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Post by seanathan on Oct 16, 2018 23:08:53 GMT -5
I've made a few of these epoxy inlay cutting boards now and figured I might as well document the process I use. It's pretty straight forward and someone with a larger machine could knock several of these out at once. I buy the cutting boards online, but they would be even better if you had the time to custom make your own!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2018 5:51:08 GMT -5
How does the epoxy hold up compared to the wood over time with use?
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Post by seanathan on Oct 17, 2018 8:56:56 GMT -5
How does the epoxy hold up compared to the wood over time with use? The epoxy is a little tougher than the wood. When I made my first few test samples I tried a few things to see how moisture would impact them and was very happy with the results. I actually left one outside on my lawn for several weeks to see if I would get cracking or separation between the epoxy and wood. There was never any, but as you would expect when the wood is really wet it will swell a little above the epoxy level. The epoxy should also be deep enough for a few resandings when the board starts to wear.
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grg
Junior Member
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Post by grg on Oct 17, 2018 11:38:06 GMT -5
How does the epoxy hold up compared to the wood over time with use? Modern wood boat building either coats the bare wood with epoxy or uses fiberglass and epoxy to finish it. The epoxy should just be fine for a cutting board (provided there aren't any chemical/food issues - I don't know about this part).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 8:16:14 GMT -5
I was more concerned with how the epoxy holds up to actual cutting use, that is scoring and marking etc. If the board is end grain then they hold up well because they are sort of self-healing while if they are long grain they will mark easily, like the epoxy. It also depends on the type of cutting and knife I suppose, ceramic vs steel and chopping vs dicing.
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Post by seanathan on Oct 18, 2018 8:36:27 GMT -5
I was more concerned with how the epoxy holds up to actual cutting use, that is scoring and marking etc. If the board is end grain then they hold up well because they are sort of self-healing while if they are long grain they will mark easily, like the epoxy. It also depends on the type of cutting and knife I suppose, ceramic vs steel and chopping vs dicing. This is how I took your question and while it depends on a lot of use factors, the epoxy is still tougher than the wood. I should also point out that the conditioner and any moisture that contacts the wood makes it swell ever so slightly. This means the epoxy is slightly below the surface of the wood which also helps protect it. Overall it does well, but I also dont want the epoxy to be so hard it dulls a knife. While it wont remain flawless...it will last a long time and can always be resanded. This is also used mostly for slicing brisket so no aggressive chopping will be used. Side note to grg... I mention the specific food safe epoxy I use in the video. It's a pretty common one and easy to get online or at most craft stores.
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Post by gad5264 on Oct 19, 2018 7:51:59 GMT -5
You mention that you want to make sure the groove is deep enough for a few sandings. Can I ask how deep your v-groove is before you pour the epoxy?
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Post by stevem on Oct 19, 2018 9:35:26 GMT -5
gad5264 In his video, he says 1/10" deep.
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Post by seanathan on Oct 19, 2018 11:24:46 GMT -5
I should also add that its not a v groove. This is a straight bit.
I almost went with an undercutting bit like you would use for dovetail o-rings but the adhesion is sufficient as is.
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loren
New Member
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Post by loren on Jun 17, 2019 10:54:46 GMT -5
Today's pro tip:
- Make sure your epoxy inlay is completely hardened all the way through before trying to surface it flat.
What a mess.
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