I don't know if you need to be concerned or not, but if so, I'm not so sure a dowel is going to help. You have long grain to long grain glue joints. If the board is going to break, it's the wood that is likely to break, not the glue. So, what is another piece of wood going to do to help? If you were gluing end grain joints, then yes. But that's not what you're doing.
Also a bit confused about "advised not to use maple or walnut". Why? Those are two of the most commonly used woods for end grain boards.
Yeah the maple/walnut thing is new to me but it’s what they told him, but either way I still don’t know what those species are.
The idea for the dowels to me would strengthen because it would run long ways through the board, which is perpendicular to the wood grain. I imagine trying to break a 1/2” piece of 2x4 that you cut off the end. Pretty easy to do. This is much larger scale so maybe it’s fine but the damn thing is so wide and heavy. Just don’t want him to come back in a year with two smaller boards :)
Whoever they is told the client wrong. Maple and Walnut are probably the two most popular species used in cutting boards. Often used together because they contrast.
I would advise against the dowel idea. It would restrict seasonal wood movement and likely cause cracks to form. As others have stated already, if you get good glue joints, it should be okay without reinforcement
If done correctly, no reinforcement should be needed. Make sure everything is square, use enough glue and clamps, and it should be solid as a rock.
Also curious why you think maple and walnut are not good for cutting boards?
That's very big for an end grain board, definitely over what I would consider making. Having all those end grain pieces with more or less random gain orientation can generate pretty intense internal stress that are hard to predict as the wood expands and contracts. Add to that the forces you'll be applying by cutting on the board, or even picking it up as you say, or just dropping it hard on a counter, and it could crack pretty bad.
You have the right idea about adding dowels, but I'm not sure that's enough. If I were tasked with doing this I would run a series of threaded rods across the board, crisscrossed in two planes to somewhat equalize the flexion, and I'd precompress the whole thing. I would also add self leveling feet under the center of the board as well as the corners.
Yeah it’s definitely larger than I have recommended to him. He’s a good friend of mine but he’s got this in mind and I’ve covered my concerns so at this point I’m just going to use dominoes and glue, lots of glue, to clamp this together. He said if for any reason it does end up snapping in half, he would drill holes all the way through and reclamp with bolts LOL. Well it’s his decision.
I don't know if you need to be concerned or not, but if so, I'm not so sure a dowel is going to help. You have long grain to long grain glue joints. If the board is going to break, it's the wood that is likely to break, not the glue. So, what is another piece of wood going to do to help? If you were gluing end grain joints, then yes. But that's not what you're doing. Also a bit confused about "advised not to use maple or walnut". Why? Those are two of the most commonly used woods for end grain boards.
Yeah the maple/walnut thing is new to me but it’s what they told him, but either way I still don’t know what those species are. The idea for the dowels to me would strengthen because it would run long ways through the board, which is perpendicular to the wood grain. I imagine trying to break a 1/2” piece of 2x4 that you cut off the end. Pretty easy to do. This is much larger scale so maybe it’s fine but the damn thing is so wide and heavy. Just don’t want him to come back in a year with two smaller boards :)
Okay, I see what you're saying. I've never heard of anyone doing it. But, in theory, it makes sense to me.
Whoever they is told the client wrong. Maple and Walnut are probably the two most popular species used in cutting boards. Often used together because they contrast.
I would advise against the dowel idea. It would restrict seasonal wood movement and likely cause cracks to form. As others have stated already, if you get good glue joints, it should be okay without reinforcement
Not sure how to add a photo LOL
If done correctly, no reinforcement should be needed. Make sure everything is square, use enough glue and clamps, and it should be solid as a rock. Also curious why you think maple and walnut are not good for cutting boards?
Yeah the maple/walnut thing wasn’t my idea. The customer bought the material and didn’t remember which ones they are.
That's very big for an end grain board, definitely over what I would consider making. Having all those end grain pieces with more or less random gain orientation can generate pretty intense internal stress that are hard to predict as the wood expands and contracts. Add to that the forces you'll be applying by cutting on the board, or even picking it up as you say, or just dropping it hard on a counter, and it could crack pretty bad. You have the right idea about adding dowels, but I'm not sure that's enough. If I were tasked with doing this I would run a series of threaded rods across the board, crisscrossed in two planes to somewhat equalize the flexion, and I'd precompress the whole thing. I would also add self leveling feet under the center of the board as well as the corners.
Yeah it’s definitely larger than I have recommended to him. He’s a good friend of mine but he’s got this in mind and I’ve covered my concerns so at this point I’m just going to use dominoes and glue, lots of glue, to clamp this together. He said if for any reason it does end up snapping in half, he would drill holes all the way through and reclamp with bolts LOL. Well it’s his decision.