A standard project in high school woodshop used to be making a kitchen breadboard. I sure wish I had taken that class when I was in school.

Here is my first breadboard attempt. Do not use veneer plywood. It will last about two years. The veneer will quickly wear down to the plywood surface, and you will get chips of wood in your prepared food.

Unless you are a termite or a beaver, wood chips are not very tasty!

In my second attempt, I used maple. Make sure you use a “hardwood.”

I used the old breadboard as a template and cut the maple boards to size. I reused the front piece of the old breadboard, as it was made from oak – a nice hardwood too.

I secured the maple together with wood glue and biscuits. If you are not familiar with using biscuits, please refer to my post Stand Up Surf Board Paddle Build.

I then used clamps to hold it together while the glue cured. I also added some weight to the top so that there would be no ‘bowing’ during the curing process.

I added the front oak strip and used “food grade” mineral oil to treat the surface of the wood. I applied the oil twice, with drying time in between.

The oil helps to seal the wood pores, keeping food from penetrating into the wood.

About a year after using the breadboard, I began having trouble pulling it out of its slot. I finally was able to pull it out and it had bowed. Why?

It bowed because I did not attach a back strip, as I did to the front. So, I purchased a piece of oak and installed it with wood glue and biscuits.

Finally, a nice smooth ‘pull’ once again.

Advice: If you did not take high school woodshop, at least go to the web and watch ‘how to’ videos. It will save you time, money, and headaches… and perhaps prevent a visit to the doctor.

Nobody wants wood slivers in their gums!