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End-Grain Chopping Block[8/4 Wide · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 big chopping block
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 Wide · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 6-8"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
A thick, heavy end-grain chopping block — the kind butchers use. All five wide 8/4 boards rip into square strips, glue into panels, and slice into checkerboard pieces that stand end grain up. Knives sink between the fibres instead of cutting across them, so the block stays sharp-friendly and hides cut marks for years.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strips | 15 | All 5 boards, 3 per board | 23" × 1¾" × 1¾" |
| Panels (5 strips each) | 3 | Strips glued face to face | 23" × 8¾" × 1¾" |
| Slices | 21 | 7 per panel (20 used, 1 spare) | 8¾" × 2½" × 1¾" |
| Chopping block | 1 | 20 slices, end grain up | 17½" × 17½" × 2¼" finished |
Strips: each 5½" board ripped into three 1¾" square strips — 15 strips.
Panels: three panels of 5 strips (8¾" wide), planed faces glued together.
Slices: 7 slices 2½" thick per panel; 20 used end grain up in 2 columns × 10 rows, every other slice turned end for end. 1 spare.
Final: router sled or belt sander to about 2¼" — never a planer. Board oil and wax.
Finished size: 17½" × 17½" × about 2¼".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 Wide · 2ft (6–8" wide, S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond III — water resistant, longer open time)
- Sandpaper 80 / 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- 4 rubber feet with screws (optional)
Tools
- Table saw for ripping, with a push stick
- Jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane (to straighten the rough edges)
- Crosscut sled or sliding mitre saw, with a stop block
- 6–8 bar clamps, 24" or longer
- Cauls (straight scrap strips) and packing tape
- Planer or hand plane (panels only)
- Router sled or belt sander (for the end-grain block)
- Router with roundover or chamfer bit
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
Why S2S only? The 6–8" wide 8/4 boards come S2S: both faces planed, edges rough. Plan on losing about ¼" per edge when you straighten them.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · 6–8" wide 8/4 S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (5½" clean at the narrowest), planned 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
S2S Lumber Pack (6–8" wide)
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).
- 2 Rip three strips per board. Set the fence at 1¾" and rip each board into three strips. That is 5½" with two saw cuts, so a 5½" board has nothing left over. You now have 15 square strips.
- 3 Glue three panels. Split the strips into three sets of five. Turn each strip 90° so the smooth planed faces glue together. Glue each set into a panel 8¾" wide × 23" long. Use cauls to keep the strips level. Leave overnight.
- 4 Flatten the panels. Scrape off the glue and run both faces through the planer, or plane by hand, until each panel is flat and the same thickness. The slices will only be square if the panels are.
- 5 Cut the slices. Square one end of each panel. Clamp a stop block at 2½" on a crosscut sled or sliding mitre saw and cut 7 slices from each panel — 21 slices. Never use the rip fence alone as a stop for crosscuts; the slice can bind and kick back.
- 6 Lay out the block. Stand every slice on edge so the end grain faces up. Arrange 20 slices in 2 columns of 10, end to end. Turn every other slice end for end so the colour and growth rings stagger into a patchwork. Keep the best spare slice as a test piece or a trivet.
- 7 Glue in stages. End-grain blocks are easier to glue in two halves. Glue each column of 10 slices first, sanded faces together, with light clamp pressure and cauls on top. Next day, glue the two columns together. Every joint here is long grain to long grain — the slices meet on their sawn faces, not their end grain.
- 8 Flatten the block. Never run end grain through a planer — it can blow out the far edge or throw the block. Use a router sled or a belt sander. Take the top and bottom down to about 2¼" thick. Chamfer the far edge first if you sand by hand, so it doesn't chip.
- 9 Shape and sand. Round over or chamfer every edge. Sand 80 → 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth, let it dry, and sand again at 220.
- 10 Oil it well. End grain drinks oil. Flood it with mineral oil or board oil, let it soak overnight, wipe off and repeat until it stops soaking in. Seal with board wax. Add rubber feet if you like, screwed into pre-drilled holes.
Why end grain? On end grain the knife edge slips between the wood fibres instead of slicing them. Cut marks close up, the block lasts longer, and your knives stay sharp longer.
Why two columns of slices? Each panel is 8¾" wide, so two slices end to end make a 17½" row. Ten rows of 1¾" make the other 17½". You get a square block and a checkerboard with no fiddly small pieces.
Is this glue-up end grain to end grain? No. The slices touch on their sawn faces, which are long grain. Only the top and bottom of the block show end grain. That is why the joints hold.
Make It Yours
- True checkerboard: swap strips with a contrasting pack (walnut and maple). Glue panels light-dark-light-dark-light and dark-light-dark-light-dark, then alternate the rows.
- Brick pattern: slide the second column half a strip sideways before gluing — then trim the ends square.
- Finger grips: rout a cove under two opposite edges so the heavy block is easy to lift.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Cut slices with a crosscut sled or sliding mitre saw and a stop block, never against the rip fence alone.
- Never run end grain through a planer. Use a router sled or belt sander.
- The finished block weighs 15–20 lb. Lift with care and support it when routing.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
Frequently Asked Questions
The 6–8" wide 8/4 pack comes S2S (faces planed, edges rough). Straighten the edges with a jointer, a table saw and a straight-line jig, a track saw, or a hand plane.
Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for chopping blocks. 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 soaks up water fast. Never leave it wet or soak it, never put it in the dishwasher, and oil it every few weeks. Rubber feet let air reach the bottom so both faces dry evenly.
Longer: cut 8 slices per panel (24 in all) and glue 2 columns × 12 rows for a 17½" × 21" block. For a thicker block, cut 6 slices at 3" per panel — that is only 18 slices, so make it 2 columns × 9 rows (17½" × 15¾" × about 2¾").
Planned offcuts only: about 4¾" off the end of each panel after slicing, plus one spare slice (a good trivet or test piece). Wider boards give a thin strip off each rip. All 5 boards go into the block.
Yes. A 4ft wide pack gives 17 slices per panel, 51 in all — enough for two blocks this size. Easiest: crosscut the strips in half first and follow this plan twice.
