Some weeks in the shop are all wins. Others hand you a lesson alongside the finished piece. This week had both.
The highlight was a custom cross in oak and cherry, with an epoxy-filled center. The contrast between the warm grain of the hardwood and the deep epoxy pour is exactly the kind of detail that makes a piece feel intentional — something built to be handed down, not just displayed. The cross came together cleanly, and the filled center adds a depth that’s hard to replicate any other way.
The other project this week was an end grain cutting board in maple, cherry, and walnut — three species that together produce one of the most striking natural color combinations in woodworking. End grain boards are a shop favorite: easier on knife edges, more forgiving over time, and visually rich in a way that flat-grain boards simply aren’t.
That one didn’t go as planned. The router pulled too deep cutting the juice groove, and the first board didn’t make the cut. It happens — and it’s a good reminder that even familiar operations deserve full attention.
The silver lining: it’s pushing us toward a better approach. We’re exploring using the Shaper Origin to cut juice grooves going forward. It’ll take a bit more setup time, but the precision and repeatability are worth it — every groove exactly where it should be, exactly as deep as it should be, every time.
That maple, cherry, and walnut board will get made right. Watch for it.
If you’d like a custom cross, cutting board, or any other handmade piece, send us a DM on Instagram — we’d love to make something for you.