3d Waffle Cutting Boards
Zane C.
Woodworking
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I've made a pair of 3d “waffle” cutting boards, using grain direction and contrasting wood species to produce the illusion of depth. I first selected a piece of Padauk lumber with exceptionally straight grain. The “waffle” pattern is obtained by interweaving 2” Padauk squares with 1/4” Maple strips in a grid pattern. First, I cut the larger piece into 72 small squares. To achieve the 3d effect, I then needed to cut each square in half along the diagonal. But all the obvious methods for doing so—including the miter saw and the bandsaw—were either dangerously unsafe or wouldn’t result in a straight cut. To solve this problem, I designed a special jig for the table saw. After sketching some dimensional diagrams, I constructed a sled that runs exactly parallel to the blade. The fence on the sled needed to be perfectly square (perpendicular) to the blade. Once it was, I added a piece of plywood with a notch cut out for the square. Two hold down clamps held both sides of the square in place as I’d push the sled through the saw. The jig worked great, and its repeatability meant I could easily cut all 72 squares in half. And when I was finished, the floor was covered with a thick layer of red sawdust. Then, I just needed to glue up all ~146 pieces into the final board. Sending it through the drum sander revealed the 3d pattern in all its beauty.
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Creativity for me is the drive to pursue increasingly ambitious projects and learn new tools and techniques in the process. I primarily do this through woodworking—valuing wood for its beauty, durability, and functionality.
