100 Series Cutting Board Install

Details: By Jonathan Harris

I first saw a tailgate cutting board attachment at Cruise Moab a few years back. The utility, cleanliness and simplicity appealed to me both for food use and just as a sensible replacement for the stained and tattered carpet cover that was on my cutting board. A friend of mine gave me a rough cut board that he had acquired from a kitchen supply store. Not having a router or other tools required to give it a polished look, it stayed in my garage, not on my truck. Enter the LabRak Cutting Board. Located in Bend Oregon, Owner Shane Walters has a mind that is always moving at 1000 kilometers an hour. His designs are known for their complex and painstakingly detail oriented craftsmanship. His new cutting board is exacting in it’s build quality and and painstakingly simple. It was simple enough that we decided to install ours on a camping trip in the middle of the rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Land Cruiser 100 Series Cutting Board from LabRak

Using just the tools pictured below (libation of choice to be determined by the installer), we were able to install the cutting board in about 30 minutes, including breaks for photography and notes. Marking holes with a 1/16” drill bit (LabRak recommends a spring punch but we had to improvise), we then drilled out each hole with a step bit to 7/16” and installed the toggle nuts. Enter the butter knife. Our Coleman Max cutlery set has seen some miles but this was likely the most unique mission. The food grade HDPE cutting board tended to pinch our fingers when tightening the toggle nuts with the electric drill. Using the butter knife to maintain tension provided an easy fix. Tightening from left to right across the board and realigning as necessary was all it took to finalize the installations. We were cutting steak on the board by the end of the night.

Since installation the board has been used on every camping trip for food prep and serving. It’s textured surface keeps beverages from sliding off the edge but also makes it harder to clean. Using some soapy water will take care of it but don’t expect the board to retain the pure, sanitary white look. An inquiry about other colors revealed that HDPE rated for food safety by the NFS is only available in White. A wooden board would be gorgeous but likely much more expensive, maintenance intensive and difficult if not impossible to build in the thinness required. The other change we would like to see is a drip line, especially on the back edge to keep liquids on the board.

In conclusion, with the exception of a couple items for improvement, the LabRak Cutting Board is as close to a perfect cutting board solution that I have seen. We anticipate that it will see many delicious meals pass over its surface over the years.

Pros
-Direct replacement of factory carpet pad
-Easy installation
-Non slip textured top
-Replaces cumbersome tables
-Made in the USA