I picked up some 4/4 rough cumaru (aka Brazilian teak) on sale at my local hardwood lumberyard a couple years ago and I finally found a fun use for it. I made a series of simple cutting boards for family and friends. This little project is all about bringing out the beauty of rough lumber.
First, I cut the lumber to its approximate final dimensions using my miter saw and table saw. This cutting board ended up being about 10 inches by 14 inches.
The project’s width was limited to 10” due to my jointer’s capacity. I own an INCA 510 combination jointer/planer. These days, you can only find these machines in used condition because the company, INCA, no longer exists. This tool was likely built in Switzerland in the 1980s.
The 10 ¼ inch capacity on the jointer is one of my favorite features of this tool. After passing one side over the jointer to check flatness, I placed the board jointed side down on my table saw cast iron to see if it sat perfectly flat. If I detected any sort of wobble, I sent it back to the jointer for another pass. Once I established flatness on one side, I placed the flat side down on the planer bed to plane the other side. I sent it through several times taking care not to overload my INCA. The end result is a ¾ inch thick board that has equal thickness throughout.
To take all the sharp edges off, I gave the cutting board a 1/8 inch round-over on my router table.
I sanded the cumaru first with 150 then with 220. There were minor imperfections with the edge routing that were easily sanded out. My planer leaves minimal snipe, so I’m comfortable cutting the work piece to final dimensions before planning. If there is snipe present, it’s nearly invisible and easily sanded out.
Finally, I branded the cutting board with my custom branding iron and applied some butcher-block oil.
This is hardwood is extremely dense and heavy. Part of the reason I love this wood is that the board sits stationary on the countertop during chopping even though has no “feet.” I originally had concerns with silica content of this hardwood, making it a poorer choice for a cutting board due to knife dulling, but after some trial by family and friends, we found that the character of the wood has little to no dulling effect.
Cheers!
-Tim