
Cheese Board 17 – 315. Purpleheart, Hard Maple, Cherry, Black Walnut & Yellowheart. Chaos board. 11″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
I have to call them something … even if I know what I call them matters little. In the end, the customer will call them what they want to call them, and at that point my naming responsibility ends.
But I still have to call them something.
I started making cheese boards, and those are, by my definition, small and light weight. Cheese boards are typically no more than 3/4″ thick, and about 8″ x 11″. They may get as large as 12″ x 12″, and may be as thin as 5/8″. I take what the wood gives me, as I like to say, and they end up being the size that they are. I don’t make cheese boards fit some pre-determined size, cutting off good wood to make an artificial standard. That might make it easier on me for packaging & displaying, but I just can’t be wasteful. So, I’m not.
Some people buy cheese boards to use as actual cutting boards because they want a very small, light weight board. That’s OK: I make these boards so that they are fine cutting surfaces. They’re just not big or heavy enough to trim a tri tip. In my opinion.
Small boards are my transitional board between cheese boards and cutting boards. Cutting boards, in my definition, are 12″ x 16″ x 1″ or larger. Anything bigger than a cheese board, but still smaller than a cutting board … is a small board.
I didn’t say I was creative with my naming styles. Don’t judge me.
In the end, all of these boards look much alike when in use.
Many of these boards are chaos boards: they are not symmetrical. Anything that doesn’t fit in my rigidly right-brained perspective is what I call chaotic. Just ask Mrs M. Some people prefer designs from the left side of the brain, so these are humbly submitted.
A final note on these photos. I was fighting 2 time pressures: Mrs M was pushing me to clear everything out of the house as I was prepping the boards for photography, and the sun was moving from a clear sky, to behind a tree, and then back to the clear sky. The result is that these shots have some odd shadows as well as some odd oil smudges in their glossy top coat. I assure you the finished boards are not perpetually in shadow, nor do they have oil smudges on them. Thanks for your understanding, and, please, enjoy!
Small Board 17 – 201. Black Walnut, Cherry, Hard Maple, Honey Locust, Bubinga & Jatoba. 8″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Small Board 17 – 203. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. 7″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.
Small Board 17 – 202. Chaos Board. Cherry, Jatoba, Hard Maple, Purpleheart & Bubinga. 7″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Small Board 17 – 204. Chaos Board. Jatoba, Hard Maple, Cherry, Black Walnut & Purpleheart. 8″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.
Small Board 17 – 205. Jatoba & Hard Maple. 7″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.
Small Board 17 – 206. Jatoba, Hard Maple, Cherry & Canarywood. 11″ x 11″ x 1″.
Small Board 17 – 207. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. 8″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.
Bread Board 17 – 501. Hard Maple & Bloodwood. This is an undersized bread board; most are 20″ long. Since this has a handle, it’s not really a small board. According to me! 8″ x 16″ x 1″.
Cheese Board 17 – 301. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 305. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 301. Chaos Board. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 308. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 312. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 313. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 310. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 303. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 307. Chaos Board. 11″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 311. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 309. Chaos Board. 9″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 306. Chaos Board. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Boar 17 – 304. Chaos Board. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 17 – 314. 8″ x 8″ x 3/4″.
I’m always amazed as I look back to see what I’ve made … and how quickly they are gone!
These are the last few boards I made this month for pre-Christmas delivery. All are now with their new owners. I’ll have another post in the next few days, as well as an update to my other site (Mr M’s Woodshop), to show the personalization that I’ve done on many boards also sold & delivered over the last few days. It’s become a thing!
As the year draws to a close, I am so appreciative of good delivery services! I only hand-delivered one of these, bringing my annual total to 3 boards that had to be delivered by me, or else I would have disappointed some people that deserved better. I’m sometimes slower than I would like, which a few of my customers definitely agree with this time of year!
Today, I only have 3 more boards to finish this year (!), and then I’ll have a nap. And then, see a movie. Eat some popcorn, too.
I think.
Then the new 2017 energy will come into play, and I’m going to make a whole lot of new stuff.
Next year.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 032. Black Walnut, Cherry, Jatoba, Honey Locust & Goncalo Alves. Edge grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned piece.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 19. Purpleheart, Birdseye Maple & Padauk. Chaos Board. 9″ x 20″ x 3/4″. Commissioned Piece.
Cutting Board 16 – End 051. Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Padauk & Jatoba. End Grain. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″. Purchased out of the shop before it was finished.
Engraved 16 – 30. Recipe Board for Mom’s Potato Salad. 9″ x 14″ x 3/4″. Commissioned Piece.
Cutting Board 16 – End 052. Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned Piece.
Domed Cheese & Cracker Server 16 – 13. Black Walnut, Jatoba, Bloodwood, Cherry & Hard Maple. 9″ x 20″ x 3/4″. Commissioned Piece.
Detail of Domed Cheese & Cracker Server 16 – 13a. Groove for the dome is on the opposite side; this side is smooth.
As we reach the end of the year, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the garage woodshop to get enough boards ready to fill out the inventory for the holiday season.
Here, for your consideration:
- 2 different 14″ x 18″ edge grain boards … simple, relatively light boards that are big enough to do just about anything.
- 3 different large end grain cutting boards, which are actually my favorite boards to make. These are generational boards: with proper care, they will last for decades. My job is to make sure that they’ll look good doing it, too!
I’ve used a lot of Hard Maple in these boards. I had made several darker boards without Hard Maple over the last few months, and I felt the itch to return to the classic. Hard Maple end grain boards are the traditional butcher blocks, and they’ve been in use for centuries. The FDA and almost all state laws actually state that commercial wooden cutting boards should be Hard Maple “or its equivalent,” and I deal a lot in the equivalents.
Today, though, I celebrate the original … with some nice colorful & decorative touches added in from Africa (Purpleheart & Padauk) and Central & South America (Bloodwood, Jatoba & Canarywood) .
Cutting Board 16 – End 048. Purpleheart, Hard Maple & Canarywood. End Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 030. Hard Maple, Bloodwood, Purpleheart & Bubinga. Edge Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – End 049. Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain. 16″ x 21-1/2″ x 1-1/2″. Sold at its first showing.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 031. Hard Maple, Cherry, Jatoba & Padauk. Edge Grain.
Cutting Board 16 – End 050. Purpleheart, Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain. 15″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″. Sold at its first showing.
When I am given a custom order for a new board, I design it first.
It’s good to have a plan.
The plan is hatched on the computer, using an excellent program made … to make cutting boards. That’s the path I followed in November for a board that was recently completed and delivered before Thanksgiving:
Cutting Board 16 – End 044. Black Walnut, Bloodwood & Hickory. End Grain. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned Piece.
However, this post is not about that board. It’s about the mistake I made first.
I was under the gun, you see, and had no time to waste in completing this special order. I designed & got approval to make the board, I “picked and processed” the wood, meaning I got the wood cut to size, ready to glue, and then I glued up the board.
And it was wrong.
When I discovered my error, I saw that the board didn’t follow the approved design precisely. I had reversed the order of two boards (the adjacent Hickory & Bloodwood boards). The board had become too symmetrical, with a rectangular strip of hickory down the middle, flanked by rectangular strips of Black Walnut & Bloodwood. There was no offset between those rectangles, meaning that there were “4-way” corners on every strip of wood.
Not good.
Oh, the board would be OK, but it would definitely not be as strong as an end grain board is when the corners are “2-way,” with the joints getting the added support of solid wood on one side, as 2 pieces are joined on the other. Stronger = Better. I’m all about that. And this doesn’t even consider how the board no longer followed the approved design.
So, nothing to do but start the commissioned piece over, get it right, and put this mistake aside to be completed another day.
Today.
I offset the wood to eliminate the hard rectangle of Hickory; now the Bloodwood repeatedly extends into that expanse of American hardwood. The result is a stronger – though somewhat smaller – board. In my eye, the board is more attractive this way as well. I ended up having to cut off some of the Black Walnut on the edge of the board (the same amount was cut off as the amount of Bloodwood providing the new offset). That’s a lesson I’ve learned: when I make a mistake, the board gets smaller. Always.
But, small & strong will win the day over bigger & weaker … & uglier.
Cutting Board 16 – End 047. Black Walnut, Bloodwood & Hickory. End Grain. 15″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.
I make boards to be of use. I’m not trying to make wall art: I’m trying to make cutting boards. Good cutting boards.
However, I can’t make people cut on these boards, even though that sounds like a pretty good idea to me. If they want them to display, then that’s what they will do. With my blessing, and my frustrations.
These mobile boards (I call them Small Sous Chef Boards) have a short handle and a work surface that’s about 9″ x 12″. The boards are 3/4″ thick, and intended for 2-sided use.
I’ve been struggling to keep these in stock all year, so I made 6 for December events … and I sold 3 before they even got price tags.
In November.
It’s a good problem, I know. I am really not complaining! But it’s now my plan to make a baker’s dozen of these with all new designs in the first quarter of next year. Wonder how many will make it to our first 2017 event?
Small Sous Chef 16 – 022. Hard Maple, Goncalo Alves & Quilted Yellowheart. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″.
Small Sous Chef 16 – 027. Hard Maple, Cherry & Jatoba. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″. Already sold.
Small Sous Chef 16 – 023. Birdseye Maple, Bloodwood & Cherry. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″. Already sold.
Small Sous Chef 16 – 026. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Jatoba & Yellowheart. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″. Already sold.
Small Sous Chef 16 – 024. Quilted Yellowheart & Canarywood. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″.
Small Sous Chef 16 – 025. Bloodwood & Hard Maple. 9″ x 16″ x 3/4″.
My “to do” list has had making hearts on it for a long time.
I finally made myself make time to do it.
These hearts are 11″ high, and about 12″ wide. They’re 3/4″ thick, and are intended for 2-sided use (so no non-skid rubber feet).
Each of these are different, of course … because no heart is the same. They do all have Bloodwood in them … because they’re hearts. I mean, what wood would you choose to put into a heart?
I also know I’ll never make a heart out of pure Black Walnut, because a heart should not be black.
I can’t wait for someone to ask me how much my heart costs.
Or if I have a bigger heart.
I believe these will be fun!
Heart 16 – 01. Purpleheart, Hard Maple, Bubinga, Cherry & Bloodwood. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Heart 16 – 03. Hard Maple, Bloodwood & Purpleheart. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4.
Heart 16 – 04. Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Jatoba & Bloodwood. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Heart 16 – 05. Hard Maple, Bloodwood & Purpleheart. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4.
Heart 16 – 06. Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Jatoba & Bloodwood. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Heart 16 – 02. Purpleheart, Hard Maple, Bubinga, Cherry & Bloodwood. 11″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
… and I’m going to help everyone serve it.
That’s my plan, anyway!
Last year, we sold 20 cheese boards in the first December weekend. It proved to be our largest event of 2015: Santa’s Art Shop in Ridgecrest. The 2016 iteration of that event is this weekend, so I’ve been busy making sawdust to get ready.
A lot of sawdust.
There were 41 boards in this batch, but 5 of them sold before I could even get their picture.
That’s a great problem to have, but this time of year can be frustrating when boards fly out the door about as quickly as I can make them. I’m just happy that I have 36 of these left!
All cheese boards, in my definition, are about 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″, though these range from 8″ x 8″ to 12″ x 12″. All have non-skid rubber feet held on with stainless steel screws, along with routed handholds. Prices range from $35 to $50 depending on the exact size and the woods that are featured.
Cheese Board 16 – 050. Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Bloodwood & Jatoba. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 052. Hard Maple, Cherry & Padauk.8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 053. Canarywood, Padauk & Birdseye Maple. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 054. Purpleheart, Birdseye Maple, Jatoba, Goncalo Alves, Padauk & Yellowheart. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 055. Padauk & Hard Maple. 7″ x 11″ x 7/8″.
Cheese Board 16 – 056. Chaos Board. Canarywood, Padauk, Hard Maple, Yellowheart, Black Walnut, Goncalo Alves & Bloodwood. 9″ x 12″ x 5/8″.
Cheese Board 16 – 057. Black Walnut, Cherry & Hard Maple. 8″ x 8″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 058. Padauk & Hard Maple. 9″ x 12″ x 7/8″.
Cheese Board 16 – 059. Purpleheart, Caribbean Rosewood, Black Walnut, & Jatoba. 12″ x 12″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 060. Black Walnut, Caribbean Rosewood, Purpleheart, Bloodwood & Jatoba. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 061. Cherry, Padauk, Yellowheart & Black Walnut. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 062. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Yellowheart, Cherry & Padauk. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 063. Padauk, Hard Maple, Goncalo Alves, Yellowheart & Black Walnut. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 04. Birdseye Maple & Purpleheart. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 065. Black Walnut, Padauk & Birdseye Maple. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 066. Jatoba, Purpleheart, Bloodwood & Hard Maple. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 067. Black Walnut, Purpleheart & Hard Maple. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 068. Chaos Board. Padauk, Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Jatoba, Purpleheart, Goncalo Alves & Bloodwood. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Well, the real surfboard-shaped cutting boards, at least.
Surfers love these.
The families & friends of surfers love these, too.
I struggle to keep enough of them in stock, which must mean my priorities are off. After all, if you can’t manage your priorities properly, then you’ll not have time to hit the beach.
These 6, when added to my current inventory, will not get me to Christmas. Translated, that means I have no time to hit the beach. No time.
After all, I have surfers to help!
Small surfboards are 7″ wide, 16″ long, and 3/4″ thick. Medium surfboards are 8-1/2″ wide, 20″ long and 3/4″ thick.
Oh, and for the record, I don’t make full-size surfboards. I have not yet made a surfboard-shaped bottle opener, either, though that is an increasingly common request. They would need to be smaller, and I already make “small surfboards” … so those would be “really small surfboards?” This whole naming thing can get very confusing if you let it. Perhaps it’s better to leave some product categories alone, don’t you think?
Medium Surfboard 16 – 09. Hard Maple, Jatoba, Yellowheart & Black Walnut.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 10. Birdseye Maple, Black Walnut & Yellowheart.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 11. Canarywood, Hard Maple & Purpleheart.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 12. Hard Maple, Black Walnut & Yellowheart.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 13. Birdseye Maple, Jatoba & Yellowheart.
Medium Surfboard 16 – 14. Canarywood, Hard Maple & Black Walnut.
When I started making cheese boards and cutting boards, I learned that people really want boards in all shapes & sizes. It doesn’t matter what size I think they should be … everyone has a different kitchen layout, a different amount of counter space, and a different way of working in the kitchen.
So people want different things. Who knew?
Here are my definitions:
Cheese Boards are typically thin and relatively small. These boards are less than 3/4″ thick, with dimensions under 9″ x 11″.
Small Boards are a bit thicker, but not necessarily larger. Small boards are up to 1-1/2″ thick, with dimensions under 12″ x 14″. Small boards are sometimes square, but sometimes the width is as much as twice the depth (so, 6″ deep by 12″ wide).
Cutting Boards are at least 1″ thick, and at least 12″ x 14″. My standard sizes are 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″, 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/4″ and 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″.
I make all of these boards to be used as cutting boards: some people like really small, light weight boards for cutting a sandwich or slicing a tomato. So, one person’s cheese board may be another person’s cutting board, no matter what size the board is.
That’s fine, and I make all of these boards to be used as cutting boards, serving pieces, or, (to my continuing chagrin) display pieces. The buyer gets to choose.
Small Board 16 – 035. Hard Maple & Jatoba. Edge Grain. 7″ x 13″ x 1-1/4″.
Small Board 16 – 034. Hard Maple, Bubinga, Cherry, Bloodwood & Purpleheart. Edge Grain. 7″ x 13″ x 1-1/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 025. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. Edge Grain. 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
Small Board 16 – 032. Black Walnut, Jatoba, Hard Maple & Cherry. 8″ x 13″ x 7/8″.
Small Board 16 – 033. Bubinga, Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Jatoba & Bloodwood. Edge Grain. 7″ x 13″ x 1-1/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 024. Hard Maple, Goncalo Alves & Black Walnut. Edge Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/4″.
Cheese Board 16 – 050. Canarywood & Hard Maple. 8″ x 8″ x 3/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 028. Bubinga, Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Jatoba & Bloodwood. Edge Grain. 13″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 027. Jatoba & Hard Maple 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
Cutting Board 16 – Edge 026. Hard Maple, Bubinga, Cherry, Bloodwood & Purpleheart. Edge Grain. 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
“We have a big family,” they said.
Sometimes the need for inspiration propels the ability to have it. Doing things differently can be a very good thing!
