Cutting Board Re-Finish

[WMages]

Hi.  I have a piece of material that is made from HDPE or a material there abouts, similar to food type cutting boards. It's about an arm spread long and a couple of feet wide and a good inch thick. I keep it on top of one of my work benches and upon it, I cut most of my leather, patterns, punch holes etc. It doesn't seem to have any ill effect on the sharpness of my razor cutters although I strop them numerous times during a cut out etc.   Over time, it has picked up accumulated scoring marks from the razor knife. So far I've not noticed it imprinting onto my projects but I know it could especially if the leather is wet. I'm sure someone on here uses a similar board (I think this is some sort of building material that might come in a 4x8 sheet) ever sanded it smooth? It's handy enough, I don't mind spending some time or is it worthwhile and maybe I should replace it? If I were to sand it, what grit sandpaper would be recommended? I have several types of sanders but would probably start just a bit with my belt sander then switch to a smaller Makita handheld. I'm thinking the material is going to be fairly obdurate. Thoughts?

 

  

Edited July 12 by WMages

[fredk]

If you can, take it to a timberyard and get them to put it through their planer-thicknesser to take off a few millimeters

[GerryR]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

If you can, take it to a timberyard and get them to put it through their planer-thicknesser to take off a few millimeters

Good advice; sanding it is not a good option as it will just ball up and clog the paper; it needs to be shaved, not sanded.  Is the back side in good shape?  Can you just flip it over and use that until it needs refinishing, and then have both sides redone at one time?

[bruce johnson]

Agree on the planer for thickness reduction as the best option. but those places with the capacity for 2 feet wide seem to be getting fewer all the time in some areas. I have successfully resurfaced mine by hand. I did light pressure with a fairly coarse paper on a palm sander to take down the high spots. I think I started in the low 100s for grit. You want to almost float it over the surface. The paper cleans easy enough with a crepe belt cleaner every so often, no different than wood as long as it doesn't melt.. Then follow up with a couple progression of finer grits until you are satisfied. The key is keep moving with light pressure. Excess pressure or staying in one spot can melt the plastic and that gums up the paper and makes a divot. You don't have to take out the cut lines as much as just take down the high ridges next to those cut lines. A belt sander is probably going to run too fast and "hot". 

[AEBL]

If you have a hand plane, sharpen up the blade and try to skim it off. I've planed HDPE slides for tablesaw sleds before ... planes cut it like butter.

Oh (edit):
If you havent had experience flattening things with a plane, work from left to right or something, you can dish your project pretty easily if you aren't careful. I use a big straightedge to make sure that I'm not dishing things.

Edited Saturday at 05:51 PM by AEBL

[fredk]

Being a lazy sod I'd use an electric planer

[jcuk]

My cutting board is used only for cutting I do not use it for anything else as I know it will mark or scratch my work, so it would maybe better to get another board and use that for other things other than cutting and punching. Once I have finished cutting that board is removed from my bench same with my punching surface.

Hope this helps

JCUK

 

 

[Digit]

I have absolutely no experience with this kind of cutting board, but LDPE has a pretty low melting point, so could you smooth down those ridges using an iron? Possibly using some baking paper to protect it?

[WMages]

On 7/12/2025 at 7:32 AM, GerryR said:

Good advice; sanding it is not a good option as it will just ball up and clog the paper; it needs to be shaved, not sanded.  Is the back side in good shape?  Can you just flip it over and use that until it needs refinishing, and then have both sides redone at one time?

I'm on the second side now. I actually haven't seen the cut scars transfer to the grain side of the leather yet but then again, I don't often have it on there when wet. Perhaps and easier option might be to buy new when I think it's necessary. But a 4'x8' sheet of this stuff is near $700.   I hope one day when room permits, to have a 4x8 work bench surfaced with it. This stuff is great BTW.

 

Thank you to each of you who took the time to respond and share your thoughts and experiences. This forum is invaluable to a rookie at all this like me. There is truly an encyclopedia of knowledge here.

Edited Monday at 09:08 AM by WMages

[HandyDave]

I use regular hdpe cutting boards. I sand them with straight or orbital palm sanders with 220ish grit paper. It doesn't melt and clog but makes a super fine dust that sticks to everything if not using dust collection. Definitely wear a mask. Running plastic through a wood planer machine would be terrible on the blades of machine. I have a couple different boards I use. Some for just cutting and some for just punching. Then after sanding them several times and they are just wore out. I grab a couple more cheap ones from the store when I go to town.

[Dwight]

On Facebook Marketplace . . . you can pick up a decent 12 inch wide planer for 100 bucks . . . or at least I did.

Then cut your HDPE about 11 1/2 inches wide . . . run it thru the planer.  If you do it right . . . all the pieces will be THE EXACT same thickness . . . and can be either screwed down or double sticky back tape . . .  put to the table.  Take a thin file . . . just BARELY take the length wise edge off the sides . . . your leather will never notice it if you just cut enough off so it is not sharp.  The two pieces should slide together really super flat.

One thing about it though . . . after about 15 years . . . it has a tendency to become brittle on the edges . . . I have a 3 by 5 piece to prove it.  I could probably cut out a piece that would be 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 . . . but  I can snap off pieces of the edges in about 3 inches or so.

But I gave up on it . . . went to Joann Fabric . . . bought their 3 ft by 5 ft sewing table piece . . . it is the second one now in a little over 10 years . . . cost 75 apiece.  To me . . . that is worth twice the price.  Hold it down 

I bought a 4 x 8 sheet of it last spring for a little less than 300 bucks for a different project . . . shop around . . . you may find it . . . I had to go to Columbus Ohio . . . population one million . . . to get it.

May God bless

Dwight

[Dave9111]

Sams Club sells commercial cutting boards.  I cut them up with a table saw to get smaller pieces.  Great for backer board while using a hole punch and relatively cheap.   I think they are about 20x24 inches or so.  

[nylonRigging]

On 7/14/2025 at 2:04 AM, WMages said:

I'm on the second side now. I actually haven't seen the cut scars transfer to the grain side of the leather yet but then again, I don't often have it on there when wet. Perhaps and easier option might be to buy new when I think it's necessary. But a 4'x8' sheet of this stuff is near $700.   I hope one day when room permits, to have a 4x8 work bench surfaced with it. This stuff is great BTW.

 

Thank you to each of you who took the time to respond and share your thoughts and experiences. This forum is invaluable to a rookie at all this like me. There is truly an encyclopedia of knowledge here.

it is pretty cost effective, and common easy finding retail store, and I like the softer HDPE for punch, been using it for many years . HDPE is great and cheap for abusing for a backing when punching . But.. 'cutting' on HDPE surface, it takes a BAD beating . I was just at the supply warehouse yesterday picking up some more 4x8 sheets of ABS and HDPE, and while I was there was looking and pricing the Actalcopolymer sheets ( For Cutting ) not punching .
If you ever are going to 'UpGrade' to a 100 x superior material for a 'cutting surface' board . Buy Acetal Copolymer ( Polyoxymethylene ) .  Very Similar structure to Derlin, but it not Derlin and is a little cheaper in cost over Derlin.
.
OK, quick search . . here a simple vid. of what I am saying . the Vid. got A Lot of OP Jibber-Jabber knife talk . so I started into the Vid. 4: 17 minute .

Cut Surface
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