A French chef’s knife is a wonderful instrument for cutting up vegetables for soups, salads or other culinary projects. The housewife usually finds that some cut pieces are always sliding off the board onto the table or the floor. To avoid this, she must stop often to gather up the pieces and collect them in a dish. Our modern-style cutting board (which can also be used for cutting bread, meats
and other foods) is designed to overcome this trouble. A dish is placed under the hole in the board and as the cutting progresses, a sweep of the knife carries the pieces into the dish.
Almost any hard wood that will stand up under the cutting and washing
and not impart a flavor to the food can be used. Maple probably is the best choice of all and since it is easily obtained, the craftsman will do well to make the board of this wood.
In laying out the trapezium, start at the near right-hand corner as shown in the drawing. This is a right angle and all of the other corners can be easily located by working from it. Cut the legs from 3/4″ stock-the same wood used for the board itself. Fasten each leg to the top with three 1 1/4″ No. 8 flathead screws. These should be countersunk about 3/8″ so that there will be no danger that any wearing down of the wood will expose the screws to contact with the knife. Fill each countersunk hole with a wood plug. The fence is made of 1/4″ x 1 3/4″ stock. Nail the two pieces in place with 1″ brads.
Finish the wood with mineral oil, well rubbed in. Continue with the oil treatment until the wood will take no more, then the project is complete.
If the housewife who is to use the board is left-handed, the design should be reversed.
