MCM Cutting Board

Instructions

fix a tape board on top of the spoil board allowing enough room for the final dimension (12" x 18"). You'll probably want to cut out all your background pieces first, so mount the background board you have chosen for this. If you are using narrower boards, you'll have to place the file for each segment of the design. start from the bottom of the file for all the edge pieces and place them aside in an order similar to the design. Most of this can be cut with the 1/4" cutter but there are a few areas where the 1/8" cutter will have to be used. Remember: depth of each pass should not exceed the diameter of the cutter. mark the orientation of each piece with a pencil so its easy to assemble later. this is particularly important with the centre egg shape pieces as they are so similar. If you have mounted with double sided tape use extra care when removing the pieces from the spoil board as they are quite brittle. I broke one of mine but it went back together seamlessly in the glue up. Cut out the squiggles using a -.005 offset (note the negative) This will be your glue gap. You can also cut the egg shapes with the same offset but you may want to hold off because they aren't needed just yet, plus you'll need something to do while you wait for the glue to dry. After everything is cut, do a test fit. Glue the background pieces and the squiggles using Titebond III or an equivalent water resistant wood glue. the glue up is a bit maddening as the pieces are wavy, but do your best to keep the surfaces aligned and the piece flat - panel clamps help with that. Wiping away the squeeze-out with a wet rag now will save you a headache later. I used the hollows of the egg shapes to clamp some of the edges in. if you haven't cut the egg shapes out of your 3rd species yet, do so now with the neg -0.005 offset. After the glue has cured, you can remove the clamps and glue in the egg shapes. Use care to align the surfaces so you don't have to take off so much material later to get it flat. After that glue has cured you can start sanding. Alternatively you can run it through a thickness planer, but if your planer puts snipe of your boards, use a sled with a sacrificial piece of the end. A sled is also a good way to fix any warping that have have happened in the glue up. google some ideas on how to do this if you're unsure. If you're happy with the flatness of the board, mount it back on the spoil board. place the groove template file. install the round nose cutter and cut the juice groove. The depth is up to you but i think mine was .25". install your 1/4" spiral upcut and cut the outside-cut boarder with a .02 offset (several passes as necessary). remove the offset and make the final pass. Optional: use a trim router or router table with a 1/4 round over to round over the edges. This will also add functionality as it will be easier to pick up from a counter top. be careful with the end-grain on the edges. sand with a random orbital sander or by hand through all the grits and apply your favourite food safe oil. I used Walrus oil. Tag me on Instagram @beck_makes if this works out for you. cheers!