I was commissioned to create a butcher block table and cutting board from poplar, walnut, cherry and ash. Despite best efforts, both pieces have some voids which the Titebond III didn't fill. I am thinking of filling the smaller cracks with hide glue and the larger voids with a mix of hide glue and wood dust. Ideas or suggestions?
Thanks.
I used 1.5" roughsawn for the ash, cherry and walnut, and planed random pieces, glued up strips… all to recreate an end grain butcher block table which I didn't really expect to be used as a butcher block. I don't know that the glue-up at this point would be deemed unsafe for food contact, but the voids certainly have to be filled. Had I known it would be used as a cutting block, I would probably have insisted on hard maple.
Fill voids in a butcher block
adhesive
Best Answer
If you can, I would recommend cutting down the joint with a thin bandsaw blade & then machining both pieces with a jointer to get the super tight fit that you really should have between your boards. The reason I suggest this is that cutting boards can give up particles when sliced/chopped on that would end up on the food that is processed on the cutting board (especially meat)--which I doubt you or anyone else would want to eat, due to the toxicity of adhesives.
If, on the other hand, you can find a non-toxic bonding adhesive then the above suggestion could be avoided.
hth best regards!