New Lee Valley Make It Yourself Laminated Cutting Board Kit

This cutting board project makes a good introduction to woodworking because it doesn’t require a lot of time, tools or materials. Since gluing the edges of wood together to make a larger board can be applied to many other woodworking projects (e.g., tabletops and doors), wood lamination is a benchmark woodworking skill worth discovering.

Our kit makes it easy. There’s no measuring or cutting. But that doesn’t mean this project is clear of challenges. Even though the supplied wood (maple, walnut, padauk and purpleheart) is precut to the same length and thickness, the natural fluctuations in the wood may affect the flatness and alignment of your cutting board upon glue-up. Don’t worry; the instructions include suggestions for overcoming minor misalignments.

You decide in what order or pattern you want to glue the 11 strips of exotic and domestic hardwoods together, then clamp your assembly with the pair of supplied 12″ parallel bar clamps. Once the glue has dried, scrape the excess glue with a flat carbide scraper and sand the wood surfaces smooth. Applying one or two coats of food-safe cutting board oil will bring out the natural beauty of the contrasting wood colors on your completed 16″ × 9″ × 3/4″ cutting board.

Suitable for the beginner to intermediate maker, 14 years and older, this project can be completed in approximately 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, plus time for the glue and finish to cure.

This well-thought-out kit includes everything you need to make it yourself, including over $100 of hand tools and reusable supplies. Components of the kit are listed under the Specifications tab.

Access to the step-by-step video and a downloadable copy of the written instructions are also included.