Whale, Whale, Whale, What Do We Have Here?

Cutting boards come in many shapes and sizes, but we wanted to do something unique and different from any cutting board that we knew of. Therefore, we decided to build a unique one ourselves. This product is a 8.5x15x1 walnut wooden cutting board in the shape of a whale consisting of ocean resin on the top on the tail. This cutting board is unique in many different ways and has multiple functions and possibilities for use.

• Walnut wood
• Resin and Hardener
• Mineral Oil
• CNC machine
• Sander
• Colored powder- blue and white
• Fusion 360
• Hair Dryer or heat blower
• Planer
• Table Saw
• Wooden Sticks
• Plastic Cups
• Painters tape

Gather all of the supplies that are needed to create this product before starting the project. (Supplies are mentioned in the introduction.)

To create the correct dimensions, the two walnut wooden boards that we acquired have to be cut together first to create strips that all together are in the dimensions of 8.5x15. Then make sure to use wood glue to glue the strips together, making sure they are flush. Next, clamp them together and let them dry. After this, plane and sand the wooden board down to create a smooth surface for the cutting board. If you already have a board with right dimensions, just plane it on the planer to create a smooth surface.

Create the correct dimensions for the cutting board and use the CNC machine to cut out the shape of the whale for the cutting board. For this, use a CNC software (we used Fusion 360 by Autodesk). Use your software to create G&M codes and transfer them to your CNC machine (We used a four-axis Laguna model).

To create safe usage for the cutting board, a food grade mineral oil is needed on top of the wood. Make sure to leave enough time to dry.

Measure the correct amount of resin and hardener needed for the board and put the ratio amount of powder and dye needed in the resin in plastic cups. Mix with wooden sticks until powder is completely dissolved in the resin. Use different cups for different colors that are in use.

Cover the back of the board with painters tape so no resin will get on the back. Pour the blue resin on the corner that is wanted and rub that around. Use the hair dryer or heat blower to blow the resin around, creating an ocean-looking effect on it.

Pour clear resin next to the blue resin and then the white resin outlining the clear resin. Then use the heat blower to blow the white resin towards the blue resin to create an ocean mist effect. Let the resin dry until hardened.

Peel of the tape and sand the back if any resin got on it. Wipe it off with a towel to get the dust off one more time and enjoy!