Scraps of hardwood that you may have lying around in your basement will provide all the raw material necessary for several cutting boards of attractive design. They can be turned on the lathe or cut into various patterns, such as pear and kidney shapes, or in rectangles, triangles and squares. Sand the board smooth and finish in a natural color, applying two or three coats of clear shellac. Use the underside of the board for slicing, mincing and chopping, and the finished top for serving.
-Taken from the 1955 Edition of Popular Mechanics Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia.
