We have alot of home builders here and I’m putting together welcome gifts to give their clients. Will have a few different choices, from small personalized kitchen gift baskets to larger ones that include custom tiles, garden flagstone as well as a house sign.
Wood handles do well…and you can use Thermark on a metal part too.
Very nice! I especially love the little critter that looks like a fox? or coyote? The lampshade is very cool, too!
Its a little orange fox 
It’s really cute. Did you freehand draw it? Or create it in a graphics program?
I drew it in CorelDraw
It’s her desktop version of firefox. 
When you laser a cuttingboard do you seal it afterwards? I hear some people say the grooves will breed/hold bacteria etc. 
Personally wouldn’t engrave a cutting board that is used for food prep for that reason.
Wood is naturally antibacterial. I use wood ones for anything other than raw chicken or pork…I use nylon ones for that and clean it with bleach.
Wood ones are cleaned by either using really hot water and a scrubber or rubbing it with salt. They’ve been used like this for centuries …
Disclaimer: I am very far from germophobic.
I am solidly with @smcgathyfay on this one though. No research to validate my stance, but wood already has a nice grain to it, so I do not see how a laser etch has a notable increase in residence sites for bacteria. It is also already a biological, so the food prep doesn’t do much to add to potential food for bacterial growth.
Anecdotal, but I saw some bamboo towels for sale specifically because of the anti-microbial nature of bamboo.
So I would say don’t worry so much about health with an engraved cutting board. I would worry far more about slamming and scraping a knife across your engraved design repeatedly meaning that soon instead of an extra fancy board you have an extra mangled board.
My plan on cutting boards is to engrave in the corner so I personally remember which I can and cannot use (wife insists I use a special board for onions). And maybe some larger designs on the back sides since we store them propped up against the wall.
Here’s a nice little article on wooden versus plastic cutting boards and their care.
Personally, I would put very little if any engraving on the working surface of a cutting board. I would, however, go overboard on the back to encourage it being hung up for air circulation when drying.
Yup, it’s the cross-contamination that gets you. Touch the food, touch the knife handle, set the knife on the counter, wash everything (but the counter where the knife handle was), touch the counter and then touch your face. The only truly safe method of food prep is to take a parasitology course - you’ll never have the desire to eat again.
I’m as far from germophobic as one could be. I have probably kissed 500 dogs in my life, worked a hog farm, drank from creeks and rivers from Appalachia to California and eaten many vegetables straight from the Earth.
She cooks and I clean. My fondness of science has given me a good understanding of the biosphere I participate in, and how it permeates us and our surroundings. Because of my exposure across life, I have a robust immune system. My microbiome and I get along well. Apparently I have a high tolerance for filth - everywhere except the kitchen. There, I take no prisoners.
The importance of that comes clear the first time you suffer a food borne illness IMO.
Regarding engraved cutting boards the main factor would be the depth.
(from the link @lcuellar63) …
"The more grooves it has, and the bigger they are, the more area is available for trapping moisture and giving bacteria a place to proliferate,”
Not to mention compromising the efficiency of the cutting surface that gives the knife an uninterrupted interface.
Embellishing the back is a perfect solution Leo, hanging the board to dry also puts the engrave on display.
I plan to try to engrave the BACK of this cutting board since it looks nice and then leave the side with the grooves for cutting. http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Cutting-Chopping-Serving-Platter/dp/B01A7ZU6ME?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00:
I agree on the design being on the back just for astetic purposes…hate to scar up a pretty design.
I’m of the era of rubbing dirt in the wound to stop the bleeding…lol. We dont use antibacterial soaps or antibiotics for everything…me and my kids are rarely sick… Your immune system is pretty powerful if left to do the job on its own in most case.
Stiff scrub brush and a good dry out. Nothing engraved too deep or it won’t be good for cutting things through like a bell pepper skin side down. I’d say decorative edges and light engraving unless it’s like a cheese board.
The weather finally cooperated and we were able to take the kayaks out on the Chesapeake at the end of May. You are right about the satisfaction about been able to have the water slide by the hull of the kayak.
I find that with retirement I seem to have so many projects that I have been asked to take on that the apparent disarray of my multiple work areas seems to just explode. Hence my motivation for giving away the three laser engravers about a month ago. I have also had to go through and clean out much of my computer lab so that I could find room for my new 3D printer and be able to walk. 
I love the kayak trailer! Especially after fighting to get my 18 foot kayak and my wife’s 14 foot kayak up on top of my 2015 Chevy Colorado extended cab.
The deck and fireplace look sweet.
I just hang ours from 1" webbing tie down strap about 15’ from the lake. 
Was out on the lake for a good 4 hours today. Love being retired!
Thanks for sharing that @rmaker1952. How do you enjoy your Carvewright? I just recieved mine a few months back and found it very easy to use. It is a bit on the noisy side and so, for the neighbor’s and my own sanity, I constructed the following 13’ soundproof box. It just so happens that the surface is large enough that not only can I place the glowforge on it, but I think I could also turn the glowforge sideways and pass materials back and forth length wise across the bench (as I have about 39" to work with front to back).
