1. How much do they cost?
Cost varies depending on which exotic hardwoods are used in the end product, its size and complexity, and if accessories are involved such as handles. Exotic hardwoods are priced by the distributor in board feet meaning a calculation of height times the width times a foot, and can go as high as nearly $20 per BF. Items requiring shipping are priced at cost only plus a 3% credit card fee.
2. Are the boards safe for food items?
Boards made to be used with food are coated for four 24-hour periods; three with food-safe mineral oil and one with a combination of beeswax and orange citrus oil. Boards to be used around soap and a lot of water by your sink are coated three times with a well-known product used on boats titled Helmsman Spar Urethane. These should not be used with any food products.
3. Do the boards require any maintenance?
Exotic hardwood boards do require periodic maintenance consisting of a recoating with food-safe mineral oil found at Lowes, Home Depot, and most hardware stores. When the hardwood appears to be drying, coat all six sides and let it sit overnight. The next day wipe off the oil and it will be renewed. A care form is available at every board purchase.
4. What is the difference between a product of parallel boards and ones titled chaos boards?
Chaos boards require many numerous cuts and glue ups and planing and sanding to achieve the many different patterns, while parallel boards only depends on the number of boards.
5. What type of payments do you accept?
We accept credit card payments with a 3% fee or Venmo with no fee. We are required to add an Alabama sales tax of 10% to each purchase. Custom work requires a 75% deposit before work can begin, and shipping occurs after full payment is received.
6. Do you do custom work with the boards?
Yes, we do custom work and also work with customers to co-design the exact board they desire. We have a package which includes a list of questions that take a person through the design process and have pages with photos of the different hardwoods available.
7. How does John G process the different exotic woods?
Gluing of woods is always required, and Titebond III is used to not only provide a very permanent bond, but also allow a reasonable amount of time before it sets to make adjustments if needed.
When construction is complete and processing is the next step, depending on the condition and type of wood, sanding is typically begun in the lower grits and raised from 180/220 to a combination of 600, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 grit.
The final step is to spray it with water, let it dry, and then resand it. This smooths out the wood fibers that stand up due to the water. The end result is a silky smooth finish people love to rub their hands over, and something you will be proud to show off to your friends and family.
Once a food service item has completed construction, it is coated three times with food-safe mineral oil and left overnight each time to thoroughly penetrate the wood. Each purchase comes with a helpful page of do’s and don’ts to explain the proper care of your new exotic wood item, and also a page revealing each different type of wood and its country of origin.