Big Tooth Aspen for cutting board?

[JWK1]

I've got a lot of very large big tooth aspen on my property. This stuff is very straight grained, has very large stretches between branches on the lower part, and is easy to work with. I'm wondering if it would be worth it to harvest some, cut it into thick planks, and let it cure for a year. Even though it is technically a hardwood, it is very soft for a hardwood. However, it is very fine grained; much finer than pine. On the Janka scale, hard maple is 1450, walnut is 1010, red maple and cherry is 950. I mention red maple because we have a lot of that around here, but I don't have much in the way of mature trees. It also takes a lot longer to cure; probably at least two years.

So what would be the downside of making a board out of big tooth aspen?

 

[RonB]

Here is the Wood Database page on this wood:

https://www.wood-database.com/bigtooth-aspen/
In my mind, there are two things to worry about:
1 - bugs. It is susceptible to attack by bugs. And some of these bugs would really enjoy being turned loose in your house. If you can cook the wood at a high enough temp for about 24 hours, that should kill anyone in the wood. I don't remember what temp though.
2 - warping. You might get lucky with short pieces, but it does have a tendency to warp during drying.

 

[JWK1]

Bugs would not be a problem. Lumber is cut and treated with borax, then dried. I missed the part on warping during drying. Still, it doesn't matter after it's properly dried. It will be cut into pieces and then glued together. I'm more concerned about it being too soft to use as a cutting board. Don't the Japanese use really soft wood for their boards?

 

[deltaplex]

Bugs would not be a problem. Lumber is cut and treated with borax, then dried. I missed the part on warping during drying. Still, it doesn't matter after it's properly dried. It will be cut into pieces and then glued together. I'm more concerned about it being too soft to use as a cutting board. Don't the Japanese use really soft wood for their boards?

It'll make a board that's very easy on your edges (comparatively) and will require more regular maintenance than one made from hardwood. I wouldn't say it's too soft for a cutting board, it's in the same range as pine and larch (tamarack), the latter of which is used by a well known Canadian board manufacturer who's boards you regularly see in pictures on KKF.

 

[Gshep91]

I've got a lot of very large big tooth aspen on my property. This stuff is very straight grained, has very large stretches between branches on the lower part, and is easy to work with. I'm wondering if it would be worth it to harvest some, cut it into thick planks, and let it cure for a year. Even though it is technically a hardwood, it is very soft for a hardwood. However, it is very fine grained; much finer than pine. On the Janka scale, hard maple is 1450, walnut is 1010, red maple and cherry is 950. I mention red maple because we have a lot of that around here, but I don't have much in the way of mature trees. It also takes a lot longer to cure; probably at least two years.

So what would be the downside of making a board out of big tooth aspen?

I have 0 input on this topic other than, just go for it.
No harm if it doesn’t work out how you’d like. As others mentioned it’s a soft enough wood so it won’t hurt the knives at all