I got hold of a few planks of pod mahogany - "chanfuta" (
Afzelia quanzensis) some months ago. This was the perfect opportunity to build a new fish cleaning and filleting board.
Here's how I did it.
1. I used a 80 cm long plank (long enough to sort those 5 kg's coutas out... 15 cm wide) and smoothed it properly with fine sandpaper;
2. Then, I drilled one hole (6 mm bit) in the middle of the plank 2 cm from the edge (this is the hanging hole);
3. Drilled three (6 mm bit) wholes in a triangle arrangement as shown in the diagram below. The top hole is located right in the middle of the plank and 5 cm from the edge. The remaining holes are also located 5 cm from each other (this will suit the most common fish I keep for the pot);
4. Then I enlarged the holes, on the bottom side of the plank, using an 8 mm bit to a depth of about 5 mm (this is to insert the head of the bolt, so the board will not make an angle when in use or scratch the surface I'm working on!).
5. Inserted three 6 x 80 mm S/S bolts on each hole and tighten the nuts as much as possible.
6. Used a grinder to sharpen the tips of the bolts (
WARNING: keep this board away from children!).
7. Then, I stole some olive oil from the kitchen (if my wife finds out!
), and painted both surfaces (or you can paint just the top one if you wanna go cheap!) of the board 3 times (let it dry properly before the next hand).
And there you have it. A proper cleaning and filleting board to sort your fish next summer. Just press the head of the fish into the the 3 sharp S/S bolts and you can work that fish properly.
The olive oil will make it easier to clean the fish juices, smells great and will protect the wood (and of course contains no harmful chemicals).
Every now and again, you should re-paint the board with olive oil.
Happy DIYing!
