cutting board

How to Prep Wood for Cutting Boards

Learn how to prep wood for cutting boards starting from rough boards or slabs. A practical guide to flattening, straightening, planing, and getting stock ready for a clean glue-up.

Types of cutting boards shown in different styles, patterns, and construction methods on a woodworking bench.

Discover different types of cutting boards and how to make them, from simple beginner builds to more advanced patterned designs. A practical guide to cutting board styles, ideas, and build options for woodworkers.

How to make a wooden chess board step by step — DIY beech and walnut chessboard with clean squares, frame, and finished surface.

Learn how to make a wooden chess board step by step — from milling and glue-up to cutting clean squares, sanding flat, and applying a smooth finish that makes the pattern pop.

How to add handles to a cutting board — underside finger grip and side finger groove handles routed with a router for a clean professional finish.

Handles make a cutting board much easier (and more comfortable) to pick up — especially bigger boards. In this guide, I’ll show the handle styles I use most (cutouts, finger grips, and side slots), which router bits work best, and how to route them cleanly without tear-out or burn marks.

Edge profiles for cutting boards — chamfer vs roundover, how to round edges with a router for a clean professional finish.

Roundover and chamfer are two of the best edge profiles for cutting boards — simple to make and they instantly give a board a more professional look. In this guide, I’ll compare roundover vs chamfer, show which router bits work best for each, and share practical tips for clean edges (tear-out prevention, burn mark fixes, and a quick sanding finish).

Refinish cutting board step-by-step, showing a worn cutting board restored to a like-new finish after sanding, oiling, and waxing

Here’s how I refinished a heavily used cutting board and brought it back to a like-new finish—flattening the surface, reshaping the juice groove, sanding smooth, then re-oiling and waxing (with clear before-and-after results).

Walnut cutting board for beginners with juice groove, side handles, and rubber feet (simple face grain build).

Want a cutting board project that’s actually beginner-friendly? This simple walnut face grain cutting board is a clean start-to-finish build: cut, glue, sand, and finish with a food-safe oil — no epoxy, no fancy extras.

Finished DIY edge grain cutting board made from walnut, ash, and beech with juice groove and handles.

Build your own DIY edge grain cutting board with this step-by-step guide. Learn how to glue up, flatten, and finish an edge grain board — durable, beautiful, and perfect for everyday use.