So for the past few years, I have been obsessed with resin, watching people create and bring so many amazing things to life, tables, chairs, you name it. I wanted to make my own! Luckily, I stumbled across a scrap piece of Brazilian Cherry in the shed, and I immediately knew I needed to make a wood & resin river charcuterie board.
First I planned out the shape for the board and sketched it onto the piece of wood. I used the cap of a prescription bottle to draw out my rounded corners. Then I used a bandsaw to cut the shape out of my piece of wood.
If you don’t have access to wood you can always follow the rest of the steps using a purchased cutting board or one you already have.
Here are a few wood cutting boards
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From here it starts to get wild, I had this idea to make a faux live edge valley with a resin river flowing through it. So I put my board back up on the band saw and cut it in half. I took each half and started slowing cutting bits out of each side creating an open section in the middle of the wood.
Shaping
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Then it was time to bring out the belt sander. I will admit my arms are still sore from wielding that thing. I used it to quickly knock down the sharp, rough edges created by the bandsaw and add more depth to the charcuterie board. The wood was clamped down to keep it from moving around while I worked. Some of the spots I had created were too small for the big sander, so I used a Dremmel to smooth out those tight spaces. Here’s a newer one that’s on my wishlist!
Working with Resin
But first, head over to my other post where I explain important safety and optimal use information when working with epoxy resin!
Now it was time to prep for the resin! I took those two pieces and placed them on a melamine board and secured them and their perimeter with hot glue to prevent leaks. This is 2:1 High-Performance Slow-hardening Resin by Total Boat. I added a little bit of blue pigment because of how it beautifully contrasted the natural oranges in the wood of the charcuterie board. Find the pigment I used HERE.
This epoxy is USDA approved. This means that it can come into contact with food once cured and you do not have to worry about chemicals that may be in it contaminating your food.
While great for display and serving, please do not use as a cutting board. Small bits of plastic could end up in your food. If you do cut on it, make sure to do so on the wood portions.
It is best to keep the pour in one place and let the resin level itself out, I also like to use my Wagner Spraytech 503059 Wagner, Furno 300, Yellow to help minimize bubbling. Let the resin cure for 24 hours. If it is completely dry it should pull away from the melamine easily.
Finishing
I’m almost done, I promise. These are the important finishing tips! I started with a sander and some 600 grit sandpaper before moving on to 1000-grit in only vertical strokes, and then 1500-grit in horizontal strokes to get the best possible polish on the wood & resin river charcuterie board.
The secret to making beautiful wet-looking boards is mineral oil! Grab a rag and with a few drops of oil and some elbow grease, you have a beautiful, rich charcuterie board.
This charcuterie board should be hand washed with light soap and hot water. Then, set upright to dry. After washing your board it is recommended to rub in more mineral oil.
This was my first time doing woodworking like this, I really enjoyed it, and hope to make some more wood projects in the future!
Guess what, I’m not the only one creating things from wood scraps, Check out these other bloggers below!
A 5″ x 7″ area (if you're not covering the whole board) would use about 2 – 3 ounces. My large cutting board (10″ x 13″) would take 8 – 9 ounces to cover the entire thing. Measure the area you'd like to cover and use the calculator here.
Creating a live-edge resin river serving board is a creative and visually stunning project that combines wood with epoxy resin. This unique piece can be a beautiful addition to your kitchen or a thoughtful handmade gift. Follow along with us in our step-by-step guide on how to make a resin river serving board.
Once the board has cured, you'll need to plane it, sand it down, and cut out the handle to your liking. Once you have refined the initial cured piece into a usable board, you are ready to bring in the table top!
The formulation is length × average width × depth of the river pour. The formulation must take place in millimetres. For example, 1200mm (length) × 271mm (width) × 50mm (depth) = 16260000. This number is then divided by 1 million.
CHILL ICE 1 is an excellent epoxy for charcuterie boards due to its long pot life, controlled exothermic reaction, and superior hardness. Is there a food safe epoxy for cutting boards? Yes, CHILL ICE 1 is food safe once fully cured, making it ideal for cutting boards.
GlassCast 50 really is the best resin for river tables! To ensure you make the most of your river table project, join the over 2 million people who have watched our comprehensive river table video tutorial which covers just about everything you need to know.
This special high quality tape is designed specifically for use as a barrier or release tape for industrial resins like epoxy. It is smooth, very strong, non-stretch and totally non-stick for epoxy resin making it incredibly useful for a wide range of epoxy resin applications.
Wood Wax. If you want to know how to seal a wood charcuterie board, the top option is Wood Wax by the Real Milk Paint Co. This food contact-safe wax has an all-natural formulation of walnut oil and carnauba wax, helping it penetrate deeply yet apply smoothly on your wood charcuterie board.
Keep in mind that serving a plethora of different ingredients with various textures and tastes will make for a more visually appealing board. To do this, use a combination of hard and soft cheeses, crackers, soft bread slices, spreadable condiments and smaller items like nuts, seeds and pickled vegetables.
Avoid using woods with open pores, high toxicity, or prone to splintering for cutting boards. Examples include pine, cedar, and certain tropical hardwoods like rosewood or teak. Instead, opt for dense, closed-grain hardwoods like maple, cherry, or walnut, which are safer and more hygienic for food preparation.
Serving boards are typically ¾”-1” thick, while cutting boards are 1.25” or thicker. If thinness or weight is an important factor, go with a serving board for a lighter option. If you want to also use it for chopping, go for it! Your serving board might show knife marks, but it will be loved.
Wipe along the grain or in circles with a mineral oil soaked cloth (we love swedish dish clothes, but any clean lint free cloth will work), wait a few minutes, hours or even overnight, this gives the custom charcuterie board plenty of time to absorb the oil and be fully conditioned.
Including how many gallons, fluid ounces, or milliliters of epoxy you need! If you'd rather do it yourself simply measure the length, width, and height of your pour area by inches, multiply them together (L x W x H), and finally – divide that number by 1.805. This will give you the fluid ounces needed for your pour!
Epoxy is a hard plastic surface, and harder on cleavers and knife blades, causing them to dull faster. And finally, epoxy will over time with chopping and butchering use and heavy cleaning will eventually end up looking horrible with scuffing or clouding, thus destroying any heirloom or artistic value of your board.
(or 6.4 ounces per sq.ft.) Divide your square footage by 20 to get the gallons required (or multiply by 6.4). You can use 4.5-6.5 ounces for your artwork layer and then do a clear full epoxy flood coat to smooth it out and protect it.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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