Updates from the Shop
I have been a woodworker my entire adult life and discovered the art and craft of making end-grain cutting boards in my retirement. I also do custom woodworking projects for clients. Each project has a story behind it and I want to share some of them here.
Finished or Unfinished
Traditionally, cutting boards are finished with food-grade mineral oil to enhance the grain and provide a rich luster. This was a practice I followed until now.
However, wood scientist Dr. Seri Robinson, writing in Fine Woodworking magazine, explains that the safest food-contact surface may be no finish at all. Wood has natural antibacterial properties, and mineral oil can clog the pores of the wood, preventing moisture — and bacteria — from being absorbed and dissipated naturally.
Here is the link to the full article
Unfinished boards have a soft matte appearance and develop a beautiful patina with time and use. For this reason, I now leave boards unfinished by default, allowing each buyer to decide.
If you prefer a finished board, I’m happy to apply mineral oil for you, or you may choose to do so yourself at any time.
Custom Engraving
I now offer custom engraving. The image above is an example.
What name, message, or decoration would you engraved in your cutting board?
While I may add an online form in the future, for now please reach out to me by email if you’d like to discuss engraving options.
Sewing Machine Base
February 18, 2026
A friend told me about this sewing machine that had belonged to her mother and was hidden away in the basement for many years. The machine is more than 100 years old and in working order!
Her daughter wanted to display her grandmother's heirloom in her living room.
The granddaughter did not want the original large cabinet in which it was mounted but did want all of the mechanical components left in tact and mounted on a wooden box.
The box is made of Sapele and finished with Minwax "warm satin" polyurethane. In the photo, you can see the two notches that I cut into the front to accommodate the attachment for hinges.
1 + 1 = 1
January 19, 2026
The marble top of this table was part of a family heirloom coffee table that had ugly metal legs and a metal grill around the perimeter. It had been disassembled with the top stored under the sofa and the base in the basement, waiting to be discarded.
The client wanted to reclaim the beautiful top and they had a perfectly fine coffee table made of Cherry that was going to be displaced.
When we removed the wooden top from the legs, we discovered that the leg assembly fit the marble top perfectly!
After gluing some wood mounting strips to the underside of the marble, we attached the legs to the mounting strips with aluminum angles and screws.
The results turned out beautifully. The dark wood and the marble top provide great contrast and the client can enjoy their "new" table.
The epilog is that the removed top was available to be up-cycled into cutting boards.
Fundraising
November 28, 2025
I joined the NJ Woodturners Club this past spring. One of the things I appreciate about the club is its commitment to giving back - through an on-going fundraising project to benefit the Children's Specialized Hospital of NJ.
In the photo above, a young artist is decorating her top at the Sussex County Fairgrounds last week. It is wonderful to see kids really get into it!
Members of the club turn wooden tops that are sold at events throughout the year. All of the material and members' time & skill are donated with 100% of the proceeds going to the hospital. The club raised $1,350 at this event and more than $5,000 in 2025.
Sculpture Base
July 24, 2025
I bought a piece of 2" thick Black Walnut early this year with the intention of using it in some cutting boards. Peppi Glass, a local sculptor, was telling me about this piece she was working on and needed a base for it. I showed her this Black Walnut that I had and she rescued it! I cut it to size and finished it for the base of this beautiful piece of art.
Redesigned Storage
July 15, 2025
This project was a collaboration with a local mineral collector. His collection of specimens did not fit in the 3 cases he was using and there was a lot of wasted space.
By redesigning the storage, we increased the capacity of the first case by 2x and in the second and third, by 4x. Read more....
Shadow Boxes
May 2, 2025
I met the owner of B Creative through a local Facebook group. This company preserves floral bouquets -- mostly from weddings, and mounts them either in resin or shadow boxes. They were looking for a local supplier of shadow boxes and I expressed my interest.
About the Boxes
- They are offered in several different sizes - these are 12" x 16" and the inside depth is 4.5"
- I make them in small batches and each is to the specifications of B Creative's customer.
- We are working to define a palette of finishes and colors - these are stained Colonial Maple (left) and English Chestnut (right); others are painted, according to the selection of each customer.
From Tree to Lumber
March 7, 2025
Over the years, I have seen many trees taken down and almost always, the logs are run through a chipper and pulverized. This always makes me sad that the would-be lumber is lost.
When we discovered that the base of this tree was uprooting and it had to come down (before it fell down), I was determined to save the lumber. I found John Holloway of Hierloom Woodworks in a nearby town and hired him to mill the logs.
He came with his portable sawmill and produced about 400 board-feet of gorgeous maple lumber. As it dries, I am very excited to use this in future cutting boards
Minimizing Waste
February 20, 2025
As a woodworker, I have a deep respect for trees that produced the wood that I use. Many were probably older than I am and I feel an obligation to use as much of the wood as practicable.
I started making end-grain cutting boards last year and I am delighted at the endless design possibilities. In that time I've created almost 60 boards and I saved all of the off-cuts (scraps) that might be large enough to use in future designs.
Using these cut-offs, I have created 9 cutting boards in mosaic designs. They each have some combination of Black Walnut, Sapele, White Oak, Cherry, and Maple.
In many cases, the pieces were too small to use directly so I was able to glue smaller pieces together making pieces that were large enough to use.
The boards can be found in my on-line store: they are numbers 2025-058 through 2025-066. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I've rescued these offcuts from a trip to the landfill and they will continue to have beautiful and useful lives as end-grain cutting boards.
Furniture
January 15, 2025
I have been making furniture and built-ins for our home for many years and have run out of room for more! I have taken on some commissioned work, most recently this Scandinavian-modern dining table. Read more...