DIY cutting board: manufacturing methods

A cutting board is an important attribute in the kitchen of every housewife. It would seem that choosing a board is not difficult, but when it comes to acquisitions, it’s not so simple: the models on the market may either not fit into the interior, or they will be too large (small), or the material will not be credible.

Plastic boards are very popular due to their diverse colors and attractive cost, but Recently, there has been talk about the dangers of plastic in contact with food, and many are embarrassed. Of course, no one has questions about natural materials, but it’s not always possible to find just such a board that would meet all the requirements of the hostess. There is a way out - to make a cutting board with your own hands! It is enough to stock up on wood, the necessary drawings and some knowledge, and in your kitchen there will be a magnificent piece of furniture of your own making!

If you have little or no experience working with wood, the first point that will need to be clarified immediately is the choice of the tree species for the future cutting board.

First you need to figure out how exactly you will use the board? For fruit? Fishes? Meat? Salads? It is recommended to have separate boards for different products. Since both length and thickness are completely different - both for practical and culinary reasons.

So, for meat you need to have a dense massive board, because, for example, you have to use an ax if you plan to cook a steak, and a thin board will deteriorate after only a couple of uses.For cutting fish, thinner wood is suitable, since only a knife will be used.

Or maybe you want to make a home decoration board? Boards are not always needed for use in cooking - very often they are hand-made decorations to give the interior a more rustic style. If so, then you just need to focus on the preferences of appearance as a plan for an art project, because then you just draw up the model according to the idea, and the model of FC or FSF multilayer plywood is quite suitable - these are the most simple, affordable and durable materials.

If you know that the board will be in use several times every day, then it is worth considering that the strength of materials is not the last criterion. The board must be able to withstand daily loads.as well as the effects of water when you rinse it after drinking.

Not everyone is especially interested in such moments as the effect of temperature changes in the kitchen or excessive humidity. But still, the cutting board is made of wood, and not every breed is suitable for the kitchen - some can swell and crack, and it is impossible to work on a deformed surface. Attractive plywood, for example, is not at all suitable for cutting meat, as constant point exposure will lead to dents and cracks. Even the most expensive plywood often exfoliates. So which wood will be better?

Good and inexpensive options from a saw cut of these breeds:

1. cherry;
2. beech;
3. Pine;
4. oak;
5. Birch tree;
6. acacia.

Be sure to set the parameters that need to be guided in the manufacture of boards. You need to consider the size that will be most convenient for you to work - Only you know what shape of the surface will be optimal for working with food.

It is clear that the usual logic - for meat and fish cleaning larger, for vegetables and smaller fruits - will also work.

It is also worth considering how many people have to cook at a time.

And also it is worth considering the specific dimensions of the kitchen or the place where you will use and store your board. Will a huge board fit in the kitchen? Is it convenient to use it on the desktop?

The procedure is very simple, and will not cause problems even for the most novice masters. You just have to follow a few simple steps in order, and you will have a beautiful cutting board.

Here is a ready-made convenient drawing that takes into account the pen, for which you can hang the board, and take it to transfer chopped products to the pan or to the dish.

The handle of the board, so as not to shift the center of gravity, should be along the longitudinal axis of the board.

The drawing shows birch as a material - it is durable, moisture resistant and malleable in processing.

• Cut birch (or your tree of choice). To process the template, a regular hacksaw with small teeth is useful. So it will be easy to cut the necessary tree. Transfer the template to a wooden surface, and cut along the lines.
• Edging. Each master at home probably had some kind of abrasive lying around like a grinding cut, skins, or maybe there is a special grinding machine that will process the edges of the board professionally. Remember that for safety reasons it is imperative to grind all the edges of your board so that all burrs and roughness are gone. After a culinary experiment, no one wants to have splinters in each finger, like small slivers in cut products. And visually raw edges look careless.
• Drilling holes. Now you need to make a hole in the handle of the board to be able to hang it on the carnation later.The only thing - do not make the hole too small, otherwise it will be difficult to hang the product. You can be creative, and make a special clip or stick a hook - the main thing is that the board does not lie on the table, taking up space, but neatly hangs and adds charm to the interior. But how to hang it, you decide.

Now it all depends on your aesthetic taste. You can decorate the board with an intricate pattern, you can simply draw lines or dots, but after that you must cover the board with varnish, otherwise when you first come into contact with water, all the patterns will be washed off. Do not limit yourself to fantasy, create unique inscriptions and drawings that will cheer you up while cooking.

Pay attention to a technique such as decoupage. You will use one side of the cutting board for its intended purpose, and decorate the second. For decoupage you need to purchase acrylic paints and gouache of any colors you like (or maybe you already have an idea for which specific colors are needed), paper napkins with a pattern, pva glue, brushes, foam rubber, sandpaper and varnish to cover the surface after how everything is ready - to consolidate the result.

There is nothing complicated in the decoupage technique, and the intricate name should not be confusing. Simple steps come down to the following:

• process with sandpaper the entire surface of the board;
• peel a napkin with a picture into two parts, cut out the ornament;
• apply acrylic paint to the part where you will place the napkin;
• press the pattern from the napkin to the surface, moistening it first with water;
• then decorate the rest of the surface - paint something with paints, dip a foam rubber in acrylic, for example, gold color, shape the edges - this will give a certain old look;
• Finish the decoration by coating the entire painted side of the board with varnish. Remember that the varnish should be applied only on the side that we decorated, and not on the entire board, because cutting on a varnished surface will be absurd - the varnish will crumble, and all efforts will be in vain.

That's all. Nothing complicated, but what a result! A beautiful kitchen board made especially for you, by you and for your needs. What could be nicer?

See how to make a cutting board with your own hands in the next video.