Purpleheart, Maple & Zebrawood Cutting Board

I started by selecting pieces that would be contrasting and complementary, to give the board an interesting look. I wanted a large center section with a plain maple look to set off the inlay, and I picked woods that are fairly tightly grained so not too much food gets into them when you cut. You want a cutting-board-appropriate grain.

Then I milled all the wood, glued it together, and created the base board. I planed it, milled it, and sanded it to dimension, until it was ready for the inlay.

Once it was ready, I went to the computer and designed what I wanted inlaid. I put the main board into the CNC machine, and it cuts the negative first, right into the board.

Then I go back to the computer and create a reversed, positive version that becomes the inlay. I find a contrasting wood, which here was walnut, put it in the CNC, and carve the plug that drops into the board. It is the opposite image, so you flip it in the computer and let it cut.

I glue and clamp the plug in place, and once it has cured, take it to the band saw and cut the plug off, leaving just the inlaid parts behind: the walnut set into the maple. Then it runs through the drum sander to get everything flat and smooth and to clear the residue from the plug.

From there it is rounding over the edges and corners, then a lot of sanding, until the board is completely flat and smooth. Last comes food-grade mineral oil: coat it, let it soak in, wipe off the excess, and buff it out. And there you go, a finished board with a really cool, intricate inlay.