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Edge-Grain Cutting Boards[8/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 large cutting boards
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
Two big, heavy edge-grain cutting boards from one 8/4 pack. Rip the boards in half, cut the strips to length, roll them on edge and glue them back together. Edge grain is harder wearing than a face-grain board and much easier to make than end grain. Each board ends up about 17" × 22" and well over an inch and a half thick.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long strips | 10 | All 5 boards, ripped in half | 47¼" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 47" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
| Board strips | 20 | Each long strip cut in two | 22" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 22" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
| Half panels (5 strips on edge) | 4 | Glued from the strips | 22" × 8¾" × 1 15/16" | 22" × 8¾" × 1 11/16" |
| Cutting boards (2 halves) | 2 | Glued from the half panels | 22" × 17½" × 1 15/16" | 22" × 17½" × 1 11/16" |
Strips: every board ripped in half, each strip cut into two 22" pieces — 20 strips.
Glue-up: strips rolled 90° so an edge faces up, glued face to face (long grain to long grain) in halves of 5, then the halves joined. 10 strips per board.
Flatten: router sled, belt sander or a 20" planer. Edge grain can go through a planer; end grain never.
Finished size: S4S about 17¼" × 21¾" × 1¾" · S2S about 17¼" × 21¾" × 1½". Both packs give the same width; the S2S strips are narrower, so those boards finish thinner.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S) — food-safe species
- Wood glue (Titebond III — waterproof, food safe once cured)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- 8 rubber feet + short screws (optional)
Tools
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square), with a stop block
- 6–8 bar clamps, 24" or longer
- Cauls (straight scrap strips) and packing tape
- Router sled, belt sander or 20" planer
- Router with ¼" roundover bit (or sandpaper)
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Plan the stripes. Lay the five boards side by side and pick an order of light and dark tones. Mark the top of each board with chalk so you can keep track of them.
- 2 Rip every board in half. Set the fence at 1 15/16" and rip each board down its length with a push stick. You now have 10 strips, 1 15/16" × 1¾" × 47¼".
- 3 Cut the strips to length. Square one end of each strip, then cut two pieces at 22" with a stop block. That gives 20 strips — 10 for each board.
- 4 Turn the strips on edge. Roll each strip 90° so a narrow 1¾" edge faces up. The wide faces now become the glue faces. Lay out 10 strips per board, alternating the tones, and flip every other strip end for end so the grain mixes.
- 5 Glue four half panels. Glue 5 strips at a time into a panel 8¾" wide × 22" long. Face to face is long grain to long grain, the strongest glue joint there is. Use waterproof glue, cauls across the ends, and clamps every 6–8" over and under. Leave overnight.
- 6 Join the halves. Scrape off the dried glue. Check that the mating faces are flat, then glue two half panels together for each board — 17½" × 22". Clamp, wipe squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 7 Flatten the boards. Each board starts 1 15/16" thick. Flatten both faces to about 1¾" with a router sled, a belt sander, or a 20" planer. Edge grain is fine in a thickness planer — end grain never is.
- 8 Trim and shape. Trim both ends square to about 21¾" with a crosscut sled or track saw. Take a light pass off each long edge. Round over every edge with a ¼" bit or sandpaper.
- 9 Sand and oil. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220. Flood with board oil, wait 20 minutes, wipe off, repeat next day, then buff on board wax.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Plan the stripes. Lay the five boards side by side and pick an order of light and dark tones. Mark the top of each board with chalk so you can keep track of them.
- 3 Rip every board in half. Set the fence at 1 11/16" and rip each board down its length with a push stick. You now have 10 strips, 1 11/16" × 1¾" × 47".
- 4 Cut the strips to length. Square one end of each strip, then cut two pieces at 22" with a stop block. That gives 20 strips — 10 for each board.
- 5 Turn the strips on edge. Roll each strip 90° so a narrow 1¾" edge faces up. The wide faces now become the glue faces. Lay out 10 strips per board, alternating the tones, and flip every other strip end for end so the grain mixes.
- 6 Glue four half panels. Glue 5 strips at a time into a panel 8¾" wide × 22" long. Face to face is long grain to long grain, the strongest glue joint there is. Use waterproof glue, cauls across the ends, and clamps every 6–8" over and under. Leave overnight.
- 7 Join the halves. Scrape off the dried glue. Check that the mating faces are flat, then glue two half panels together for each board — 17½" × 22". Clamp, wipe squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 8 Flatten the boards. Each board starts 1 11/16" thick. Flatten both faces to about 1½" with a router sled, a belt sander, or a 20" planer. Edge grain is fine in a thickness planer — end grain never is.
- 9 Trim and shape. Trim both ends square to about 21¾" with a crosscut sled or track saw. Take a light pass off each long edge. Round over every edge with a ¼" bit or sandpaper.
- 10 Sand and oil. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220. Flood with board oil, wait 20 minutes, wipe off, repeat next day, then buff on board wax.
Why edge grain? Turning the strips on edge puts the hard, tight edge grain on the cutting face. It shows knife marks less than a face-grain board, and it stays flatter because each strip is narrow.
Why glue in halves? Ten strips at once is a lot of glue and a lot of sliding parts. Two glue-ups of five are easier to keep flat, and you only have to line up one seam at a time.
Does wood movement matter? Yes. A 17" board swells and shrinks across the strips with the seasons. Every joint is long grain to long grain, so the whole board moves together. Oil both faces equally and dry it standing on edge.
Make It Yours
- Juice groove: rout a ⅜" core-box groove ¼" deep, ¾" in from the edges, with an edge guide. Keep the other face plain for bread.
- Two species: mix strips from a walnut pack and a maple pack for bold stripes. Make two boards from each pack.
- Finger grips: rout a shallow cove on the underside of each end so the board is easy to lift.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip with a push stick and a riving knife. The strips are long and narrow — support the outfeed end.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
- Let the oil soak in and dry before the first use. Use only food-safe finishes on anything that touches food.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for cutting boards. Skip aromatic cedar for anything that touches food. Wear a dust mask when cutting exotics like padauk, purpleheart and sapele — the dust irritates.
End grain is kinder to knives but takes twice the work and can't go through a planer. Edge grain is tougher than face grain, quick to build, and a great first big board. See our end-grain plan for the checkerboard version.
About 12–17 lb, depending on the species. That weight keeps it from sliding while you chop. Plane it thinner if you want it lighter.
Planned offcuts only: the end trims and about 3" left on each long strip after the two 22" pieces. All 5 boards go into the two cutting boards.
Yes. A 2ft 8/4 pack makes one board the same way: rip the boards in half and use the 10 strips at about 22" long.
