This project was built and designed by Caleb from Caleb’s Fine Woodworking. It’s a highly detailed end grain cutting board featuring a plaid pattern created from cherry, walnut, and maple—designed for both form and function in the kitchen.
The process involves thoughtful wood selection, precise cutting, and careful glue-ups to align the end grain and highlight contrasting tones. Caleb’s build is a great example of how planning and patience can result in a showpiece-quality board.
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Selecting the Right Wood
The cutting board uses a mix of cherry, walnut, and maple to create a plaid design with visual depth. Cherry adds warmth, walnut introduces rich contrast, and maple provides a bright highlight.
Each species is chosen not only for its appearance but also for its durability. These hardwoods hold up well under knife use, making them ideal for cutting board construction.
Milling the Boards
The first step is breaking the rough lumber down into workable pieces. Caleb starts by cutting the boards to length based on the final size of the board, leaving room for shaping and trimming later.
To prep for glue-up, he joints one face of each board to ensure flatness. Then the boards are planed to the same thickness, which is critical for ensuring tight glue joints and even lamination.
Cutting Strips for the Pattern
Once the boards are milled, they’re ripped into strips of equal width. Caleb cuts the cherry boards first, then matches the walnut and maple to those dimensions.
After cutting, each strip is lightly planed to remove saw marks and bring everything to identical thickness. This step ensures the glue-up stays flat and square.
Building the First Glue-Ups
The first glue-up involves laminating cherry and walnut strips together. Caleb carefully alternates the pieces to start building out the plaid structure.
Once dry, the same is done with the cherry and maple strips. These initial panels form the base from which the plaid pattern will emerge during later shaping and reassembly.
Creating the Plaid Layout
After the initial glue-ups are dry, Caleb cuts them into new strips across the grain. These pieces are rotated and reassembled to begin forming the cross-hatched plaid pattern.
Precision matters here—each strip must be aligned perfectly to maintain symmetry. Once satisfied with the layout, he glues the full assembly into one panel and clamps it flat to dry.
Preparing the End Grain Sections
While the main board dries, Caleb constructs panels for the end grain inserts. These are made from walnut and maple strips, glued side by side and then resawn to reveal fresh end grain.
The walnut strips are cut slightly longer than half the cutting board, and the maple strips are cut longer than the board’s full width. This allows room for trimming and alignment during final assembly.
Final Assembly and Glue-Up
The cutting board is then cut lengthwise through the center, and the end grain walnut inserts are added to create the core plaid stripe. After gluing them into place, the board is trimmed to square all sides.
Additional strips of maple are added around the perimeter for a border effect. The result is a striking mix of grain direction, tone, and symmetry that mimics a woven fabric pattern.
Sanding and Surface Prep
With the final glue-up complete, Caleb surfaces both faces of the board using a drum sander. Hand sanding follows with a focus on softening the edges and refining the feel.
A slight roundover is applied to the corners and sides for comfort during use. The goal is to maintain the clean lines of the plaid design while removing any harsh edges.
Finishing the Board
The board is finished with a generous application of mineral oil. This food-safe finish soaks into the wood, enriching the grain and offering protection from moisture.
Once the oil has fully absorbed, the surface is buffed out to reveal a smooth, lustrous finish. The result is a functional kitchen tool with the look and feel of fine furniture.
A Functional Showpiece
This cutting board blends artistry with utility. Caleb’s careful planning and attention to detail produce a board that’s just as suitable for daily prep as it is for display.
Whether you’re experienced or looking to stretch your skills, this project is a great opportunity to work with end grain, refine your glue-up process, and produce a lasting piece for the kitchen.
Please support Caleb by visiting his website: https://www.calebscustomwoodworks.com/.