Ocean Resin Charcuterie Board (2024)

Introduction: Ocean Resin Charcuterie Board

As a fun project idea, I decided to make a charcuterie board for my family. I originally wanted a cutting board and came upon a youtube video showcasing their ocean resin charcuterie board. As resin was being used (a material which food should not be placed upon), I decided to make a charcuterie board instead. I loved the addition of the resin, being used to depict waves crashing on the shorelines of a beach, as it was more unique and beautiful.

Supplies

Step 1: Pick a Piece of Wood As a Starter

First thing first! Pick out a slab of wood of your choosing (size, shape, and thickness). I chose a natural slab, a good color with great graining. I would highly recommend picking one that is similar in thickness to your desired final product, as it will narrow down the sanding/planing process.

Step 2: Create a Flat Surface!

My original material was both too thick and too heavy, so I needed to plane it. This will remove much of the material to make it lighter, but it also provides an even face to work with later. To plane, I used a CNC router and the "face" tool. I removed the material from this stock until the lighter color was even all around. Afterward, you can lightly plane the other side to create a flat surface on both sides.

Step 3: Plane the Material As Necessary

The original dimensions of this piece were 1.7 inches, and I was able to plane it down to .75 inches. Again, I used a CNC router and the "face" tool. I programmed it to remove .100 inches of stock every time. It is important to decide which side of your board will be the top (depending on the grain you desire) in order to remove more material from the back rather than the front. After creating a flat surface (previous step) and removing a bit of material from the other side, I decided which side had better graining. In order to preserve that graining, I mostly removed material from the backside.

Step 4: Trace Out Your Desired Shape

Using a regular wooden pencil, I traced out the shape I wanted for my board. Originally, I wanted it to be cut diagonally, only using the finished wood. However, it is good to view things from multiple perspectives; thus, I changed my design in order to contain the natural shape of the slab and its bark.

Step 5: Finalize Your Shape

After deciding on the final shape I wanted, I used a brown marker (doesn't really matter what color) in order to make clear the outline. This will be beneficial when cutting the wood in a bit, as marker is a bit easier to see than pencil.

Step 6: Cut Your Design Out!

Now you have your design! The next step is to cut it out. If you have a CNC router, You can totally use that to cut out the shape. However, I wanted a more freeform shape and instead used a jigsaw to cut along my drawn lines. Make sure to clamp the piece down tightly and wear eye protection before starting! Don't worry if it is not completely perfect, as that can be fixed with sanding later.

Step 7: Sand the Sides!

Using any sander of your choice, sand the previously cut sides down to the marker lines. This will finalize the shape of your board and will also make the sides nice and smooth! I highly recommend using a belt sander (likely won't burn your material) to get the shape down and later on just a bit of regular sandpaper to really smooth the edges out. When I first sanded my piece, a lot of it got burnt, so my main focus in sanding was removing the burnt edges.

Step 8: Sand the Faces (of the Board)

Using a hand-held sander this time, I sanded the face of the boards. Since I used a CNC Router to plane the faces, there were many lines on both sides from the multiple passes. Sanding the faces also helps to remove any leftover marker lines.

Step 9: Round Out the Edges

Using a hand-held router, I was able to smoothen out the edges to give it a nice round look. Make sure to hold your piece in place as you maneuver it around the edges, also holding the router parallel to the board.

Step 10: Drill a Hole

Using a drill press and a 3/4 inch bit, I made a hole at the end of my charcuterie board for hanging. Whether you're using a regular drill or drill press, be sure to clamp it down and check that it is centered! Optional: use the hand-held router to round out the inner circle.

Step 11: Oil It Up!

In order to protect your board from water and other natural things, you need to seal it! Using beeswax and/or food-grade board oil, apply a generous layer to your board (including the sides and back). It's preferable to use a combination of beeswax and board oil, but I only had board oil. Using the oil, I first put some on a soft cloth and evenly applied it all around. The board became this beautiful caramel color and was more shiny than matte.

Step 12: Practice the Resin!

Step 13: Put on Your First Resin!

Again, I mixed up some turquoise and magic blue resin and placed them alongside each other. I knew that I wanted the resin to be somewhat slanted and higher on the right (I also had a spot that I wanted to cover). I was carefully placing down the resin and using the heat gun, wanting a gradient but not a strong blend of the colors. I noticed that the heat gun was creating this really unique bubble design on the board, but was also moving the resin off the board a bit (creating some bald patches).

Step 14: Second Resin!

Next, add a clear coat of resin (after the blues have dried), and then add some white resin! There is no correct way to do this, so do as you wish and make corrections if needed (I made many). There you go! Your board will dry and is practically all finished! If needed, sand the sides a bit more to remove the excess resin! Enjoy!