Look… I know… “Yay… It’s a cutting board.” I totally agree.
But, dang… The Glowforge does such a great job on things like this I just had to put it up here.
This one’s bamboo. Made it for my Aunt & Uncle we’re seeing tomorrow.
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Thats really nice contrast…I haven’t been lucky getting contrast like that on bamboo. 
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what settings did you use, if you don’t mind sharing?
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I just engraved my first cutting boards. They were decorative for hanging on a wall more than they were for cutting on, but they made for perfect gifts to give siblings.
I couldn’t stop staring at them—Something about designing a thing on the computer and then seeing it in an actual piece of wood just makes the whole thing seem so surreal.
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Yep. I like cutting boards for that reason too. 
They seem to provide a bit more substance or “need to be” than just a piece of wood with an engraving on it.
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I haven’t tried bamboo before. The contrast was part of the reason I posted it. Heh. I figured that’s how most bamboo turned out. I wonder if it’s because it’s finished/treated wood in this case. (Not sure if those are the correct terms for the finishing process of cutting boards.)
I don’t mind at all, but we’re not allowed to share those in this section since I didn’t use a 
material. I may post in another section if I get the chance. If I do, I’ll link it here.
Edit: Bamboo Cutting Board
Dude… Totally. My Wife was out when this one finished. I took the pic and sent it to her with a note “Gotta say, it’s pretty stunning.” I wasn’t talking about the design, but the quality that the Glowforge puts out. It’s just really something to see.
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I like those Celtic symbols. Do they have a special meaning for your aunt and uncle?
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@Tom_A have you tried giving it a scrub yet to wash out the soot?
Just a couple days ago I had my first run at bamboo.
What I learned is, you can absolutely HAMMER it with power, and it just asks for more. It is TOUGH stuff.
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I posted some bamboo engraving settings in BtM a couple of days ago. Nice black lines with those.
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When I mentally picture the laser cutting tough woods and such, I generally imagine using a magnifying glass in the sun to burn wood. I can’t imagine you want to do this sort of thing fast… Just nice and slow, and tweaking the power depending if you’re trying to blacken or obliterate material.
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Well, since we can’t talk about settings in this particular area of the forum, I will just say… You’re not gonna cut through solid bamboo with a glowforge, in anything resembling a reasonable effort or time, unless somebody comes up with a bamboo veneer. 
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I haven’t, but I’m really not seeing it in this case. TBH, I’m a little scared to mess with it. Considering we’re giving it tomorrow, if I mess it up I’m screwed.
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A little butcher block conditioner and you’re good to go I do bamboo cutting boards all the time. There shouldn’t be any real residue in the engraves - you just toasted the remaining wood.
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Hey, thanks for that! I was talking with my Dad the other day about how to treat a cutting board and he suggested soaking it in olive oil. I think I’m going to have to get some of this stuff though. Darn it! It’s actually cheaper from Walmart than Amazon? I hate when that happens.
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You can also get it a Home Depot or Lowes. Or make it yourself using food grade mineral oil (from the drugstore), beeswax and linseed oil (raw) in a 50/25/25% ratio. Heat it up before mixing and then again before using. Rub on a wet coat and after it soaks an hour rub it off. Repeat 3 times. Then they only need to repeat it every couple/few months to keep it looking fresh. You can use any of the 3 individually but together they make a harder longer lasting finish that isn’t oily.
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I liked them, too. I don’t know about “special” meaning, but they’re proud of their heritage. So my Wife and I looked up Celtic symbols and their meanings and chose 3 that we liked the meaning of. The crest in the middle is the official Brady family crest. We didn’t know that before last night, actually. I said “Hey, we should throw the family crest on there.” When we looked it up we laughed… Many/most family crests are weird, IMHO. (Mine’s yellow and black and is an out-stretched arm holing a stalk of wheat.) But when we saw the Brady one we laughed… “It’s as if they’re saying 'Oh, ‘ey! Wots that bright thing, then? Can you turn it off? I’m a bit hungover!’” (NOTE: That was not some sort of dig on any particular ancestry. It wouldn’t matter whose crest that was… That’s the first thing that popped into my head when I saw a hand pointing at the sun.) So we put the crest over their name and I think it adds a little somethin’ special to the board.
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Be sure to use “mineral oil” and not “mineral spirits.” (I’m sure that is what you meant.
I just use straight mineral oil on my cutting boards. I make quite a few.
@Tom_A Pour the mineral oil on the board liberally. Rub it around and let it soak up as much as it can. Let it sit for about 15 min and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel. Then, let sit overnight. If you really want to soak it thoroughly, do this one more time. After you let it sit overnight, it should be very treated, but have almost no oily residue left over. That second soaking will help it go longer before needing treatment. Don’t use olive oil. It will go rancid in the wood.
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Thanks! You seem to have an understanding of this… Do I want to pour it and rub it? Or, as somebody else suggested, bathe it? Or is that overkill?
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Ooops. Good catch. Thanks. I corrected my post.
Definitely agree with you about the olive oil. It also tends to create a somewhat sticky residue if it’s applied too heavily. As a result, there’s no reason to use it on a board. I don’t know why people still do that. Especially with food grade mineral oil available in the corner drugstore.
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No need to bathe/soak it. Working one side at a time, pour about a tablespoon of mineral oil on the board and use a lint free cloth (I use cut up t-shirts) to rub it in with the grain. Let sit for 15-30 min, repeat 2-3 times. Flip and do the other side.
Btw, here’s a thread with pre- & post-scrub photos of GF-engraved bamboo…
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