Cutting Board With Juice Groove Tutorial
A well-made cutting board does more than protect your countertop. It can also make food prep cleaner and easier with smart details like a juice groove. This guide walks through one way to cut a groove into an existing board using basic tools. This practical DIY cutting board project enhances the usefulness of a trusted kitchen essential.
What is a juice groove on a cutting board?
A juice groove is a shallow channel cut around the edge of a cutting board that catches liquids as you carve meat or slice produce. It keeps the work surface tidy and prevents spills. In this cutting board tutorial, you’ll see how to add a groove to an existing piece using a router and a simple jig setup.
Various methods may be used in making a cutting board with juice groove, also known as a blood groove. Here is one way it can be done. This cutting board was created with some exotic woods about 6 years ago and was found in an attic. At the time, there were no handles or blood grooves cut into the board. It found its way to my desk after handles were added, with a request to add a juice groove for meat cutting. It was decided to add the channel on one side only, leaving the opposite side for vegetable cutting use.
Our exotic cutting board measures 17-1/2″ x 13-1/4″ x 1-1/2″ thick, and the handles were cut about 5/8″ in from the outer edge. So as not to leave a thin wall between the inside edge of the handle and the blood groove runner, yet leave a pleasing, even aesthetic look to the surface while maximizing the cutting area, I decided to measure in 1-3/8″ for the runner wall edge, leaving about the same 5/8″ wall between the handle and runner. I used a Whiteside 1406B B4 Bearing Round Nose Router Bit with Bearing Guide 3/8″ R x 3/4" D x 7/16" CL x 1/4", with a DeWalt Variable Speed Compact Router with LEDs and Plunge Base.
The question was, what was the easiest way to jig the pattern cut? The options considered were, create a jig to attach to the router, create a single board pattern and rout around it, or create a board with the center cut out. I chose the latter, but with more of a frame thought process. After cutting my 4-piece frame 1-3/8″ wide from a 2 x 4 on the tablesaw, I then cut the lengths to an appropriate size to allow the router to seamlessly flow around the cutting board.
Not knowing if the cutting board had been previously oiled, due to its dry condition from the attic, I made sure to firmly press all 4 sides of the framework using the bench vise for solid tape adherence. I then added and taped 3 additional boards to the center, cut from the same 2 x 4 for router leverage while cutting around the interior of the frame pattern. Placing the entire assembly onto a rubber bench top mat ensured the board would not slide or slip around during the routing procedure. Woodcraft carries a silicone mat that is ideal for DIY cutting board projects and more.
To recap, set your router bit depth of cut. In this case, it was a 1/8″ depth cut, followed by a secondary 1/16″ cleanup cut using Whiteside 1406B B4 Bearing Round Nose Router Bit with Bearing Guide 3/8″ R x 3/4″ D x 7/16″ CL x 1/4.
Now the fun begins. Let’s rout…
Clean up the mess, remove the jig, sand with 220 grit paper on top surface and inside the juice groove, and oil it down!
Ready for use or display!
Easy peasy, and done in about an hour and a half, well, that’s with donuts and coffee included!
Thanks to Bill Sands for the 2×4, use of his tools, camera assistance, and, as always, his expert guidance & camaraderie are very much appreciated!
auf Wiedersehen!…Frank