Just Being Bored: Crafting a decorative board

What do you do with 154 sample size specimens of wood? I decided to craft a decorative charcuterie board for my kitchen.

- Don Gutzmer

While doing a large shop cleanup here at GBI, we rediscovered a set of 154 samples of wood species from all around the globe. They had previously been used for an Epoxyworks article on adhesion testing. Having served their purpose, they were now sitting around the shop collecting dust. Since the samples were still in good shape, I wanted to turn them into some sort of decorative project. A light bulb went off in my head. I should make a decorative piece for my kitchen inspired by a charcuterie board. (Note: WEST SYSTEM® Epoxies are not certified as food safe.)

Selecting my Woods

The first thing that I did was select 20 wood pieces that caught my eye with their color variations. When the samples were tested for tensile adhesion, a portion of wood was removed with it, leaving a small divot. I sanded each of the wood samples until the divot was gone.

Next, it was time to determine the pattern. I knew I wanted my pattern to stand out, so I decided to alternate lighter and darker colors for higher contrast. Once I was happy with the order of my pieces, it was time to bond them together.

Breaking out the Epoxy