We found some Bamboo Serving boards, so I thought I’d see how well they carved.
I used a 30 deg V Bit for most of the work:
I then used epoxy and machined / sanded down, then Odie’s Oil for a finish.
Best part? $4.50 (Canadian!) at the local Dollar Store.
The rectangular ones can make for quite affordable stock as well:
…though it’s now $3.75 in the U.S.:
https://www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-bamboo-cutting-boards/284446
Is there a way to tell if a cutting board is solid laminated bamboo vs. junk on the inside?
Mostly, mine have been void-free — did encounter a void in one, but it happened at a place where it made a natural finger groove, so all good.
The Ikea Aptitlig cutting boards are a bit more expensive:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/aptitlig-cutting-board-bamboo-80233430/
and since they are laminated in a single layer of strips, don’t seem to show voids (but they’re also quite a bit thicker, making for chunkier proportions, or requiring a lot more material removal.
They also have a design like to the one shown by @mhotchin for about the same price:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/aptitlig-cutting-board-bamboo-40557247/
Thank you, Will. I had looked at bamboo cutting boards the last time I was at Ikea, but knowing their penchant for filling “solid” wood things with cardboard honeycomb I was hesitant to try one.
