Adding Sections To The Bench...How?

[Jerry Murray]

I have a nice butcher block top on my workbench. I have another piece of butcher block which is the same width and thickness as my bench and would like to add about a foot to one end.

I have some hardwood (oak) 7/8" dowels and bought a 7/8" hole cutting bore for my drill.

My question is this. How can I make a straight and level hole in each piece so that the pegs line up?

[Todd Burch]

Make a jig that acts as a bushing.

[Jerry Murray]

Thanks! I have some other projects that will require those types of holes, so i'm thinking that I should spring for one of those self centering jigs.

[Jamie Buxton]

What tools do you have? Do you have a drill press, or some way of making guide holes in the jig which are exactly at right angles to the face of the jig?

Another approach would be to lose the dowels. Instead, put a splice under the counter. Use a sturdy chunk of plywood, and run screws through it into the butcherblock. It automatically aligns the bottom surfaces, so if both workpieces are the same thickness, you're home.

A third approach would be to use a countertop connector. These are what draw formica-style kitchen counters together along big miter joints. They're generally shown in 3/4"-thick material, but can be used in thicker. http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/FSC-2600/Zipbolt or http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=40935&cat=3,43715,43716&ap=1

[Frank Drew]

A third approach would be to use a countertop connector.

These would be my suggestion. You'd get a much tighter fit than you'd get using dowels or splines alone.


These are what draw formica-style kitchen counters together along big miter joints.

Also used to draw together big sections of conference tables and the like.

[Ben Martin]

Jerry, thanks for asking this question. I have two pieces of bowling alley, one will become a shuffle board table and the other will become my workbench, I will be ripping them through the width and then bolting them together (to make them twice as long) using some of the connectors that Jamie linked to above.

[Jerry Murray]

What tools do you have? Do you have a drill press, or some way of making guide holes in the jig which are exactly at right angles to the face of the jig?

Another approach would be to lose the dowels. Instead, put a splice under the counter. Use a sturdy chunk of plywood, and run screws through it into the butcherblock. It automatically aligns the bottom surfaces, so if both workpieces are the same thickness, you're home.

A third approach would be to use a countertop connector. These are what draw formica-style kitchen counters together along big miter joints. They're generally shown in 3/4"-thick material, but can be used in thicker. http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/FSC-2600/Zipbolt or http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=40935&cat=3,43715,43716&ap=1

Wow that looks GREAT!

[Jamie Buxton]

Those joint connectors are used to draw tight a joint in material which is supported by cabinets or other structure. If this extra section of butcherblock is just hanging out over thin air, and if you're going to use it like a workbench -- that is, put lots of weight on it sometimes -- I'd still use the joint connector to draw the joint tight, but I'd also add some sort of support under the added section -- perhaps a stick or two screwed up into the undersides of both sections of the butcherblock.

[Jerry Murray]

Those joint connectors are used to draw tight a joint in material which is supported by cabinets or other structure. If this extra section of butcherblock is just hanging out over thin air, and if you're going to use it like a workbench -- that is, put lots of weight on it sometimes -- I'd still use the joint connector to draw the joint tight, but I'd also add some sort of support under the added section -- perhaps a stick or two screwed up into the undersides of both sections of the butcherblock.

I don't think that this section will have lots of weight on it. My plans are to add between 10-12" After re-checking the size last night, I find that the added section is about 1/4" thinner than the bench itself. So I'll build up that piece and then peg it along the edge, and add something to give it added support.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would still use dowels or some kind of support, in addition to the dogbone connectors. 12" of butcher block, cantilevered out past the end of your bench is going to be pretty heavy, and I would be very worried about sagging.

Doc

[Jerry Murray]

I would still use dowels or some kind of support, in addition to the dogbone connectors. 12" of butcher block, cantilevered out past the end of your bench is going to be pretty heavy, and I would be very worried about sagging.

Doc

Ok, I'll order some when I place my next Lee Valley order.

Thanks!