Archive for the ‘San Fernando’ Tag

The Best Cutting Boards   Leave a comment

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeThe best cutting boards, you ask? In my opinion, end grain boards are the best. End grain boards have been used in busy kitchens for centuries. Here’s why:

  • The FDA says cutting boards should be “Hard Maple or its equivalent.” What I do is combine Hard Maple – which is the wood I use the most – with other hardwoods from around the world to make colorful, pretty, durable cutting boards.
  • End grain boards show less wear than edge grain boards (the kind that show stripes; you see the edges of the boards instead of the ends). However, since these are hardwood boards they show much less wear than the less expensive softwood boards that many people are familiar with.
  • Wooden boards are naturally anti-bacterial. These boards actually inhibit the growth of bacteria. Scientific tests have shown wooden boards have less bacteria than all other kinds of cutting boards after 5 minutes, after an hour, after a day. This is not just my opinion: it’s science. See the links at the bottom of this post.

These 3 boards were finished together with the 200th cutting board that published yesterday; the 4 of them hearken back to when I made boards in small batches of 5 or 10.

Those were good days.

Each of these boards are unique; I’ve described why in the description of each board.

cutting-board-16-end-043

Cutting Board 16 – End 043. This is the second time I’ve made this design. I love the colorful edge, and the strong brown Jatoba that complements the more muted tones of the Hard Maple. Purpleheart, Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.

cutting-board-16-end-041

Cutting Board 16 – End 041. “Kaye’s Board.” I’ve made a few boards similar to this one, but the woods are different in every one. When I make this board, it generally sells in one of the first events it is shown at.  Bubinga, Cherry, Purpleheart, Bloodwood, Jatoba, Yellowheart & Canarywood. End Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/4″.

cutting-board-16-end-042

Cutting Board 16 – End 042. This board took over a year to make. I purchased the Spalted Ash from a woodworker in Camarillo who was selling off his inventory – the boards were decades old. The last few pieces of Ash got glued up in the shape you see here, and there they sat until I got some wide Jatoba pieces that were the perfect complement to the Ash’s brown tones. In woodworking, and in life, patience is a virtue. Jatoba & Spalted Ash. End Grain. 11″ x 15″ x 1″.

More

Cutting Boards: What Kind Do You Want?

Cutting Boards: Care & Cleaning

Cutting Boards: Restoration

 

The 200th Cutting Board, 4th Time ‘Round   9 comments

Mr-Ms-Logo---Large“Go big or go home,” she said.

Of course, we were home at the time, which makes the statement somewhat curious.

The philosophy was first expressed by the eldest in the Rocky Mountains of Arizona, as the boys & I backpacked through the outback of the Philmont Scout Reservation. We were on a 52 mile trek, and that saying became one of our touchstones. We were doing the big idea, and we were going to summit the ultimate peak at dawn. The Tooth of Time would lay beneath our feet as the sun rose. Go big or go home.

Yes, we made the summit at dawn and viewed the world beneath us as we munched on our breakfast. And THEN we went home.

Four cutting boards made it out of the shop this week, and one needed to be selected as my official 200th cutting board, celebrating the 4th time that my inventory had grown to this number. I asked the Lady for an opinion on which one, as I think all 4 are rather nice pieces … and she wanted the big one. So, here you go.

This board is 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″. It’s a beast of a board, called Colorific. The woods selected are from 3 continents, and combine to make a striking statement. These are the 7 woods used (and if you follow the first strip of woods on the left, you’ll be able to identify the species in this order, top to bottom):

  • Cherry, AKA American Cherry or Black Cherry. This traditional choice for American furniture primarily grows in the Eastern US.
  • Yellowheart, AKA Pau Amarello – which is Portuguese for “yellow wood.” This vibrant wood grows in Brazil, where it’s commonly used for flooring and boat construction.
  • Bloodwood, AKA Satine. This crimson favorite is a very hard wood that grows in tropical South America.
  • Purpleheart, AKA Amaranth. This vibrant wood is one of the most popular exotic hardwoods, and is grown from Mexico to southern Brazil.
  • Hard Maple, AKA Sugar Maple or Rock Maple. Hard Maple is the standard of hardwoods for cutting boards according to the FDA. This light-colored, dense hardwood grows in North America, primarily in the northeast.
  • Canarywood, AKA Canary. This wood can sometimes seem to be rainbow colored, with streaks of reds, yellows and browns. It grows from Panama to southern Brazil, and, believe it or not, one of the common uses of this incredible wood is to make railroad ties.
  • Bubinga, AKA Bevazingo, from equatorial Africa. This rose-colored wood is quickly becoming one of my favorites to work with.

The board went through 2 glue-ups, and was sanded smooth each time on my drum sander using 80 grit sandpaper. After the board was rough sanded there, it was cut square and sanded by hand through 5 grits: 80, 120, 180, 220 and 320. On the table router, the edges were rounded and handholds were added under each end.

The finished board was saturated with mineral oil, and then a top coat of Board Butter was added. I use Mrs M’s Board Butter, of course, which combines locally harvested beeswax and mineral oil. Finally, non-skid rubber feet were added, and they are held on with stainless steel screws for long life.

Please note the photos are not enhanced for color: this is how the board really looks.

colorific-2

In the shop, glued up in its final form but not yet smooth – I was about 3 board hours from the finish line. This is when I knew the board would live up to its name.

cutting-board-16-end-040

Cutting Board 16 – End 040. “Colorific.” Cherry, Bubinga, Yellowheart, Bloodwood, Purpleheart, Hard Maple & Canarywood. End Grain. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/2″.

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Cutting Board 16 – 040 detail. Non-skid rubber feet & routed hand hold.

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Cutting Board 16 – End 040 detail. Non-skid rubber feet & routed handhold.

cutting-board-16-end-040c

Cutting Board 16 – 040 detail. Close-up of the grain patterns in the center of the board. All colors are natural; only mineral oil has been applied.

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The 200th Cutting Board, Third Time ‘Round

The 200th Cutting Board, 8 Months Later

The 200th Cutting Board

With All Due Apologies, Susan   1 comment

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeA good story is always worth re-telling. After all, many people missed the story before, so they have the benefit of catching up. For the people that heard the story before … a good story is always a good story.

Food turntables have been around for centuries, we know, but why do we call them Lazy Susans?

No one knows.

The legends point to Monticello, to England and even to the Far East … but no one really knows. There’s a great summation of this story that ran in the LA Times a few years ago; link is at the bottom.

What we do know is that the first published instance of the term “Lazy Susan” was in a 1917 edition of Vanity Fair, where “Ovington’s $8.50 Mahogany ‘Revolving Server or Lazy Susan'” is advertised. The term is probably a 20th century invention, it appears … and they were really, really big in the ’50s & ’60s.

The trends have turned again, naturally, and Lazy Susans are a consistent seller from the Woodshop. Here are the latest … and I doubt I will make any more Lazy Susans much before Thanksgiving. Let me know if any catch your eye!

More

LA Times: Back Story: Who Was Susan, And Was She Truly Lazy?

Wikipedia: Lazy Susan

Boards: Cutting, Small & Clip. And A Bear.   1 comment

A Big Litter   2 comments

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeYes, Ladies & Gentlemen, I’m back in the pig business.

I’ve been out of the business for some time … but perhaps not nearly long enough. It all depends on your perspective.

And I believe that my perspective on pigs is hard-fought.

I began making pigs as cutting boards – robust ones, actually. And if you’ve every faced off with a pig in a feedlot, then you know that pigs are nothing if not robust.

However, I know some people buy these boards not for use, but for display. I make them to be of use, but for some, that use is beauty.

Go figure. Pigs. Beauty. Must be that art thing I keep thinking about.

In any event, the beauty requirement has resulted in a couple of these boards being made a bit thinner & lighter.

Every litter has a runt or two, after all.

New: Domed Cheese & Cracker Servers   2 comments

It’s an unending search. I’m on a quest, really.

My problem is I love a simple meal of cheese & crackers … and I want to make the perfect serving piece to complement that repast.

We have tried and used a variety of serving pieces, like this one:cheese-and-wine-2

And this one:

Cherry server, Black Walnut end grain cutting board insert.

Cherry server, Black Walnut end grain cutting board insert.

And, of course, this one:

Surfboard Cheese Platter

And those are great (well, maybe not the middle one so much). Today’s offering, however, takes a slightly different approach.

Pieces are 10″ x 14″ x 1″. Most are made for 2-sided use, with a routed circle on one side for the glass dome to sit in, and the other side left flat for other uses. I made a few of them with my traditional non-skid rubber feet held on with stainless steel screws in case you want feet instead of 2-sided use. OK, choose!

Ends, Odds & Others   1 comment

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeAfter producing nearly 100 pieces in the shop over the last few weeks, my parade of new stuff is almost at an end. I had a few odds & ends that didn’t fit into any of my other posts, and here are 2 small boards and 4 clipboards, submitted for your consideration.

I do have one more new product that isn’t quite done … so that unique treat will be on its way to you in a week or three; we’ll see.

My next cycle of making starts this evening. I finally found some 8/4 Jatoba (with would be 2″ thick Jatoba if you don’t speak lumber), so that will be used quickly, I’m sure.

I’m going to do this next batch of boards without getting any more new lumber, so that may propel me into some new ideas. I may actually use my boxes of short end cuts to make the long-awaited routed bowl collection.

Or maybe I should clean out the off-cuts in the barrel to see what that might create.

I love beginnings.

From Under The Drill Press: Oldies But Goodies   1 comment

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeI make boards in batches.

I “pick and process” lumber for certain boards, and get together a bunch. Sometimes I’ll do a large batch of one type (like when I just did 43 cheese boards), and sometimes I’ll do a mixed bunch. In either case, I get a group of boards sorted, and start gluing. I don’t really have room, you see, to use the tools for 2 operations at once, so I almost always do the processes exclusively for the boards I’m working on:

  1. Picking & Processing – Table Saw, Drum Sander, Planer, Workbench, Dust Collector
  2. Gluing – Clamps, Workbench
  3. Shaping & Smoothing – Planer, Drum Sander, Table Saw, Band Saw, Drill Press, Jig Saw, Belt Sander, Router Table, Workbench, Dust Collector
  4. Sanding – Random Orbital Sanders, Dust Extractor, Workbench
  5. Oiling & Waxing – Terrycloth Towels, Workbench & Any Handy Flat Surface
  6. Install Hardware – Cordless Drills
  7. Photography & Packing – Camera, Photo Cube, Lighting

It’s usually somewhere between steps 3 and 4 that I figure out I have a problem with a board. Sometimes I find a piece that wasn’t squared up properly, leaving a too-large glue joint. Sometimes I find a board with a defect or even a void, and that just won’t do.

Sometimes I’m drilling pilot holes in a cheese board to put feet on it, and I accidentally drill all the way through the board, leaving a hole on its face. That’s actually the most common defect; and it’s all my fault. But then, they all are.

In any event, when I have a board that can’t go all the way through the process, I put it aside so I deal with it later.

A lot later.

The current repository for boards that need more attention is in a cabinet under my drill press. I’ve got parts for boards that never got assembled, boards with wood defects … and boards with accidental holes in them. I get to them eventually. Generally, after months go by.

Here are 3 boards that required some extra TLC to make it to the finish line:

Small Board 16 - 018. Black Walnut, Hard Maple & Bloodwood. 8" x 12" x 1". This board had an end drilled through ... so I had to cut off both ends and re-glue new, matching boards to keep the board's symmetry.

Small Board 16 – 018. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Padauk & Bloodwood. 8″ x 12″ x 1″. This board had an end drilled through … so I had to cut off both ends and re-glue new, matching boards to keep the board’s symmetry.

Small Board 16 - 019. Black Walnut, Goncalo Alves, Yellowheart, Hard Maple & Jatoba. 10" x 12" x 1". This board was the victim of a warped board that didn't glue up flat enough to smooth ... so I had to cut out that board & its neighbors, add new boards, and re-glue.

Small Board 16 – 019. Black Walnut, Goncalo Alves, Yellowheart, Hard Maple & Jatoba. 10″ x 12″ x 1″. This board was the victim of a warped board that didn’t glue up flat enough to smooth … so I had to cut out that board & its neighbors, add new boards, and re-glue.

Cutting Board 16 - Edge 018. Black Walnut & Hard Maple. 12" x 16" x 1-1/2". This board was one of 2 that I made as a set that I was going to cut apart & do something unusual with ... until I discovered that this board had a piece with a void in it. That piece had to be replaced, which means my original plan never got done. The matching board was sold long ago; now this one finally makes it to the finish line.

Cutting Board 16 – Edge 018. Black Walnut & Hard Maple. 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/2″. This board was one of 2 that I made as a set that I was going to cut apart & do something unusual with … until I discovered that this board had a piece with a void in it. That piece had to be replaced, which means my original plan never got done. The matching board was sold long ago; now this one finally makes it to the finish line.

A Really Big Cutting Board Goes Home   4 comments

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeI only carry boards as large as 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″ to our craft fairs.

And, remember, I actually carry them to and from the events. 16″x 20″ is big enough, in my humble opinion.

But for some people, even bigger boards are needed. When you want bigger – when you have an island or large counter that’s beggin’ for fillin’, I can help.

A couple came to my booth at the California Strawberry Festival, and found a board that they thought was perfect. But it was too small. They wanted to go big.

Thus was born the monster board that I’ve shown in the different assembly steps below.

Cutting Board 16 - End 038a

Here’s the board getting its first glue-up. While the glue is wet, I then scrub it off with a rough pad soaked in water, and then wipe it dry with paper towels. I use a lot of paper towels.

Cutting Board 16 - End 038b

This is the original glue up for this beast of a board. With clamps, this assembly weighed 50 pounds. Boards stay in the clamps for a minimum of 1 hour, and then cure for a minimum of 24 hours. Typically, I just leave them in the clamps for a day.

Cutting Board 16 - End 038d

The original glue-up got cut into 2 pieces for easier handling in the smoothing process. Once the original glue-up pieces were smoothed flat on the drum sander, then I sliced the board again, this time into 16 pieces, for the final glue-up.

Cutting Board 16 - End 038f

The final glue-up is where I have to make sure the grain pattern is pleasing to the eye. I begin by flipping every other one of the 16 pieces, so I have an alternating pattern. Then I rotate the pieces in groups of 2 by 180 degrees, so that the grain pattern will have many “book-matched facings” – instead of the grain patterns always pointing in one direction. Finally, I’ll place the boards specifically to make the pattern balanced across the board. Once that’s done, I’ll mark and often number the pieces to ensure placement is perfect.

Final glue-up, in the clamps & cleaned up. This is the first time I get to see what the board will really look like.

Final glue-up, in the clamps & cleaned up. This is the first time I get to see what the board will really look like. And a whole lot of work later….

Cutting Board 16 - End 038. Black Walnut, Yellowheart & Hickory. End Grain, Large Custom Juice Groove. 20" x 26" x 1-1/2". Commissioned Piece.

Cutting Board 16 – End 038. Black Walnut, Yellowheart & Hickory. End Grain, Large Custom Juice Groove. 20″ x 26″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned Piece.

The back of the board has routed handholds, but does not have the typical feet that I use. The board was designed for 2-sided use. I included a non-skid rubber mat to keep the board from sliding around on the owner's counter.

The back of the board has routed handholds, but does not have the typical feet that I use. The board was designed for 2-sided use. I included a non-skid rubber mat to keep the board from sliding around on the owner’s counter.

Safety first! Here's the board (and non-skid mat) on its way to its new home.

Safety first! Here’s the board on its way to its new home.

New: Bread Boards   3 comments

Mr-Ms-Logo---LargeOne thing that’s freeing about running a small shop is that I get to do what I want.

And I wanted to make this new shape of board. I call them bread boards, but they might be cutting boards, charcuterie boards, or just a great serving board for a sub sandwich.

People will do with them as they will.

Me, I just get to have fun making them.

These somewhat mobile boards are intended for 2-sided use. They are a bit thicker than a typical sous chef board, so they are a bit more robust. They’re 8″ wide x 20″ long, so they are not a small board, but they are more narrow than my Mrs M prefers.

As she told me.

So I’m pretty sure that she won’t be taking one of these for her kitchen. Works for me: more for you!

Here are the 11 new bread boards, submitted for your perusal.

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