Apple-Shaped Cutting Board

Materials needed:

•Apple shaped pattern
•Wood
•Wood working tools
•Waterproof glue
•Mineral oil or salad bowl oil

Directions:

•First thing that you are going to want to do is to choose a tight grained wood. What you want to avoid is wood like oak because it is open grained. Your best choice for cutting boards is basswood, birch , beech or maple

•You are going to want to use several narrow boards glued together to prevent warpage

•When gluing the boards together you are going to want to use a waterproof glue such as Titebond II, which is also approved by the FDA for the use on cutting boards

•Next use your tools to cut out the desired pattern that you want for your cutting board in this case it would be an apple pattern

•Next you are going to want to raise the grain of the wood by wiping the boards with a damp rag and then letting it dry for 24 hours. Once the wood is dry sand smooth.

•Now apply either mineral oil or salad bowl oil to the cutting board, apply it liberally and let it sit for several hours. After letting it sit wipe off the excess oil. Keep in mind you do not want to use any kind of vegetable oil because it will go rancid.

•With the cutting board make sure that you oil it once a day for a week and then once a week for a month and then once a month for the rest of the cutting boards life.

•With the cutting boards you can also add a juice groove, but if adding a juice groove you want to do this before rounding the edges of the cutting board. If you have a shaped cutting board to add a juice groove use a template that is the same pattern as the cutting board but smaller.