Custom cutting boards

[FistFullaRoux]

While making the butcherblock to go in our new kitchen, I've found myself quite enjoying that part of construction, and have made a couple of 1.75" thick cutting boards with leftovers. Big honking endgrain boards, 20x14. One is for the house, and one is for the guy who helped my do the work.

I'm considering doing the cutting board and knife block thing as a side project. I'm wondering what you would be willing to pay for a board of similar size, made of basswood with cherry accents. Other wood choices could be maple, alder, ash, or just about any other food safe wood. Constructed with Titebond II, which is FDA approved for cutting boards. They would be finished with beeswax, oil them yourself if you want to. Beeswax works fine until they are broken in a bit. This is not a $50 Boos edgegrain board. Totally handmade, endgrain, custom sizes/woods, solid as a rock, and nearly as heavy. No sliding around with these. You will be able to give them to your grandchildren.

For me to make any money from this, I would have to start them in the $170 range plus shipping, depending on the size and wood chosen. Does this sound like an unreasonable price? Keeping in mind the ability to do inlays of monograms or non-trademarked logos as well.

[FistFullaRoux]

No love? Just looking to see if that is a reasonable price, considering there is 5-6 hours of work, before the finishing stage, going into each one.

Will it make me rich? Probably not. But it's an interesting hobby, and could pay for the tools that I need to start making guitars and other high quality wood projects again.

Any input would be helpful, whether to suggest materials, or discuss the mechanics of building these.

[Mike B4]

I think the Basswod would be to soft to use for a cutting board. Isn't there tannic acids in cherry wood?

Mike

[Octaveman]

You want to know if charging $170 for a board is too expensive and your asking for advice on how to build them too? Hmmm.

Edited November 15, 2007 by Octaveman (log)

[JimH]

While making the butcherblock to go in our new kitchen, I've found myself quite enjoying that part of construction...

For me to make any money from this, I would have to start them in the $170 range plus shipping, depending on the size and wood chosen. Does this sound like an unreasonable price? Keeping in mind the ability to do inlays of monograms or non-trademarked logos as well.

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I'm also considering doing this locally, by word of mouth. First, you have to determine if there is a demand. Then let demand dictate the price, in the beginning your price will be based on cost of the wood + glue and a few $$ for your back pocket. As your orders grow you can raise your prices to what the market will bear. I did a custom board to fit my Mothers sink, I cut it to size and routed it so it would fit the contour of the lip. She shows it to all of her friends, so I expect to be busy soon.

[andiesenji]

This is a tough question because it is a "niche" item.

Perhaps you should compare your product to similar items that are available - I don't mean the John Boos products, that have a "name" but the less well known and less marketed products such as the ones at the bottom of this page

Or these, which are more expensive and probably more like the ones you make.

Ozark West

This might be helpful also.

[Mike B4]

Do you have an edge joiner? If you don't have a joiner don't even try, and sell them. Without a joiner your joints won't be true enough to joint properly.

Mike

[FistFullaRoux]

You want to know if charging $170 for a board is too expensive and your asking for advice on how to build them too?  Hmmm.

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I know how to build them. There are different methods to everything. Different patterns and such. Checkerboard or brick? Glued butt edges or dovetail joints?

My background includes making electric and acoustic guitars, and finish carpentry of all shapes and types. I've worked with plain old pine, exotic hardwoods (nothing quite like making the first cut into a $400 hunk of burl maple), a number of plastic products, and other materials.

I kinda know how to do this, otherwise I would have never attempted making 60+ square feet of butcherblock for my own kitchen. I have never gotten into the business aspect of something like this before, and I'm just looking for some insight.

[FistFullaRoux]

Do you have an edge joiner? If you don't have a joiner don't even try, and sell them. Without a joiner your joints won't be true enough to joint properly.

Mike

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There are ways around that though. The thickness planer and cabinet scraper are a good replacement. You know you have a good joint when the pieces kind of form a suction when you dry fit them. You have expelled most of the air, and they are nice and tight.

But the jointer is at the top of the list of tools to buy to go into some kind of production.

Though there are CNC solutions out there right now for about $2000. That's under consideration by the home office as we speak.

[FistFullaRoux]

Regarding use of cherry in cutting boards:

There may be tannins, but once it is finished, cherry is safe to use. In this instance, it was only used as an accent, but full cherry boards are used all the time.

Edited November 15, 2007 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Mike B4]

Regarding use of cherry in cutting boards:

There may be tannins, but once it is finished, cherry is safe to use. In this instance, it was only used as an accent, but full cherry boards are used all the time.

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Well you know how to edge join a board. That's the first big step. I wish you the best of luck. I did make one at one time. It included purple heart, red heart, and yellow heart. It was in the 18x24 range. I sprinkled in some maple for effect.

Mike