Need some project advice

[awesomename]

I'm thinking of making something for the wife and was thinking about milling a cutting board out of some sort of wood and or/HDPE

I was actually thinking of doing an hdpe inlay on the inside of one side and making the profile out of some sort of wood. Can someone recommend a good wood for this as well as an endmill that would work well for it? Are they food safe glues I can use that will stand up to the abuse and washing?

Any help is appreciated!

[Enraged]

I can't help with the glues, but I like using bamboo cutting boards.

[awesomename]

I can't help with the glues, but I like using bamboo cutting boards.

What would you recommend for an endmill for cutting the bamboo(plywood im assuming). Do you stain it at all?

[Schruminator]

Glues may be the tough part on this one. Not a whole lot sticks to HDPE well enough to last long term.

It has been a while since I have worked much with it, so hopefully someone can chime in and prove me wrong-- or hopefully your local plastic supply shop can recommend some specifically formulated adhesives that will work.

[cvoinescu]

As far as I know, that's still the case. There are no solvent glues that work with HDPE and LDPE, and the alternatives are weak and temporary (double-sided adhesive tape is one of the better options...). About the only thing you can do with HDPE is weld it, and then only to itself.

[awesomename]

I think i will either end up making it from entirely bamboo ply, or make the hdpe a press fit.

[cvoinescu]

Actually, out of curiosity, I looked around a bit, and there seem to be a few solutions. One is a cyanoacrylate adhesive with a special primer that makes it bond HDPE, but it's not dishwasher-safe (Loctite Plastics Bonding System). There are also a few epoxy adhesives (e.g. EpoWeld 3243) that work with specially prepared HDPE (either abraded with sandpaper, or flame-treated). Still, it seems much easier to inlay bamboo with bamboo of a different color, for instance.

[Woodworker]

Maple is very stable as is oak. I have not worked with HDPE so I can't advise there. One problem with any adhesive between a plastic and wood is that wood expands and contracts and many adhesives loose there grip. I intend to do some inlay in some cutting boards later this summer. The cutting boards will be laminated from various widths of hardwood and then some contrasting wood inlay. Design to be determined later. I use Tightbond II or III for all my cutting boards and tell customers to hand wash only.

[WillAdams]

I wouldn't do any sort of dis-similar materials as a permanently joined unit --- too much likelihood of difficulty cleaning at the joint --- instead, design some clever sort of holder / rack / drawer which the cutting board rests on top of or something.

[danimal]

I am not sure on the food safe aspect, but have you considered a pour in epoxy based filler? You can dye them various colors and pour it to fill in over your design. I made some parts like this for silicon molds, and with this method you can design in interlocking parts that will not separate even with age.